Old World Pears

"Old World Pears" 6"  x6" watercolor with gold leaf background $59
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I just love sepia paintings. they make happy.  The gold leaf just enhances these beauties:)

Carrie

"Oh Canada", Gold Leaf Series

"Oh Canada" 8" x 10" watercolor with gold leaf background
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I found this gorgeous red maple leaf and it just screamed to be painted.  Such gorgeous colors!

Carrie

"Red Light, Green Light"

"Red Light, Green Light" 8" x 10" watercolor with gold leaf background
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Another view of "Red Light, Green Light"

These beautiful leaves are in my own yard.  I had my husband assisting me while I photographed these leaves.  He held them up in front of a strong light so I could get the light filtering through.  He held them straight up and down and I said it looks better at an angle.  He replied but it looks like a stoplight this way:)  I love when my family comes up with good ideas:)  When I was titling this one my oldest son said how about "Red Light, Green Light".   How clever!  This leaf painting a favorite of mine.  I just love it!

I also thought I would show you the collage of my 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.  I managed to squeak out 25 paintings because a few took more than one day.  It is the first time I have ever challenged myself like this and I have to say even though it was a roller coaster of a journey I am so glad I did it!

Carrie

"On Fire" Day 30/30

"On Fire" 8" x 10" watercolor with gold leaf background

Another view of "On Fire" 

It's the last day of the 30 in 30 challenge and I'm so glad I did it;))  It has been a roller coaster.  I hit a wall at day 20, had to regroup and boy was that a blessing.  Out of that came my gold leaf series.  They are so much fun to paint and people love them.  I am overwhelmed by the response and it makes me so happy:)

Today I have "On Fire".  It's a glorious red leaf.  Nature is such an amazing showcase of colors right now.

Thank you to everyone that has been following along and thank you to those that have purchased leaves.  I plan on painting a few more:)

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
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"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:)

"Don't Go Changing, I Love You Just the Way You Are"

"Don't Go Changing" 8" x 8" original watercolor and gold leaf by Carrie Waller
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Day 25/30

Fall is in the air and I can't wait to see all the leaves change to their vibrant colors.  I found this beautiful leaf in the process of changing colors and I thought it was just so pretty it should stay just the way it is:) I'm having fun with gold leaf.  Too bad it doesn't photograph so well, but it's so pretty in person:)

Carrie

Little Hummers

"Little Hummers", watercolor and gold leaf, 8" x 18" by Carrie Waller
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Soooo I fell off the wagon as far as the 30 in 30 challenge goes.  I just hit a wall, had to regroup and start again.  We'll see if I can make up some of the days I missed:(  But it was becoming more of a nightmare than a challenge and I was breaking Leslie's #1 rule to have fun, so I took a break and now I'm starting a fun project.  I broke out my gold leaf created this painting "Little Hummers".  It's 8" x 18".  I'm looking forward to using some more gold leaf this week:)

Carrie