Illuminated Pumpkins

 watercolor on paper, 20 x 24

I think Fall is finally here!  The temperature has finally dropped from the triple digits into the 70's all in about a 24 hour period.  Inevitably our allergies are in full swing, but maybe our electric bill will be lower:)  I've been burning the midnight oil to get this painting finished.  I'm getting ready for my first two exhibits.  I have a lot framing to do in addition to everything else.  I've been trying to decide what to enter.  I'm excited and nervous.  I'd love to hear everyone's stories and any advice about your experiences.

This week I decided to paint my favorite Villeroy and Boch, glass blown, pumpkins.  I just love them.  I bought them when we lived in Europe at the Villeroy and Boch outlet.  I loved, loved, loved shopping there.  We bought all of our china there and lots of other trinkets.  Our china was featured in my Hydrangea still life. I just love decorating for Fall and including these gems into my decor.  I think the glow that cascades across the marble is pretty incredible.  It's firey and glowing and just makes me feel like Fall is here.

I'm re-posting last weeks painting because it is my October entry for the Artists Helping Artists monthly challenge.  It's a great challenge, by the end of it, I should have enough paintings to have a calendar.

 Steven painted some wooden leaves this week.  We are going to do a lovely Fall project with these, so stay tuned to see what we do with these beauties.

Also this is your last chance to enter Crystal Cook's fabulous contest.  She does incredible work, who wouldn't want to have their own Crystal Cook original.  It's very easy to enter, only takes a minute.  When you enter please let her know I sent you:)

Thanks to all my followers new and old!  It is so awesome to hear such great feedback.  It is so motivational.  It is terrific to have a support system.

See you next week.

Carrie

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (Halloween still life)

watercolor on paper 17 x 22

So my boys were really excited about this still life, can you imagine why?  Steven, my 4 yr old, couldn't wait until I was done photographing this one, so he could get his hands on the loot, and Sam, my 1 yr old, could not understand why he couldn't get the giant candy corns off of the watercolor paper.   The whole thing is very fun and Halloweeny!  I'm going to use this as my October entry for the Artists Helping Artists, monthly painting challenge.  The challenge inspired me to do themed paintings for each month, the idea being that at the end of a year you have art to put in a calendar. In addition to that I think it's pretty great to have revolving art.  How fun to keep it fresh and have 12 months art. 

Don't forget to check out my incredibly talented friend Crystal Cook's blog.   She is having a fantastic contest where she is giving away an 8 x 10 watercolor portrait of your choice, click here for details. Also, please let her know that I sent you her way:)

Steven is still on a crayon kick, since school started.  Here is his latest creation.  It looks like there is a red heart, too cute.  On another note, I'm probably the only Mom at preschool that was running late this morning because the light was great in my kitchen window and I had to photograph my newest still life.  Oh, well, Steven will have something to talk to his therapist about when he's older:)

Thank you to everyone again for all the great comments and support.  I also have some new followers, Welcome!!!

See everyone next week,

Carrie

Sneak Peek Halloween still life

watercolor on paper work in progress 18 x 24

I may be rushing things, trying to usher in Fall, even though it's still in the triple digits here.   But I'm having so much fun with the Artists Helping Artists monthly challenge that I'm bubbling over with ideas for each months paintings.  So you will probably be seeing Fall and Christmas paintings in the near future.  Just consider me like every other retail giant that already has their Holiday decor in place:)  This still life is so fun to paint, and in Sam's eyes (my 1 yr old) it is a success.  He climbed up to look at it and was highly irate when he couldn't get the large candy corn off of the page.

Steven is a busy school going dude these days, so I thought I'd share his pages from class.  I can always spot Steven's a mile away.  He's the only on in his class that colors the entire object.  Most other kids have a soft scribble here and there, but not Steven his colors are bold and bright and placed with confidence:)

Also don't forget to enter into Crystal Cook's fabulous contest, to win a free painting.  To enter click here, and please mention that I sent you:)

I hope everyone has a terrific week.  Thanks to everyone that is leaving comments, it's just terrific.  I love reading each and every one!!!!

Until next week,

Carrie

New Orleans Real Estate

watercolor 18 x 18

This week I did a street scene from our trip to New Orleans this summer.  We passed this little alley way and I thought it was very intriguing.  Rainy days may not be good for traveling, but they sure make for a nice painting:)  I'm gearing up for an exhibit in New Orleans, thought this would get me in the mood!

I also want to thank all of my followers, and regular viewers.  Last week I climbed from 33 to 60, Amazing!  I think it is terrific and am thrilled to have you following my blog.  Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful comments, I feel so loved:)

crayon masterpiece

Steven has been really into coloring lately.  I think because his teacher is constantly telling him how good he is at it.  So this week he did a great drawing on newsprint.  Interestingly he keeps tearing pieces of it off, maybe a collage in his future, hmmm?

