Stacked, Pomegranates and Cranberries and Sunflowers

Hi Everyone,

"Sunflower" 4x4  $75 watercolor on paper BUY NOW

"Pomegranates and Cranberries" 4x4 $75 original watercolor on paper BUY NOW

"Stacked" original watercolor on paper 4x4 $75  BUY NOW

Have you recovered from your Turkey day and Black Friday madness?  We had a great dinner with family.  It's a bit of an adjustment not having Brian here this year, but we're making the best of it.

Today I have some small works to share with you.  I've been doing some 4x4's.  They may be small but they have a lot of impact.

I'll see you on Wednesday:)

Carrie

Winner Announced and a Sunflower painting:)

Original watercolor on paper 4"x4"  $75 BUY NOW

 Hi Everyone,

I want to Thank You all so much for contributing some absolutely terrific titles.  If you came up with a title suggestion I put your name in the proverbial hat to win a set of mini-prints.  Using random.org, Linda Popple is the winner!!  Congratulations, and I'll be in contact with you to get your mailing address.  I plan on doing some more give-aways in the future so stay tuned:)

As I was saying, I got some terrific titles, and I'm thrilled because I am stashing them away to use on future paintings.  The title that I chose for the painting was "Preservation".  My hubby actually suggested it and I thought it was very fitting and went along with my other large jar painting title, "Anticipation".  Like I said I will be using some of the other titles, you guys are awesome!!!!

This week I have a 4"x4" painting.  The smallest I"v painted so far.  I"m gearing up for a Holiday Show and I want to have a variety of price points available.  So you will be seeing more of this these little guys:)

I have been so blessed this last week and half and I wanted to share with you some of my successes.

"Anticipation" original watercolor on paper 23.5 x 32 1st Place in the Louisiana Watercolor Society Crescent City Brewhouse Exhibit

"Apples in Candlewick" watercolor on paper 18 x 24 last year's 1st place winner and 3rd place winner in the Montgomery Art Guild Alabama National Fair Exhibit.

Last week I traveled to Louisiana to take part in Louisiana Watercolor Society's Crescent City Brewhouse Exhibit.  Last year this was my first exhibit I ever participated in and I placed 1st.  This year I feel like I've come full circle and I am ecstatic to say that I placed 1st again!  "Anticipation" is the painting that won.

I also was chosen as Dick Blick's feature artist for the month of October, how lucky does a girl get:)

"October Bounty" watercolor on paper 18 x 24 Honorable Mention in the Montgomery Art Guild Alabama National Fair

And if that was not enough I also took home 2 ribbons in the Montgomery Art Guild's Alabama National Fair Exhibit.  Third Place went to "Apples in Candlewick" and Honorable Mention went to "October Bounty"

It's been an exciting time!  I feel so fortunate and grateful!

See you Wednesday!

Carrie

A Spot of Tea

Hi Everyone,

"Spot of Tea" original watercolor on paper 6x6 $195 Buy Now

A recent Daily Paintworks challenge was to paint you favorite mug.  I took the opportunity to break out my favorite dishes and paint a spot of tea.  I'm not a coffee drinker, never have been, love the way it smells not the way it tastes, so tea it was.  I love the color of the tea and I'm always happy when I get to use my Daniel Smith quinacridone colors, just love them--thank you Paul Jackson for introducing them to me. 

The cup and saucer in this painting are dishes that my husbands Grandmother gave to us when we got married.  As a child my husband loved her "marble dishes".  I'm so glad that my he has such great taste because I just love the Candlewick dishes also.  They have been the star of a few of my still life paintings.

Above is a detail of the painting.  I was happy with the way I captured the fraying tea bag string and the reflection of my kitchen window in the painting.

And here is a picture of the painting sitting in my kitchen with the actual cup and saucer.

"Apples in Candlewick" watercolor on paper 18 x 24 NFS

"Pomegranates and Cranberries" original watercolor on paper Buy Now

"Apples in Candlewick" Mini 6x6 watercolor on paper SOLD

Here are a couple of paintings where these beautiful dishes have been the star.  I can guarantee they will be in more paintings. 

I'm working on a mason jar painting.  Can't wait to show you work in progress pictures, check back Wednesday:)

Have a terrific week everyone:)

Carrie

7 Links Challenge

Hi Everyone,

A 7 links challenge has been spreading around blog-land.  This challenge lets you take a step back reflect and share some of our posts again.  I have really enjoyed reading everyone else's choices. My friend Sandra of Sandraws has challenged me, you really must visit her blog, she does some amazing work.

The challenge asks you to revisit:

Your most beautiful post
Your most popular post
Your most controversial post
Your most helpful post
A post whose success surprised you
A post you feel didn't get the attention it deserved
The post you are most proud of

Then tag other bloggers and it goes on and on. I think this is a great idea because there are some gems hidden in most bloggers archives so this is a great way to dust them off and let them be seen again.

So here are my 7 links:)


Your most beautiful post


http://carriewaller.blogspot.com/2011/04/nostalgia-final-large-version.html

This painting really had so much meaning.  Personally and artistically I think this painting is a success.

Your most popular post

http://carriewaller.blogspot.com/2011/01/pomegranates-and-cranberries-finito.html

This was interesting.  I wasn't sure which post was my most popular.  So I had to look through them all.  So by a few comments here is my most popular.
I finished this painting around the Holidays, on a deadline of course, and behind of course.  There was lot going on and we had family in town but I after a few all nighters I finished this painting on time and entered it into the Montgomery Art Guild Exhibit.  I was thrilled to find out that is was one of 76 paintings chosen out of almost 400 entered to be included in an exhibit at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art.

What a surreal moment to walk in a museum and see your own artwork on the wall.  A proud day for me:)

Your most controversial post

I'm not really a controversial artist so  I had to dig deep to figure this one out.  The most controversial thing I've posted about was a personal decision to commit to this blog and to painting a painting a week.  I wasn't sure if I could do it, if I would burn out, or what this journey was going to be like, but I did it.  I plugged away week after week and I'm still here.  I will say it has been one of the best and most satisfying decisions that I have made in my life.

Your most helpful post

http://carriewaller.blogspot.com/2011/04/nostalgia-work-in-progress-and-little.html

 This post was fun and I had a good response.  I posted about my process and how I work as an artist.  I find it very interesting to see how other artists work.  I think this is the best way to learn.  We all work a little differently and you never know what little tip you may pick up that can change your life.

 A post whose success surprised you

http://carriewaller.blogspot.com/2010/10/exhibition-success.html

In this post I talked about winning my first, first place award.  I wasn't surprised by the support and congratulatory comments for winning, I was surprised at the response to the emotional struggle I had to enter into a competition.  I was so nervous and excited and overwhelmed by the process of entering an exhibit and I described it all in this post.  So many fellow artists identified and cheered me on.  It was extremely encouraging and motivational.


A post you feel didn't get the attention it deserved
 I'm going to cop out on this one.  I really haven't had a post that I felt was ignored.  Of course in the early days of my blog I only had a few comments here or there, but that's to be expected.  Other than that it's been pretty consistent.


 The post you are most proud of

http://carriewaller.blogspot.com/2010/02/its-carnivale-time.html

This post was early on in my blog, but it was a turning point for me.  I was really scared of color and this painting was one of my first ventures into the wonderful world of color.  I was encouraged by comments and it really pushed me to the next level.  I gained confidence and really realized that this whole painting on a regular basis thing just might be the way to go.

Now I'm challenging
Virginia Floyd
Olivia Quintin
Nancy Laliberte
Kelley MacDonald
Julie Hill
Tag your it:)

Hope you enjoy today's it was a trip down memory lane.

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