Revisiting Coronado

Plein Air Landscape Sketch #12, 2015.
Oil on cartonboard, mounted on panel. 5"x7"

A couple of weeks go, I joined the Monday Painters at Coronado State Monument for a morning of plein air painting. It was warm and hazy, with clouds overhead. We've been having more rain than usual, so the Sandia Mountains are green with vegetation, looking velvety from a distance.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! Enjoy your special day tomorrow.–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Text and image ©2015 Carol L. Adamec

Mercury Retrograde Re-do

To the Quiet Place, 2013-2015.
Original plein air painting in oil, alkyd, 6"x8"

As a casual student of astrology, I do pay attention to Mercury retrograde periods and use those weeks to re-do paintings that are unfinished or need an overhaul.

This is a plein air piece that I painted up in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains back in May of 2013. I was never quite satisfied with it. So a few weeks ago, during the recent Mercury retrograde (May 18-June 11), I put the painting back on the easel and reworked the composition and color. I'm much happier with it now.

Thanks for visiting my blog and taking a look at my artwork. Have a great week!
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Text and image ©2015 Carol L. Adamec

Painting the Greens

TOP Image:
Edge of a Wood by Theodore Caruelle d'Aligny (French), oil on paper, 1850-55, 
from the Metropolitan Museum of Art "Art 2015 Calendar", March 17.

BOTTOM Image:
My copy of Edge of a Wood (by Theodore Caruelle d'Aligny) ,
done in oil on gessoed panel, 2015

While traveling through  several southern states (Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana)  during March and April, I became aware of how many greens there are in Nature—especially during the Spring season!

Arriving back in Albuquerque, I decided to practice mixing greens and to copy a painting done by Theordore d'Aligny, since there were quite a variety of greens in the image.

Thinking this would be a simple exercise, I was surprised that I ended up spending 3 days painting and tweaking the colors. Considering the human eye can distinguish about 10 million different colors, I should have figured that getting a "perfect" copy of this painting would be more challenging than I expected.

Still, as they say, "Practice Makes for Improvement."

Thanks for taking a moment to read my blog. Enjoy your day!
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Image 2 and text ©2015 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

Garden Square–RED

Garden Square—Red, 2015.
Mixed media on mulberry paper mounted on panel, 6x6"
SOLD

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I have been revisiting the Boogie Board drawings I created over the last two years and reformatting and revising some of the images from "Garden Varieties Series."

Today's image—GARDEN SQUARE RED—is rendered in luscious warm colors as an exuberant 6"x6" design based on abundant foliage and blooming flowers and buds. I like some of the textural effects, too that came about, using inks and Prismacolor pencils on mulberry paper.

Thank you for taking a moment to read this blog, and please feel free to leave comment if you wish. I appreciate your feedback!
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Image and text ©2015 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

A Full Moon Tonight!

Garden Square: Moonrise I, 2015, mixed media. Private Collection.

Yesterday evening I was outside, watching a nearly full moon rise above the Sandia Mountains here in Albuquerque. The full moon is always a thrilling sight to me, and often inspires my artwork. 

A few months ago, I revisited one of my Boogie Board digital drawings from my "Garden Varieties Series" and reconfigured it to a square format, printed it on mulberry paper, handcolored it with inks and Prismacolor pencils, and finished it up by mounting it on a hardboard panel. Some friends loved the piece, and it's now in their collection. 

I'm posting the artwork today in honor of the "Full Moon in Scorpio" which my professional astrologer friend, Eleanor Kibrick, describes on her blog Eleanor Kibrick, Astrologer.

I always find Eleanor's explanations regarding the energies of the cosmos to be worthwhile, encouraging, and helpful. Perhaps you will, too. 

Thank you for taking a moment to read this blog, and please feel free to leave comment if you wish. I appreciate your feedback! 

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Image and text ©Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

You're Invited…..

(Click image to enlarge)

I'm in North Carolina for a reunion exhibition by members of Center/Gallery, an organization I helped start up back in 1977. The exhibit will feature artworks by the members and those they have mentored. I'm looking forward to a fun week with dear friends and good memories. The show will include my painting "Catching the Light" and a pencil drawing my granddaughter did of her beloved dog Sweetie, entitled, "My First Birthday."

I was interviewed as part of an article about Center/Gallery which appeared in The News & Observer (Durham), which you can read HERE.

I hope you enjoy a wonderful week, too!

UPDATE April 21: I've been out of town for several weeks and unable to post while on the road. I did enjoy a wonderful reunion with dear artist-friends at the Carrack Modern in Durham, North Carolina—some I hadn't seen in 35 years! I'm back in New Mexico now, returning to my studio endeavors, and looking forward to posting more often in the weeks ahead.
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Image and text ©2015 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

Thinking of Spring...

Garden Square: Spring, 2015. Original mixed media on gessoed panel, 6"x6"
SOLD

I know, Faithful Readers, that I haven't posted as often as I promised or intended. However, I have been working in the studio, and I'm ready to share some new artworks with you!

Today's post features a small mixed media painting, done on a 6"x6" square gessoed panel, based on one of my "Garden Varieties" series of Boogie Board drawings.

I guess seeing all that snow and ice on the TV weather reports that folks are contending with in some regions of the US makes me (and probably many others) long for spring, summer, and warmer days.

Thanks for taking a look. Enjoy life wherever you are!
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Text and image ©2015 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

Happy Valentine's Day...

Hearts and Flowers, archival digital print in 8x10" matt.
Available on ETSY

With Hearts and Flowers!

