Chicken Door re-do

Chicken Door

by Carol Adamec
Original: Oil, alkyd on Panel
8 x 10"

Something most of my artist friends know about me is that, until a painting of mine is sold, it's "unfinished." I have most of my recent paintings sitting around the studio to peruse. If something bothers me about a painting, I'll often repaint it...sometimes reworking the entire painting...and usually for the better.

Today's "re-do" is The Chicken Door, which I first showed you last September. After looking at it for several months, I decided that the coloring was too red and too cool. So I lightened and warmed up the entire image. I like it much better now...maybe it's even finished!

If you want to compare the two versions, here's the link to my first attempt. See what you think, and I'd be happy to hear your opinion, too.

http://caroladamec.blogspot.com/2008/09/chicken-door.html

Have a good day. See you Thursday.
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Artwork and text ©2009 Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

A Little Southwest Flavor

Bordello Abandoned

by Sondra Diepen
Photo-based Giclée
Various sizes available.
To purchase contact the Artist:
canyons@swcp.com

For me, one of the best perks of being an artist is knowing other artists. Then, too, I think the greatest compliment one artist can give another is to say "Gee, I wish I had done that!"

Today's image is by my artist-friend Sondra Diepen. If you have been following this blog for awhile, you may recall the post about Sondra back on October 4, 2008 (Link: http://caroladamec.blogspot.com/2008/10/exhibit-glimpse-4.html). Sondra was the curator and one of the artists in the Be Leaf It or Not exhibit at the Harwood Art Center last fall.

Sondra has photographed many wonderful images. This one, "Bordello Abandoned", is a favorite for many folks and one which made my Gee-I-Wish-I'd-Done-That list. There is something quintessentially "New Mexico" about this image which has captured the eye of many jurors as well as eager buyers.

Sondra has a keen eye for the color, texture and translucence of flowers, photographed up close to reveal the thrilling details of Nature. She also sees great beauty in unlikely subject matter such as rusted surfaces of old abandoned cars and faded artificial flowers on worn graves in small town cemeteries. You can see a sampling of her work at http://www.NMArtists.com. Enjoy!

Have a good day. See you Thursday.
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Artwork and image © Sondra Diepen. Used with permission.
Text 2009 ©Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Introducing....

"A Chronicle of Cranes, the Finale"
Art Installation by Hunter Levinsohn

I am pleased to devote this post to a longtime artist-friend, Hunter Levinsohn, whom I became friends with while living in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (1976-1980).

Somewhere in my stored files, I still have a magazine article about Center/Gallery, a women artists group that we were both a part of back then. I was a recent art school graduate, still struggling to figure out what to paint. Hunter, however, was already creating politically and socially conscious art from the stream of events happening in the country that struck a chord within her.

Over the years, her art has addressed injustices, war, patriotism, and corporate power, and has taken on the morés of the Old South, the tobacco companies, First Amendment rights, and the presidency of George W. Bush, to name just a few issues that have prompted Hunter's creative output. Often, her work is created from junk, or "found objects"--like the 44,000 cigarette butts she collected for her installation called "Ground Cover/Cover-Up."

Her most recent project, "A Chronicle in Cranes, the Finale" has been fabricated from the pages of The New York Times. Hunter began making origami cranes from the front page of the New York Times on January 20, 2005, the day George W. Bush was inaugurated for his second term, and has continued to do so until January 20, 2009, when Bush's term ended.

Says Hunter, "I call the cranes 'chronicling cranes' because it is four years of newspapers, four years of news." In one wing of each crane, she tucks in the day's editorials. In the other, she slides in the day's list of war casualties. Sometimes she writes on the wing a date or event of significance to her or her family.

Like all of Hunter's work, her intention is to raise the viewer's consciousness. The cranes are for sale. Buyers are asked to choose one with a date that holds personal significance and to take on the responsibility of learning what happened in the world on that date.

According to legend, it is believed that if one folds a thousand paper cranes, the gods will fulfill your heart’s desire. Over the past 4 years Hunter has folded 1,461 cranes, and as she states, "my heart’s desire is that each crane will carry a hope and a promise. Each of us has to give something of ourselves to make the world a better place, and each of us can start at home."