Last, but not least, my friend Crystal Cook is having a terrific contest.  Check out her blog here, you will definitely want to enter, and when you do, make sure to tell her I sent you:)

Scarlett (still life with red apples in candlewick)

watercolor on paper 20 x 24

This weeks painting is in response to a new monthly challenge that the Artists helping Artists --http://artistshelpingartistsblog.blogspot.com/-- blog is hosting.  This is the first challenge for this site and the theme is September.  The idea being that each month you do a painting based on the theme of that month and in one year you have material for a calendar.  I thought it was a terrific idea.  They also have a fabulous blog radio talk show that you can access via the above link.  I'm a bit obsessed with it!  The hosts Leslie Saeta --http://lesliesaeta.blogspot.com--and Dreama Tolle Perry-- http://dreamatolleperry.blogspot.com/--share crazy amounts of wonderful info that any artist will find pertinent.    They are also both super duper talented artists so check out their blogs.

So back to this weeks painting.  When I thought of September, I thought of back to school, the end of summer and fall.  Apples came to mind, an apple for the teacher, which immediately made me think of red apples.  I wanted to incorporate fall colors in with the fabric, so as I was preparing for this still life, I was too impatient to go to the fabric store and purchase something, so I looked around my house and low and behold my kitchen curtains were perfect.  So my painting had a "Gone with the Wind" moment, down came the drapes and into the still life they appear.  I'm titling this one "Scarlett", my witty little homage:)  I think the curtains were a great contrast to the apples and had the fall colors I was looking for.  As if the striped fabric wasn't enough of a challenge I grabbed my husbands favorite dishes, which we were given when we got married.  It's his grandma's candlewick that he called marble dishes when he was a kid because of all the glass balls that adorn the rim of the dishes.  This is my first time painting glass and I have to say I loved it.  I'm beginning to realize I love a challenge.  Once I started this painting I just didn't want to stop.

kitchen area, see the curtains:)  Also I refinished this table recently, goes so much better with my furniture now.

Hope you enjoy and I'll let you know when it's posted  on the Artists helping artists blog.  And I encourage all you artists out there to participate in the challenge, deadline is the 15th of Sept.

I also want to thank all of my followers new and old and everyone that takes the time to comment via the blog or facebook.  I love reading them and it really motivates me.  I just love the blog world, such a support system.

Have a great week!

Carrie

Orange daylily on patterned plate

watercolor on paper 11x 14

This is a dynamic piece. Our backyard was full of daylilies this summer.   They were beautiful.  We had every color in the rainbow.  I nicknamed our yard daylily row.  The orange flowers were so striking, I just had to paint one.

This piece is available just contact me if you're interested, carriewallerart@gmail.com.

I'm going to participate in my first monthly challenge hosted by Artists helping Artists blog.  The theme is "September".  Looking for any comments to help come up with an idea for this challenge, what do you think evokes the idea of "September".

Daylily row (backyard)

 watercolor on newsprint

Steven did a lovely watercolor this week.  He has survived his 2nd week at preschool and has emerged as the best overall color-er of the class.  These are his teacher's remarks, I might add.  He got out his paints this week and he wasn't too thrilled about painting on newsprint.  Can't say I blame him, but I wasn't expecting a paper snob at the age of 4.

See you all next week.

Carrie

Hydrangeas in blue crock

watercolor on paper 18 x 24

So hydrangeas used to be my favorite flower, until I spent several weeks of my life staring at each individual petal until I practically went blind.  This is the second installment of my hydrangea paintings.   This time I set my still life up in an antique crock from one of  my husband grandmothers.  Even though I have spent a tremendous amount of time with hydrangeas lately, I still love them.  I'm having trouble coming up with a title, so I'm enlisting all of your help.  If you have any ideas please leave a comment here or on facebook and share your titles.  I used to always make fun of paintings in museums with obvious names, but I now understand.  By the time you are done painting, you are creatively drained.  So as of now they are Hydrangeas in a blue crock, please, I beg you help me come up with something more imaginative.

I also have a dilemma every time I paint a picture, maybe a fear more than a dilemma, where and how to sign my name.  I thought it was a really silly fear, but when I went to the Paul Jackson workshop he said that he plans his signature into his composition and masks it out.  So this time I did just that.  I like this idea, and will do it from now on. 

acrylic on canvas 11x 14

Steven got back into the swing of things this week and did an 11 x 14 canvas.  The largest one he's done so far.  He did a lovely job!