Lunch Becomes Art

"Hard Boiled Egg" 2010

Original oil, alkyd on 6" x 8" panel
SOLD

About 20 years ago, I attended a Chinese painting demonstration given by artist Cecilia Lin in her Memphis studio. She stood at a table, a large sheet of rice paper spread before her. She became very quiet, very still, very focused, holding a brush loaded with black ink over the paper. Suddenly, with a few quick and decisive strokes, a fully alive koi splashed its way across the sheet. I was amazed.

I thought of Cecilia Lin and her masterful skill and speed while considering what to work on in my studio last week. One of my (as of yet) unattained goals is to paint more quickly, like the Daily Painters who can finish at least one small painting a day.

So, my subject matter for painting that day became the hard boiled egg I'd brought for lunch. One must work quickly when painting food items, as the heat from the studio spotlights will affect the color, texture, and even the shape of some foods—like the jalapenos that turned yellow, then red, and got so "hot" they made my eyes water after a few days under the lights.

It took about four hours to render this simple "still life" from direct observation, but I was pleased to have it completed in "record breaking time"...at least for me.

Thanks for taking a moment to visit my blog. Enjoy a great week!

PS: Many thanks to those who emailed to let me know you're glad to see my blog is back in publication. I truly appreciate your readership, support, and encouragement. It's fun to know you're out there!

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Text and image ©2010 Carol Adamec. All rights reserved

Survivor

Turning

Original oil, alkyd on canvas panel
5x7"

I always wondered why artists painted items such as onions and garlic cloves.

Well, I found out while using these chiles as my subject matter last week. After having them under a hot studio light for several hours for several days, the distinct aroma of jalapenos wafted throughout my studio. One pepper turned bright red orange! I'm either going to have to paint faster, or use onions and garlics as my still life items, too. I almost gave up on this painting, but finally got it to work. It's a survivor.

Meanwhile, I got good news in the mail this week. My painting The Kitchen Window posted on Feb 2 (http://caroladamec.blogspot.com/2009/02/light-air.html) was accepted into The MasterWorks 2009 exhibit in Albuquerque. The show is in April.

Thanks for taking a moment to read this post. See you Monday.
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Text and image ©2009 Carol Adamec. All rights reserved.

Win some, lose some

Green Chiles & White Jar (Work in Progress)
Oil, alkyd on canvas panel • 8" x 8"

I am posting late today, after spending the day in the studio and getting nowhere fast.

I had three (very wet) paintings that I worked on over the weekend. One-- I finally just threw away--a total loss that was just too frustrating to continue painting on. Another is a small 5x7" that I hope (and pray) I will be showing you in the near future.

The one you see here is the third one, and the most promising, at least at this point in time. The challenge will be getting that copper lid on the white jar to look like reflective medal. I hope that my "studio angel" will be present and in a good mood when I am working on that part of the painting in particular.

Thanks for taking a moment to look at my work. I hope your week is off to a good start. See you Thursday.
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Text and image ©2009 Carol Adamec. All rights reserved.

Friday's Flower

Orchid Blossom I, 2008
Oil, alkyd on canvas panel
N/A

For the past two months, we've been enjoying a couple of blooming orchid plants that sit outside on the patio table. One plant brought forth 17(!) lovely deep pinkish lavender blossoms. The other orchid, about 12 white flowers.

I plucked one of the white blossoms and floated it in a small white ceramic dish, and then took several photographs of the "mini-still life" in morning light. Today's post shows the first orchid blossom painting. I hope you enjoy it.

Keep cool this weekend, and I’ll see you Monday.
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Art, text, and image @2008 Carol Adamec. All rights reserved.

A Bit of Green....Done!

Leaf Bouquet, 2008
Original painting, oil on canvas panel
8" x 6" unframed
Private Collection
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Here's the final version of the painting I started last week. The challenge of doing this painting was working with greens. I found that the trick is to use just "a bit of green" from the tube and to mix it with a variety of other colors, such as cadmium orange, Indian yellow, yellow ochre, cerulean blue, burnt sienna, Naples rose, and alizarin crimson!

I'm trying out some new Italian canvas panels in a 6" x 8" size, which is a format that plein air painters often use. The panel has a very fine weave which I really like, and has a nice proportion to it, too.

Even though this painting has no "flower", I think it still turned out bellissimo, no?

Thanks for taking a moment to read this post and see today's painting. See you Friday!
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Text, images, and artwork ©Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Painting from Memory

"Rose Glow" 2008

Original, oil on panel
7" x 5"

SOLD

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This painting began as a little set up that I was painting from direct observation. I had most of it completed, except the rose. I had the colors right, but not the overlapping of the petals.

The next morning when I arrived at the studio, the poor little rose was limp and the petals shriveled. So much for working from observation!

Having looked at the rose for several hours the day before, I recalled how the rose petals looked and was able to complete the painting. Thank goodness for memory!

One could argue that an artist is always working from memory, whether painting from a photograph, a sketch, or even "live." The image still exists in the mind—not just in the eye—of the artist.