The final event of The Chronicle of Cranes will take place this Sunday, March 22, in Chapel Hill, NC.

For more information, visit Hunter's website: http://www.hunterlevinsohn.com/index.html. Or Google Hunter's name. There are a lot of interesting articles about her work.

Have a good day. See you next week.
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Artwork and image © Hunter Levinsohn. Used with permission.
Text 2009 ©Carol L Adamec. All rights reserved.

Another piece from the past

Dragonheart, 2002
Original mixed media
15" x 15"
SOLD

Although I worked in the studio this weekend, everything is too wet to put on the scanner. So, once again I'm posting an artwork I did a several years ago.

In November 2000, I went to China for a 10 day tour. It was quite wonderful and mindboggling, too. For the next couple of years, I did several paintings, prints, and mixed media artworks that incorporated imagery and references to Chinese culture.

This piece is composed with a lot of red, black yellow, and gold coloring, sort of a Chinese palette. The text on the left comes from a booklet of ancient Chinese writings. The dragon in the upper right hand corner is a hand done cut-out made from tissue paper...incredible! I bought a packet of these at the Shanghai Museum for about a dollar. The heart and the rose (another image theme that I favored at the time) and the rest of the piece were painted by me.

Thanks for taking a moment to read this post. And Happy St. Patrick's Day to all! See you Thursday.

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Text and image @2009 Carol Adamec. All rights reserved.

Thursday Tulips

Out from the Shadows, 2005
Original: Color pencil on paper
SOLD

Since I'm working on my taxes this week (ugh!), I'm not in the studio. So, I am posting a drawing I did a few years ago. Enjoy!

See you next Monday. Have a good weekend.
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Text and image @2009 Carol Adamec. All rights reserved.

Progress Report: NM Morada

New Mexico Morada (work in progress)
Original: oil, alkyd on canvas panel
10 x 8"

It's been a few weeks since I began this painting, and it's now fairly well fleshed out in color and composition. It still needs more paint layers and some refinements, but it's coming along.

Many thanks to all who sent me good wishes via email for the Harwood Open House. And I am especially grateful for the local "fans" who came on Friday evening and visited my studio. It was a great evening, with wall-to-wall "arts crawlers." I also met several new folks and sold a few paintings, too.

I did get my studio all spiffed up in time for the event, although it wasn't even safe to open the closet door. Then it took me most of Saturday to get the studio back to a working space again. Creativity and orderliness are definitely opposites!

Have a good week. See you Thursday.
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Text and image ©2009 Carol Adamec. All rights reserved.

Fresh Chiles

White Jar, 2009
Original: Oil, alkyd on canvas panel
8" x 8"

Despite my good intentions to get ready for tomorrow night's Harwood Open Studio Night, I worked on this painting instead. Let's face it: I'd rather paint than clean any day!

Anyway, I went to the grocery store Monday and bought fresh chiles so I could finish the piece. And I ended up mixing up a whole lotta greens to get the right "chile green." I do like the complementary contrast between the peppers and the copper lid. So, it all worked out nicely.

Well, I gotta go now and clean the studio. See you Monday!
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Text and image ©2009 Carol Adamec. All rights reserved.

You're Invited....

This is going to be a busy week in the studio for me...not due to painting, however. This Friday, March 6, is the annual Open Studio Night, when all the Harwood artists throw open their doors and let the general public venture into their studio spaces. This is a big event--with music and openings in the Harwood galleries, too--sure to draw a crowd, as usual.

Like my colleagues, I'll be busy cleaning up my studio so folks can actually get in the door, see my work, and not get oil paint all over themselves. All my (good) finished paintings will be hung on the walls, rather than scattered and stacked here and there. And I'll be serving light refreshments, too.

The hours are 6-8pm. My studio is upstairs on the Main Hall, #3. If you are in the Albuquerque area, please come by to see me and enjoy the evening. You can also peruse the work of the other 21 artists, from emerging to established, who work in a variety of media. Their names on listed on the invitation pictured above.

The Harwood address is 1114 7th Street NW, ABQ 87102, located on the southeast corner of 7th and Mountain Road. The event is free and open to the public.

