Work In Progress Wednesday

Hi Everyone,

Thought I would share the progress of my newest painting with you.  This is currently a 6x6 version.  I really love this composition so I am going to paint the large version of this in the future.

 

I'm also still working like a mad woman to get ready for  the Artist's Holiday Market at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art November 18th and 19th.  I took the advice of Leslie Saeta from the Christmas in July, Artists Helping Artists show, and am working on some gift tags for the market.  They are a bit labor intensive but they are cute.

I have sets of 10 gift tags in each cute little package.  There are 5 of each tag.

To make these gift tags I ordered free business cards from Vistaprints, instead of a business logo I just had my Christmas painting images on the card with To: and From:.  I stamped the back with my free stamp from Vistaprint with my e-mail and website info.  And I packaged them in  these cute little red bags I found at Michael's which I purchased using a 40% off coupon.  Did you know at Hobby Lobby and Michael's you can now pull the coupon up on your smart phone and they can scan the bar-code at the register.  So much more convenient:)  I embossed my little red bags with my embossing tool that I bought earlier this year.

Hope everyone is having a great week so far.  I'll see you Friday for my Friday Feature:)

Carrie

Candy Apple Red

Hi Everyone,

'Candy Apple Red' original watercolor on paper copyright 2011 Carrie Waller BUY NOW

Today I have a delightfully, delicious, subject:)  I have been wanting to paint candy apples all Summer.  Fall came speeding towards me and I thought, good I'll see if I can pick some up at the store to paint.  Well, I was disappointed because they always have to ruin a good shiny apple with the addition of peanuts.  So in the name of art I had to figure out how to make some.  Steven was my Soux Chef.  We made an entire batch of absolutely beautiful to look at but break your teeth off if you ate them candy apples.  I photographed them ad nauseaum in every kind of light and configuration, decorated with them in my kitchen for a week and then deposited them in the garbage.  Hope you like my 'Candy Apple Red'

Steven's Fall pic 8.5 x 11 crayon on paper (See his tree and all of the leaves at the bottom)

Steven's original watercolor on paper 8.5 x 11.  This one is a little more abstract, see all of shapes at the bottom.

Steven was in the swing of things and has 2 lovely artworks to contribute to our post.  He is at the age now where he starting to get frustrated if he can't get his artworks to represent something instead of just throwing down his colors in an abstracted way.  It is interesting to watch the journey of a young artist.

Have a great Monday, everyone.

See you Wednesday:)

Carrie

She Sells Seashells

Hi Everyone,

"She Sells Seashells" watercolor on paper 6x6  BUY NOW

When we were in Florida on vacation last month it was scallop season.  There were scallop shells everywhere.  As we were driving into our campsite we stopped at the bay and I took the most fabulous photo of scallop shells with a layer of glittery, golden water floating on top.  I have painted a 6x6 and a 4x6 version of this.  I may at some point do a larger painting.  The colors are just beautiful, lots of golds, oranges, turquoises and blues in addition to the muted neutrals.  Just gorgeous!

"She Sells Seashells" watercolor on paper 4 x 6 BUY NOW

 Have a great Monday, see you Wednesday:)

Carrie

Can It

"Can It" original watercolor on paper 6x6 Buy Now

 It's Friday!!!!  Yay! and a long weekend for everyone in the U.S.A.   I hope you all have wonderful plans. 
We'll have a low key weekend at our house, maybe a barbeque at a friends.  Steven is under the weather and Sam is finally able to shower again after busting his chin open.  Hopefully we can relax and re-coop:)

I have finished my 6x6 painting.  I'm titling this one "Can It".  I just can't get enough of these jars and with the wonderful light pouring through them.  Hopefully you won't get too bored, I plan on doing a series.

Have a fabulous weekend! 

