Carol Carter

30 October 2011

Happy and beautiful Client!

My wonderful client-- who is as beautiful inside as out.... bought this swimmer to add to her collection.

She is an artist and great soul.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so supportive of my work ... and trusting me to teach you a little bit about watercolor!

Thank you for your friendship too.

Swimmer
watercolor
20" h x 20" w
2006

28 October 2011

GLADS are finished and headed to the framers

So.... this painting is finished... I tweaked areas of the blossoms to blend a flow a bit better than the other day.

It has power and explosion -- mostly because of the complexity of composition.

The blossoms seem to burst from the page.

Tell me your ideas for titles... and hopefully it will have a good name by the end of the day.

Rock on CARDINALS!!!

Did anyone see GAME 6 of the WORLD SERIES last night???? AWESOME game and AWESOME finish!!!

Can't wait till this evening's game....

Glads
watercolor
22" h x 30" w
2011
finished
email for purchase

26 October 2011

Glads getting completeddddd

So~~ I haven't quite finished the Glads painting.

I worked all day on it --- but could not put the finishing touches on it.

Those details will have to wait till tomorow.

I am happy there is so much vibrancy and light. It has energy and complexity of a dynamic composition.

I will post the final image tomorrow- after I finish it.

French Glads
watercolor
22" h x 30" w
in progress

25 October 2011

Glads coming together

I am happily working on the GLADS painting... in a hurry to finish it tomorrow.

It has been fun... and rewarding to see the tapestry come together.

All giant bouquets of gladiolas that I found in the market in France... have made their appearance in my work.

I have plans to finish this piece tomorrow.. and hopefully post the completed painting here.

Any suggestions for titles?

Glads
watercolor
22" h x 30" w
in progress

24 October 2011

Gladiolas in Progress!

Started a full sheet watercolor of complex gladiolas from France. It's a cacaphony of flowers!

Boy.. has it been a struggle....

The paper is a hot press one ...and also a thinner weight than I'm used to.

All in all though... I feel I'm being stretched to make it work.

That's what I want too.... I don't always like painting in my safe-predictable comfort zone. Sometimes... it is BEST to mix it up... and struggle!

Glads
watercolor
22" h x 30" w
in progress

23 October 2011

Happy Clients



I am always happy to share photos of my clients with their paintings. It is the favorite thing to do!

Here are three good clients with their watercolors. All look pretty happy-- and I couldn't be MORE happy for them!

I love my clients!

So, enjoy these photos...and buy LOCAL art this holiday season.

If we support each other-- we will get ourselves out of the grinding economic downturn.

Rock on !

Thank you my dear Jan, Elaine, and Nimi! I appreciate your support! I am thrilled to be in your collections!



19 October 2011

Chinese Lanterns! Watercolor finally finished

I am also developing the Chinese Lanterns series --- and this is an ongoing painting from this week.

I have a little more to do on the foreground lanterns... to add a little more depth to the surface of lanterns.

I am enjoying it so far...and feel like the perspective and execution is challenging!

Am going to take a break from painting this for a while. Will return ito it later~!!

Chinese Lanterns
watercolor
40" h x 30" w

in progress

Still Waters- Watercolor from the Everglades Series

I have returned to this pond painting from the EVERGLADES SERIES to see if I can wrap up the last few details and complete it.

I have done a lot more to make it richer and with more depth. It's always a fine line between leaving simplicity -- or developing depth. It's also dangerous to add TOO much ... and lose the freshness of watercolor.

Right now.. I'm trying to strike that balance --- keeping it fresh -- but also having some more complexity.

I will probably leave it for now ...and consider whether it's finished or not.

Still Water
watercolor
50" h x 35" w
2011
in progress

16 October 2011

More Small Watercolor Studies from FRANCE!




Here again... smaller studies from France... that will work themselves into larger paintings for an exhibition.

I love France..and will be working on this theme in the coming year.

French Farm
Mouton
French Sheep
Chickens
watercolor
5" h x 7" w
2011

Small Studies from France




Well.... the idea is to get going on the France imagery-- sooner than later....so I took a chance and painted 10 studies for imgery this weekend.

Testing the water... to see what I might like to work on and develop into a show.

Here is a taste.... tell me if you have any interest.

I love France... and will be going back there to teach and paint next year.

Viva la France!

Each watercolor is small!


Pear
Carriage
Donkeys
Bungalow
watercolor
5" h x 7" w
2011

14 October 2011

New Chinese Lanterns from Chinatown Los Angeles

I have taken my hard fought knowledge of how to paint lanterns and applied it to a new painting- in a vertical format.

This one, is obviously going better than the last. I have an understanding of how I want to abstract and simplify all the shapes.

For now.. only the background lanterns have been painted ...and the middle ground ?? Just a few.

There should be some rain on Monday -- which will allow me time to begin the giant foreground lanterns to flesh out the rest of the picture.

I like this one better... and hope to pull it off with mimimal execution!

Chinese Lanterns 2
watercolor
40" h x 30"w
in progress

12 October 2011

Chinese Lanterns! Watercolor finally finished

So... finally finished the Chinese Lanterns. It took about 6 months in all.... since I didn't complete it this summer as planned.

Added the red tassles and wires in the lanterns for details.

I like the painting.... There were many struggles in learning to paint such foreign imagery for me.

I loved them in Los Angeles Chinatown... and now they are here!

Chinese Lanterns
watercolor
30" h x 40" w
2011

08 October 2011

Watercolor bonanza!


New work in the studio. I have been working hard on developing a few new watercolors for a show in Washington DC in January of 2012.

Here is a sampling of what I've come up with.

There will be more-- so come back soon to see the other works.


These are the latest~!

Burst
Chinese Lanterns
Birds
watercolor
30" h x 40" w
2011
all available

07 October 2011

BURST! Sunflower Watercolor

Here is the completed painting.... although I might have to tweak a couple of areas.

Hope you like it!

I love sunflowers....

Burst
watercolor
30" h x 40" w
2011
email for purchase

Burst! Sunflower Watercolor

I am concluding painting a large scale watercolor of sunflowers for an exhibition.

It's been a delight to paint this -- so refreshing and loose.

I like the perspective- and I'm working hard to keep the painting bring, fresh, and immediate.

Love painting watercolor!

Burst
watercolor
30" h 40" w
w
2011
in progress
email for purchase

01 October 2011

French Sheep!

I am doing studies now... of imagery from my recent trip to France. I have been captivated by the scenery there-- and now want to capture it on paper!

Wish me luck!

There is time this winter-- to try to convey my feelings about France, Hawaii, and the Everglades... not to mention the Virgin Islands. All special places I visited and taught in.

I hope to scare up a cohesive body of work soon!

So, here's to watercolor with gusto!

Time to paint!

French Sheep
watercolor
12" h x 12" w
2011