Thanks for taking a moment to read this post. See you Thursday.
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Text ©2009 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.

NM Adventure: Carrizozo

Movie Set in Carrizozo, New Mexico

Photo: Carol Adamec

No, you didn't miss my Thursday post, last week. I didn't do one. And after working in the studio for the past two weeks and having nothing yet finished to show for the effort, I was glad to get out of town to take pictures over the weekend with my photographer friend Sondra.

We headed out of Albuquerque on Saturday morning toward Carrizozo, a small New Mexico town of 1,029 residents located in the southeastern part of the state. The town got its name from the tall reedy grasses that grow here, called carrizo by the Spanish. The extra "zo" added to that word means "an abundance of carrizo."

The most exciting thing going on in Carrizozo right now is the filming of The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldham, and Mila Kunis. We found that out from a resident when we asked what had happened to business area in town; it looked like a tornado had destroyed it! It seems that the creative Hollywood folks have used plywood, foam, styrofoam sheets, and paint to convert an entire block to look like a small town wasteland. Construction was underway in January, with filming--and the arrival of Denzel Washington and the other stars--scheduled for early March.

I can confirm those Hollywood folks are good at what they do. Sondra and I went around tapping on buildings and various surfaces to determine what was real and what was "Hollywood." The crashed cars and concrete in the picture above are indeed real, part of a huge lot of rubble created for the movie. The film is to be released in 2010.

If you ever visit Carrizozo, I suggest you eat at Manny's--great food, fab pies, and very inexpensive. I hope it stays that way, long after the Hollywood crews leave town.

I'm back in the studio today and hope to post a new painting on Thursday. See you then.
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Text and photo ©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.

To All My Sweethearts...

When I was a schoolgirl, Valentine's Day was special, usually involving a little party at the end of the school day, when all the students exchanged heart-shaped cards and the room mothers supplied cookies and Kool-Aid for the entire class. But what was really special was getting a "conversation heart" from a shy secret admirer (or giving one to that special "crush of the day").

I don't know if children still celebrate Valentine's Day in school, but I do know that those little conversation hearts are still around. Amazingly, the candymaker, NECCO, produces over 8 billion of these little confections each year to meet the demand for this American novelty.

Even more amazing is that these little message hearts have been around a very long time--since 1902. (Actually, the ones I bought to scan for today's image tasted like they were made in 1902!)

According to the company's website*, the basic recipe has always been the same--sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, gums, coloring and flavoring. After the dough is rolled out, imprinted with sayings, and stamped out in the familiar heart shape, it goes through a 45-minute drying cycle to reach its proper consistency. Some things that have changed are the messages, like "Email me" and "Fax Me", to reflect modern times.

To meet the demand for its SweetHearts, NECCO produces them from late February through mid-January of the following year. The entire production sells out in just six weeks!

Although I was thrilled to get a "conversation heart" as a youngster, I guess my tastes have changed as I've matured. So, I offer a little Valentine's Day advice: If your sweetheart is over 8 years old, get a box of chocolates.

Happy Valentine's Day to all. See you Monday.
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*Information Source: www.necco.com/OurBrands/Default.asp?BrandID=8

New Mexico Morada

"Morada"
Work in Progress

When I first moved to New Mexico back in 1994, I did a painting of a "morada." A morada is a small church of The Penitentes, a religious order which practiced self-flagellation, public whipping, and cross-bearing for self discipline and in homage to the Passion of Christ. (not exactly a religion for the faint-hearted, in my opinion!)

Although this Order was founded in 737 AD in Europe, the only known practitioners remaining in the world by the 20th century were located in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. Indeed, in traveling around small villages in New Mexico, one can still find old adobe Penitente moradas, which are always accompanied by three crosses.

A few weeks ago, my friend Sondra and I came across a morada during our day trip north of Albuquerque. In the churchyard was a large cross, and up a steep hill were two other crosses--the traditional crosses of Calvary.

I took several pictures and put together (thanks to Photoshop) this composite image that will become a painting in the next few weeks. As you can see from this preliminary image, I have separated the image into four basic values. Once I get the color mixtures right, the painting should come together handily....at least, that's the "theory."