Carrie

I Need Your Help--Vote for your Favorites

A

B

C

D

E

F

Hi Everyone,

I've just finished the last of my 6x6's for the Randy Higbee contest.  I'm titling this one 'Nostalgia'.  This chair is my Grandma's chair.  It has been sitting on her back porch for as long as I can remember.  The last time I visited, I decided to photograph this chair because I love all of the age and layers of paint.  My Grandma asked me why I wanted  to take a picture of that old chair, she said she's been meaning to refinish it.  I told her I thought it was beautiful and to please not refinish it, I'm hoping one day to own this chair.  I photographed it in front of her hydrangea bushes.  These also remind me so much of my Grandma's house.  I thought it was fitting that the blooms were at the end of their life, very fitting for the chair.

Now I need your help, I'm going to enter 4 out of the 6 and I really need your opinion.  I have each one labeled with a letter, please choose your top 4 and let me know.  You can leave a comment below, e-mail me at [email protected] or leave me a message on facebook.  I value your opinion:)

Thanks everyone!  Hope you have a fabulous weekend.  Oh and the deadline is Monday, so please respond in a timely fashion,  I'm very grateful for your opinions and comments!  Please Vote:)

Carrie

Merry Christmas

6x6 watercolor on paper Mini Masterpiece Apples in Candlewick

 SOLD

Merry Christmas everyone!!!  I can not believe how fast this year has gone, sigh!  I'm sure you are all knee deep in gift buying, wrapping, and Holiday cooking,  I wish you the best of luck and the speed of Santa's elves:)  Things are in full swing here also.  My oldest son Steven (4yrs) has been in heaven.  He loves to decorate, go out of drives to look at the lights, and of course it's about to kill him to wait to open the presents under the tree, any present , even if it isn't his, he just wants to rip one open:)  It is such a fun time of year.  Steven was concerned this morning that Santa might hurt himself coming down the chimney so we have come up with a solution, we will be placing some pillows around the fireplace.  He's so thoughtful, I just love how kids minds work:)

Even with all of the Holiday hub bub, I have managed to complete some commissioned pieces and gifts.  This weeks painting is another 6x6.  And yes it does look familiar.  Since I won't be selling the larger version of this painting, I decided to paint a mini version as a commission for a special lady.  This is one of my favorite paintings and tackling it in 6x6 was a lot of fun.  I wanted to see how much detail I can get at that size, and so far it isn't driving me too crazy.  Painting larger is easier, but it's also a lot more time consuming, so got to weigh the pros and cons.  I am going to be pursuing this 6x6, Mini Masterpiece idea this year.  There is a great sense of accomplishment to finish one of these guys the same day I started it.

Our tree this year.  I like white lights, Brian likes colored lights, so we alternate years.  We've done this every year we've been married.  Oh, and it's Brian's year this year.

I'm sharing some of our Christmas decor pictures.  I also took on the task of  making the boys some stockings.  Let me tell you I'm not a seamstress and this is a pretty challenging endeavor.  But, I do want my boys to have Mommy-made stockings, or Santa socks (that's what Steven calls them).  And lucky me, both my boys names start with "S" so I only had to make one pattern:).  Inside of the "S" I used strips of their baby clothes.  I think it is a really good use of the baby clothes I just couldn't part with.  I still have some adorning to do.  I plan on adding sequins around the "S" and their names at the top.  With my sewing skills I'm just glad it resembles a stocking shape.

Our mantle, we have our Swarovski snowflake ornaments suspended above the mantle.  We've been collecting them each year that we've been married.  We have 10 this year:) Notice the Christmas picture to the left.  I love changing up art and incorporating Christmas pieces.

close-up of our mantle

My Mommy-made stocking WIP:)

Steven also painted some ornaments this year.  We did this last year also, so it may become a yearly tradition for both boys.  On last years ornaments I printed out a little picture of him painting the ornament and attached it with the year printed on the card.  I'll be doing the same with this years.  They were of course a hit with the Grandparents.

Steven's masterpieces this year.

Well friends, I wish you the Merriest of Christmases, and the best Holiday Season!!!  Take time to enjoy yourselves, and remember the Reason for the Season!

Carrie