Many thanks for taking the time to look at my artwork and read this post. You are welcome to forward this blog to others, too. Please, do leave a comment!

I hope your Monday is a pleasant one. See you Wednesday.
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Text, image, and painting ©Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Painting from Travel Photos

"Shanghai Goldfish" 2005
Oil, alkyd on canvas
Original: 30" x 36"

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While I do enjoy working "live" in the studio, I am quite aware of the limitations of painting only from direct observation. Things change, even indoors: flowers die, fruit rots, the light varies from day to day. Painting outdoors is even more challenging, with shifts in light and shadow, wind, cloud drifting, and weather moving in. So having a camera to capture the way something looks "right now" is very useful for completing paintings.

One of those times when having a camera handy is when one is traveling.

Shanghai Goldfish was developed from a photograph I took in 2000 at at tea house in China. We were on our way out the door when the goldfish in the Chinese porcelain bowl caught my eye. A quick snapshot made this painting a possibility. Without the photo, the idea for the painting would have vaporized into a forgotten memory from the trip. It still took 5 years for the idea to crystalize in my mind as an image to paint. I was glad that I had the photo to keep the idea alive.

The original painting is for sale, along with a giclée on stretch canvas (various sizes) in limited edition, and an open edition art print. Email me for additional purchase information.

Thanks for coming along and looking at my painting.

Have a great day. See you Friday.
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Text, image, and painting ©Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Dry Shell

Dry Shell
Original, oil on canvas panel

5" x 7"

SOLD

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When the construction crew was digging the foundation for my sister's house, this shell was uncovered. It's a good size and quite heavy, pock marked with "history" and worn from years of erosion in the sandy soil, yet completely intact. It was sitting on the bookshelf in the family room where I discovered it a few weeks ago when looking for something to take to the studio to paint.

Since the shell is basically a white item with very little color, getting the drawing right and the light and darks to reveal the form were important.

In some way, the shell presented similar challenges as the "Black Purse, Red Lipstick" painting. Both paintings have minimal color and rely on lights and darks (called "values" or "shades and tones") to made the painting work.

I am pleased with how the textural effects of the shell's surface turned out, too. It was nice of "The Muse of Inspiration" to show up and give me a hand that day!

Many thanks for taking the time to read this post and look at my painting. You are welcome to forward this blog to others, too.

Have a good day. See you Friday!
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Text, image, and painting ©Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Monday's Rose

Monday's Rose, 2008
Original, 10" x 8"
Oil on canvas panel
SOLD


Here is the "final" version of the rose, which you have seen in progress over the past couple of weeks.

I reworked the background several times, overlaying colors to vary the lights and darks, and warm and cool colors. One can play around with innumerable possibilities! This is called "nuancing" in "art talk" and can result in very rich color.

For all my readers, this rose is for you. I hope your Monday is a pleasant one.

Many thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I appreciate your interest, support, encouragement, and comments. You are welcome to forward this post and painting to others, too.

See you Wednesday!
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Text, image, and painting ©Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Paint It Black

Black Purse, Red Lipstick
Original, oil on canvas panel
8"x10" unframed

Contact Artist to purchase.

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It's been about a week since I posted the grisaille rendering of this "still life." You would think that a black purse would be easy to paint...just use black paint mixed with white. But then the purse has no color—it's just all shades of gray, like the grisaille rendering.

To create "black," I mixed various combinations of dark pigments—phthalo blue, phthalo green, alizarin crimson, burnt umber, and burnt sienna—and then mixed in some white to paint the highlights and lighter tones.

I painted on it last week and yesterday, and I do believe it is finished.

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please contact me, and I will email you a better photo. The painting will be dry enough to put on the scanner in a day or two.

Thanks for looking. Have a good day today, and a wonderful Thursday. See you Friday! ___________________________________________________
Text, images, and artwork ©Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Back to Basics, Part 2

Rose
(in progress) 10" x 8"

I did work on the "Black Purse" painting on Monday. However, Tuesday it was still too wet to work on or complete in time for today's blog. So, you'll probably see it Friday.

In the meantime, I turned my attention to one of the 12 unfinished paintings in my studio.

Over the weekend, I started this little still life shown here, and was not happy with the drawing. (Usually when I am unhappy with a painting, it's the drawing that needs attention. But it takes me awhile to realize that.) I worked at least an hour on the "shoulders" of the vase and just could not get it right...duh, back to basic drawing! Then the painting was just too wet to mess with, so I set it aside.

As for the painting, I again began with a grisaille rendering. Although most of the canvas is covered with color, you can still see the rose petals done in light shades of umber. Eventually, the rose will be a deep pink. You can also see from this example that I do start out my paintings with all over, loose brushwork.

Check back on Friday to see which painting I get done, and how it turns out. Have a good day!

Many thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I appreciate your interest, support, encouragement, and comments. You are welcome to share this with others, too.
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Images and artwork ©Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

BACK to BASICS

Black Purse, Red Lipstick

Grisaille (in progress)

8" x 10"

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Saturday I arrived at the studio and was not inspired to work on any of the 12 unfinished paintings awaiting my attention. So, what else could I do... I had to start a new painting!