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Image ©2015 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

Another Colorful Valentine...

Hearts and Flowers (Dotted Swiss), 2015.
Mixed media (ink, metallics, Prismacolor) on mulberry paper, 7"x5"
Available for purchase on ETSY.

Now there are less than 10 days until Valentine's Day, and I'm posting another version of "Hearts & Flowers" — this one with golden flecks like dotted Swiss—along with lots of bright colors and plenty of gold ground.

It's available for purchase on ETSY via this link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/221436408/hearts-and-flowers-dotted-swiss?ref=shop_home_feat_1

Thanks for taking a moment to read my blog. Enjoy your day.

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Image and text ©2015 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

It's "Hearts and Flowers" time!

Hearts and Flowers (GOLD), 2015

Mixed media (ink, metallics, Prismacolor) on mulberry paper, 7"x5".

Available for purchase on ETSY

Here it is February already, and we're only 10 days away from Valentine's Day. So I'm in the mood to do some variations of my "Hearts and Flowers" image.

Today's post features "Hearts and Flowers, Gold"--lots of yummy reds, with greens yellows and golds--which I just finished today: Hot off the drawing table, you might say. It's available for purchase on ETSY via this link:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/221437087/hearts-and-flowers-gold-valentines-day

Thanks for taking a look. Enjoy your day.
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Image and text ©2015 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

Happy New Year!

Rising Moon, 2014. Original mixed media painting.
SOLD (Harwood Art Center 12x12 Auction)

Christmas Eve, New Mexico Style

San Felipe de Neri Church, Albuquerque, NM built in 1793.

What a lovely Christmas Eve...strolling with friends and family through Albuquerque's Old Town Plaza, wandering in and out of shops, buying last minute holiday gifts and taking refuge from the crisp chill of a winter evening.

Luminarias—small paper bags filled partially with sand to anchor lit candles—outline the Southwestern rooflines of the Plaza shops, buildings, streets and sidewalks, providing a soft golden glow beneath twinkling stars and a thin crescent moon overhead.

In the courtyard of San Felipe de Neri Church, several black faced sheep and a wooly donkey munch on hay, awaiting the midnight mass re-enactment of the Nativity story, while a choir of local singers fill the air with traditional Christmas carols.

Peace and Blessings to All on this Nochebuena.

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Text and photo ©2014 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

Autumn Twilight

Autumn Leaves #9 (Twilight), 2014.
Original, Oil on Cartonboard, mounted on panel, 6"x4".
SOLD

New Mexico has the most gorgeous twilight skies, like the one in this Autumn Leaf painting.

Thanks for taking a look!

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Text and image ©2014 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

Eye Dazzlers in Nature

Autumn Leaf #8 (Turquoise Sky), 2014. Oil on carton panel, 4" x 6".
SOLD

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."

—Albert Camus

Another red leaf, with a turquoise sky in the background! 

Thanks for taking a look. Enjoy a wonderful week.

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Image and text ©Carol L Adamec, 2014. All rights reserved.

Cottonwood Yellow

Autumn Leaf #7 (Cottonwood Yellow), 2014.

Original oil painting on cartonboard, mounted on panel, 6" x6"
SOLD

There are several cottonwood trees in the neighborhood where I live—most quite large and undoubtedly quite old. I am sure a few of them were here long before the conquistadores ventured into this area.

There are two cottonwoods on the property I rent. Over the past two months they have changed from green to light yellow, to golden, to deep yellow, almost orange, with most of the leaves still on the trees.

I went out in the yard a few days ago and picked up a leaf to paint. It's nice to have something so colorful right outside your door, waiting to be painted.

Thanks for taking a look. Enjoy your day.

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Image & text ©Carol L Adamec, 2014. All rights reserved.

Red Leaf

Autumn Leaf #6 (Red Leaf), 2014. Original oil on gessoed panel, 6"x6".
SOLD

"And all the lives we ever lived 

and all the lives to be 

are full of trees and changing leaves..." 

— from Charles Elton's poem, "Luriana Lurilee" 

Our lovely New Mexico autumn continues...

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Image & text ©Carol L Adamec, 2014. All rights reserved.

Cottonwood Leaf

Autumn Leaf #5, 2014. Oil on cartonboard, mounted on panel. 6"x6"
Available for Purchase at Daily Paintworks.

A cottonwood leaf I found I the yard, just beginning to take on its autumn color.

Thanks for taking a look. Have a great day! 

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Image and text ©Carol L Adamec, 2014. All rights reserved.

The Changing Season

Dried Leaf #3, 2014.  Original oil on cartonboard, mounted on panel.
SOLD

Another painting from my "Dried Leaf" series, showing the colors and forms of Nature changing during this season.

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Image & text ©Carol L Adamec, 2014. All rights reserved.

Sunny Autumn Days

Autumn Leaf # 2 (Leaf Stem), 2014. Oil on cartonboard, mounted on panel. 4"x6"
Private Collection

We are enjoying such warm sunny days this week, it hardly feels like fall. The bright colors of this leaf stem seem to capture the brightness and warmth of these languid days.
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Text & image ©2014 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.

Nature's Handiwork

Autumn Leaf #1, 2014. Oil on cartonboard, mounted on panel. 4"x6"
Available for purchase on Daily Paintworks

In the same way no two snowflakes are the same, neither are the changing leaves of autumn. Each leaf has its own pattern of color transformation. The handiwork of Nature is amazing!

Thank you for taking a look at my newest artwork. Have a wonderful day!
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Text and image ©2014 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.