If you would like more information about The Penitentes or moradas, check out this link to this article: http://www.perillos.com/penitentes.html .

Have a good Monday. See you Thursday.
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Text and image ©2009 Carol Adamec. All rights reserved.

Santa Fe Adventure!

The New Mexico Rail Runner
(I think the "roadrunner" graphics are very cool!)

The Train Station at Santa Fe

(and, Yes! the sky was that blue!)

Last Saturday I went to Santa Fe with a couple of friends. The real purpose of the trip was to ride the new commuter train, known as The Rail Runner, from Albuquerque to Santa Fe.

My friends and I have been wanting to make this trip since before Christmas, when the train began running and was offering free round trip rides. However, the trains were always full--standing room only--so we decided to wait until after the holidays. After all, the round trip ticket only costs $6 on Saturday, and that would barely cover parking in Santa Fe.

Well, the train was packed this Saturday, too, leaving us to stand the most of the 60 mile / 80-minute journey. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the scenery out the window.

Once we arrived in Santa Fe, we made the most of the afternoon, having lunch at the Cowgirl Cafe (just a few blocks from the train station), catching the exhibit at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, and, of course, shopping! As you can see from the photos, it was a lovely clear day with plenty of sunshine.

Fortunately, we all got to sit together on the return trip to Albuquerque...a good thing, since our feet were plenty tired by then. And we're already looking forward to our next trip to Santa Fe on the train.

Have a great weekend, and I'll see you next Monday.
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Text and photos ©2009 Carol Adamec. All rights reserved.

Light & Air

The Kitchen Window
Original oil & alkyd on stretched canvas
18 x 24"
Contact Artist to purchase.

After posting so many "works in progress" it's nice to start the week off with a completed painting to show you.

I began this large horizontal 22" x 28" painting while living in Florida. It depicts the kitchen at my brother-in-law's workshop in Orlando where I had my studio last year before moving to Albuquerque. I walked into the shop kitchen one evening, just before going home for dinner, and the light and breeze coming in the open window were truly lovely, on both a visual and sensate level.

You may remember that I posted a detail from this painting titled Supper Dishes on July 15, 2008 (http://caroladamec.blogspot.com/2008/07/details-details.html). That was only a 10" x 8" painting but really helped as a "practice" for doing this larger painting.

Technically, The Kitchen Window painting involved interesting color work, ranging from the bright yellow-orange highlights of sunshine to the deep purplish darks of the shadows in the curtains. Then, too, I had to consider how to show the translucent quality of the curtain material as light and air passed through it. The warm and cool gradations of light within the room, and light falling on, passing through objects, or reflected off different surfaces required multiple color decisions, too.

In all, I am pretty happy with the results and have submitted the piece for a local exhibit in Albuquerque. I'll let you know the juror's results when notified later this month.

Have a good Monday, and a happy Groundhog Day (today)! See you Thursday.
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Text and image ©2009 Carol Adamec. All rights reserved.

Garden gate....Italian style!

Gate to an Italian Garden
(work in progress)
Original painting, 18" x 24"
Oil & alkyd on stretched canvas

This has been one of those weeks of working away in the studio and not (yet) having much to show for the effort. In particular, I have been pulling out paintings that are "stuck in the middle" to see which ones can become finished artworks.

Today's posted image is a painting inspired by my trip to Italy in October 2007. Our tour group visited a farm called Masseria Carestia, a 100 acre property nestle in the rolling hills of southern Italy.

The drive into the complex is via a tunnel of stone archways thatched with thriving grapevines and ferns. The "house" consists of several buildings--the oldest dating from the 1400's--with adjacent vineyards, and multiple gardens abundant with a profusion of flowers: roses of all colors--red, palest pink, creamy white; dahlias, bougainvillea, an original mandarin orange tree with miniature fruits; lantara, with little flower clusters of one color encircling a central cluster of flowers of another color; and many other varieties of plants and flowers.

This painting portrays one of the gates leading to a large garden off the arched entryway. The iron work is truly ornate...and red! Although there are a lot of edges to define and refine, I am enthused about finishing this painting. When it's complete, I'll post the final version.