Looking around the studio, I decided to use my purse and a tube of lipstick for my "still life." I then began this painting as a "grisaille" ( pronounced griz-EYE, a French word for "shades of gray"). Traditional art academies taught grisaille to sculptors and painters alike. Sculptors use grisaille as a means to represent relief sculpture. Painters employ grisaille as underpainting, often in preparation for color glazing techniques.

Grisaille paintings are most often done in black or burnt umber, mixed with white. I used a bit of both mixtures for this rendering. Since I am "in training" to paint more quickly, I timed the drawing, blocking in forms and laying in the various lights and darks—about 90 minutes. On Sunday I reworked a bit of the drawing part, and tweaked a few of the lights and darks—another 15 minutes.

As you can see, this is a "first draft" of the still life. Since the items are associated with women, I gave the purse some "body," likening the folds of leather to folds of skin. With luck, I'll have the finished painting to show you on Wednesday....in full color!

In the meantime, have a good day today, and a wonderful Tuesday. Many thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I appreciate your interest, support, encouragement, and comments.

You are welcome to share this with others, too: http://www.CarolAdamec.blogspot.com ____________________________________________
Images and artwork ©Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

GOOD NEWS...Follow up

Heads or Tails, 2008
Oil on canvas panel
8" x 10" unframed

Contact Artist to purchase.

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As you may recall from my May 21 post, I had two flower paintings accepted for the Orlando Museum 's "1st Thursdays" event. The third entry (which was "rejected") was Heads or Tails, shown here.

Ironically, when I went to check in the paintings at the Museum yesterday morning, the receiving staff asked for Morning Tulips and Heads or Tails! Apparently, there was a mix up, but they took the two flower pieces for the showing.

So, I thought I would show my blog readers what the Museum goers missed last night. Heads or Tails was based on a photograph I snapped in Shanghai on my trip to China in November 2000. Even though, on one hand, Shanghai is a modern mega-tropolis that makes New York City look like a small town, there are still many open air markets and and street vendors that sell "fresh"...really fresh...consumables.

My interest in doing this image was the challenge of painting the exquisite range of reds in the picture. I also enjoyed figuring out how to create the visual texture of fish scales. (I used a piece of plastic mesh.)

Many thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I appreciate your interest, support, encouragement, and comments.

Have a great weekend. See you Monday!
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Images and artwork copyright ©Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Art Making in the Digital Age

Kathryn's Chair, 2006.

Original oil, alkyd on canvas available for purchase.

Available as a LE giclée on canvas or

open edition Art Print.

Contact Artist for purchase info
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It's fascinating to me to see how artists work — which resources, methods, and tools they employ to create their paintings.

As a realist painter, I rely on quick "idea" sketches, photographs, digital images, pictures in art books, and "Googled" resources for visualizing objects and pulling together ideas for paintings.

My digital camera is my new sketchbook for creating preparatory "drawings," since I can shoot several photographs and then edit, enhance, and manipulate the pictures in PhotoShop until I get the composition I want. Other times, I'll print out several copies of a photo to cut and paste the various elements by hand to create a composite collage of the painting to-be.

If the painting will be small, I make an inkjet print to work from. If the painting will be large, I use Kinko's services to have an enlarged black and white printout made to transfer the image to canvas. In the studio, I can display the photo on my laptop computer to check on colors and to zoom in for details.

However, as the painting nears completion, I end up using the tried-and-true "traditional" tools of art — memory, imagination, intuition, and the experience of painting.

"Kathryn's Chair" was painted in 2006 using the tools and methods described above. Measuring 22" x 20" the painting is rendered in oil and alkyd on stretched canvas.

Thanks for looking. Your questions and comments are welcome.

See you Friday!

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"Kathryn's Chair" 2006
• Limited Edition giclée on stretched canvas: Price upon request.
• Open Edition Art Print: $24 (unframed) on ETSY: www.caroladamec.etsy.com
For additional information, contact the Artist: CAdamec@juno.com
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Images and artwork ©Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Jemez Pot with Feathers, 2008

Jemez Pot with Feathers, 2008
Original painting
Oil and alkyd on canvas panel
7" x 5" unframed

SOLD

I like to poke around garage sales, flea markets, and Goodwill type stores for collectibles. (My 84-year old mother has been an Antiques Roadshow fan for years and it has rubbed off on me!) It's also a great way to find things to paint.

Just around the corner from my studio here in Florida is a Goodwill store where I found this small hand painted pot from the Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico. I love the scalloped rim, the traditional butterfly design, and the colors. It's even signed by the artist, too!

Having lived in Albuquerque for 10 years, I've been to Jemez many times—a beautiful place with lots of red rock. So I was thrilled to find this piece of pottery, add the feathers, and happy to paint from direct observation. I was hoping that that I could complete this as "A Painting A Day" (a new challenge I've taken on this year) but it took me two days.

This original painting is available for purchase on Etsy: www.CarolAdamec.etsy.com.

Thanks for dropping by. Your questions and comments are welcome.

See you Wednesday!

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Images and artwork protected by copyright ©Carol L Adamec.
All rights reserved.

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