"Incandescent" 18" x 24" by Carrie Waller

"Incandescent" 18" x 24" watercolor by Carrie Waller

I may not have slept in the past 24 hours but I have a completed painting!  Yay!!!  And I completed by my competition deadline.  Just have to drop the entry in the mail tomorrow, phew!

It's hard to believe that I started this the day I came down with the flu.  I should probably title this "Tamiflu" because without it I wouldn't have this painting,  miracle drug I tell you.

I want to thank everyone for the comments that you've been making.  If I weren't so sleep deprived I would e-mail you all.  I appreciate every comment and trust me when I'm tired and in the home stretch of a painting your comments pull me through.

Now I'm going to sleep!  Tomorrow the Christmas trees come down because I have a newspaper photo shoot on Wednesday!  Love my crazy life:)

Carrie

"Incandescent" 18" x 24" work in progress, watercolor by Carrie Waller

Hi Everyone,

"Incandescent" 18" x 24" work in progress, watercolor by Carrie Waller

After pulling an all-nighter.  I am in a much better place with this painting and I may just make my competition deadline.  Feeling slightly relieved:)

Carrie

"Banned" 18" x 24" watercolor, work in progress by Carrie Waller Day #10

"Banned" 18" x 24" watercolor, work in progress by Carrie Waller

So stinkin' close to be finished:)  But these reflected areas of light on the left side of the painting require me to take my time.  I want them to be beautiful.  So I'm stretching it out one more day.

Carrie

"Banned" 18" x 24" work in progress watercolor by Carrie Waller Day #7

"Banned" 18" x 24" work in progress, watercolor by CarrieWaller

Today is the perfect example of why I decided to take part in Leslie's 30 in 30 challenge.  I knew from the beginning I would not be attempting to complete a painting a day but I wanted to keep myself on track while I pushed through working on some larger competition pieces.  Today I am so glad I decided to take part in the challenge.  I normally would not of put brush to paper.  I am on day 2 of a migraine.  I had to drop some art off today and spent a bulk of my day running errands and having lunch with a friend (and yes I can function with a migraine, it's just not fun and I did take meds and a nap to try to get rid of it)!.   On a normal day I would have just chalked it up to a non-painting day but I decided to make myself paint for  few hours this evening.  It may not look like I got a lot done but I did get about 3 hours in and I feel really good about tomorrow.  I have an entire day planned of painting, yay!!!!

Carrie

"Time To Change" Day 28/30

"Time To Change" watercolor with gold leaf background 8" x 10"
$59

Another view of "Time To Change"

This leaf was so much fun to paint.  I love all the colors.  The song "Time To Change" kept running through my head.  Remember that episode of the Brady Bunch?  The Brady crew had formed a singing crew Peter's voice was changing, what was the group to do?  They sang "Time To Change" and Peter's adolescent cracking voice could shine through:)

Carrie

"Nothing Gold Can Stay" Day 27/30

"Nothing Gold Can Stay" watercolor and gold leaf 8" x 10"
$59

This project has really put me in touch with nature.  On my daily walk I am in constant search for changing leaves.  With all of this inspiration from nature I thought this poem was a beautiful accompaniment to this piece.

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

       ___Robert Frost

Carrie

"Gold Leaf" and demo of the process

"Gold Leaf" watercolor with gold leaf background 9" x 10" by Carrie Waller
Buy Now $59

"Gold Leaf" 9" x 10" another view so you can see how the background changes with it's background
Day 26/30

Hi Everyone,

This is the 3rd gold leaf project that I have done in as many days and the other 2 art works have sold so I decided I will do a few more.  I have to say I'm in love with these leaves and would love to have them all over my house for Fall decor, or any time of the year.  They are elegant, they look good on the wall or the shelf.

I found this leaf today on my walk and I just love all the colors.  We could learn a lot from leaves, the more color they come in the better and the more imperfections the more interesting they are.  They are a metaphor for how we should view the world, embrace all of the colors and imperfections:)

I also had a lot of questions about my process so I'm sharing with you my process.

First I painted the leaf on watercolor paper

I painted the background around the leaf a rusty orange color so that if there are any spaces in the gold leaf they won't be white.

I then apply gold sizing around the leaf.  Wherever you paint the sizing on is where the gold leaf will adhere.  After putting a thin layer of sizing on you have to wait a minimum of an hour for it to set.

I then applied the gold leaf sheets.  These are very delicate and easily rip.  You want dry, clean hands while apply the sheets.

Using a soft brush I rub the gold leaf onto the sizing in a circular motion.  The gold leaf will not stick to any area that doesn't have sizing.

Continue this process all around the leaf making sure you overlap a little onto the gold areas for full coverage.

Voila the finished product:)

French Faces: Jerard 3/30

"Jerard" original watercolor by Carrie Waller 5" x 7" $75

Hi Everyone,

I'm participating in Leslie Saeta's 30/30 painting challenge.  I didn't do this the first time around, so I'm attempting it this time.

I decided to paint some architectural features that I photographed years ago when we lived in Europe.  I just loved this French Architecture and the amazing amount of detail that went into the building.  As I was pondering a title it occurred to me that all of my French Faces have beards, which got me thinking about the latest bearded fascination, Duck Dynasty.  So I have my own Canarde Dynastie (Duck Dynasty in French).  Day 1 I painted William he is the Canarde Comandant.  He has to put up with the rest of these blockheads and all their shenanigans.  

Today I painted Jerard.  He is the youngest brother to William and Jacques.  He is the constant butt of all the jokes.  But don't let his sad face fool you, he is good at playing the victim.  

I painted "Jacques" also knows as Jac.  He's William's brother and will do anything to get out of work at the family Canarde call business.

"Jacques" original watercolor by Carrie Waller 5" x7"  $75

"William, Canarde Comandant" original watercolor by Carrie Waller 5" x 7"   $75

Carrie

Jacques 2/30

"Jacques" original watercolor by Carrie Waller 5" x7"  $75

"William, Canarde Comandant" original watercolor by Carrie Waller 5" x 7"   $75

Hi Everyone,

I'm participating in Leslie Saeta's 30/30 painting challenge.  I didn't do this the first time around, so I'm attempting it this time.

I decided to paint some architectural features that I photographed years ago when we lived in Europe.  I just loved this French Architecture and the amazing amount of detail that went into the building.  As I was pondering a title it occurred to me that all of my French Faces have beards, which got me thinking about the latest bearded fascination, Duck Dynasty.  So I have my own Canarde Dynastie (Duck Dynasty in French).  Day 1 I painted William he is the Canarde Comandant.  He has to put up with the rest of these blockheads and all their shenanigans.  

Today I painted "Jacques" also knows as Jac.  He's William's brother and will do anything to get out of work at the family Canarde call business.

Carrie