Thanks for taking a moment to visit my blog. See you Monday, Ciao!
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Text and image ©2009 Carol Adamec. All rights reserved

Courtyard 2...revisted

"Courtyard 2" (in progress)
Original oil & alkyd on canvas panel
10 x 8"

Last time I showed you this painting in-progress (on January 12), I had just the basic values laid down. I've started adding color to determine the "light of day" and the "temperature" of the painting--whether it will have a warmer or cooler feel to it.

While it's my natural tendency to heighten the contrasts, tighten up edges, and add more details, I'm rather liking the overall diffused softness of the image. My challenge, then, is to finish the painting without overworking it. Unlike Photoshop, there are no "un-do's" or "re-do's" in painting....Darn!

I hope you have a good weekend. See you Monday.
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Text and image ©2009 Carol Adamec. All rights reserved.

Blue Gate ... Done!

Blue Gate, 2009
Original: Oil & alkyd on panel
10" x 8" unframed
SOLD

I enjoyed a very nice weekend, moseying around the Pena Blanca, Santo Domingo and Cochiti areas located between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. My artist friend Sondra Diepen and I spent several hours just driving down the road, stopping to take pictures whenever something caught our attention.

The day was warm and sunny, and artistically successful, too, as I took several photos that will lead to new paintings. Already I am working on one that will be on an 18" x 24" stretched canvas. I'll keep you posted as the painting develops.

I did work in the studio last Friday, completing the Blue Gate painting, featured as today's post. This was a fun piece to do and felt "right" from the start, even when doing the grisaille (see January 5 post). A few readers told me that they liked that version, before any color was added. It will be interesting to see what they (or you) think of the completed image. Please feel free to post your opinion below. Just click the "Comment" link just below this text.

Also, I will be leading a discussion, along with ShaRi Brooks, entitled "Creating an Internet Presence/Selling Your Artwork Online" at the Rainbow Artists meeting, this Wednesday, starting at 8pm. The event is free and open to the public, and being held at the Cesar Chavez Community Center, 7505 Kathryn SE, Albuquerque, (south on Louisiana, east on Kathryn). Free parking is available.

Hope your Monday is an easy one. See you Thursday.
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Text and image © 2009 Carol Adamec. All rights reserved.

Painting Light & Adobe

Cactus Wall, 2009

Original: Oil & alkyd on panel
10" x 8" unframed
SOLD

For the past few weeks, I have been working on three paintings that all feature adobe walls: Blue Gate, Courtyard 2, and the painting posted today, Cactus Wall. I wasn't sure if this painting was going to come together, so I hadn't even shown it to you "in progress." Now here it is, all done, I'm happy to say.

I really enjoyed painting the dappled sunlight effect. I also found greater satisfaction in mixing greens to paint the cactus "leaves" than relying on the tube colors.

Some of you have emailed me about Blue Gate. Well, it's coming along, and I hope to have it posted next week as another finished painting. Thanks for the encouragement and comments.

Have a great weekend. See you Monday.
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Text and image © 2009 Carol Adamec. All rights reserved.

Re-do...

"Courtyard 2" (in progress)
Original oil & alkyd on canvas panel
10 x 8"

My artist-friend Lisa Rivas (whom you met in my post on July 30, 2007) advised me to never throw away a painting. She told me to "…just put it aside and wait until you're ready to finish it."

Today's post may seem familiar to you, since I posted a version back on November 13, 2008. Well, I never was quite satisfied with that painting. So I decided to try a different format. Rather than a square, I chose a vertical 10" x 8."

What you are seeing today is a "tonal" underpainting of 4 basic values. Rather than a purist's grisaille in greys or a monochromatic rendition (different shades of one color), I just used the leftover paint on my palette and mixed up 4 colors--each a different value--to get the basic shapes and the lights and darks down. Since I laid on the paint rather thickly, it will take a day or two before I can begin laying in the true colors.

In the meantime, I hope to finish "Blue Gate"...or I'll be posting another painting that I've been working on, called "Cactus Wall." Either way, tune in on Thursday and see which painting came together.

I hope you have a good week.
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Text and image ©Carol Adamec 2009. All rights reserved.