WELCOMING WARMTH

SUN WORSHIP

I recently got to go to Hilton Head Island with my husband.  He was there on business so I had most of the mornings to myself.  The weather was good, slightly cool in the mornings but sunny and warm the rest of the day.  I enjoyed people watching, sketching and taking photos.  Here is a painting of someone enjoying the sun from one of my sketches. You can view this on my web-site, www.carolgranger.com, and check it out on my Facebook page,

  www.facebook.com/cfgrangerstudios.

Memories of Springs Past

MOM'S VIOLETS

I was raised in a very rural part of Indiana, only a few miles from the Ohio river. Our farmhouse sat 1/4 of a mile down a long gravel driveway. To get to school, we had to either walk to the end of the driveway, or many times, in bad weather, our mother would drive us to the end of the driveway to catch the bus. Every spring, when the weather was beautiful and I couldn't wait for school to be over, the walk home down that driveway was pure pleasure. If the field's had been plowed, the smell of newly turned earth and wild onions was overpowering. I remember birdsong and cattle munching. Most of all, I remember the violets that grew along the side of that gravel driveway. And every year, I brought home a fistful of violets for my mom, just because I knew she would like them. She always put them in a small glass vase and sat them on the kitchen table.  So here is my latest little painting of some violets to go along with my memories of childhood.

Plein Air, Sort Of

MORE OF SPRING

This little painting started out as a plein air piece.  I was at Innis Wood  metro park the other day with a friend to do some plein air work.  We both settled on the ground near the entrance to get the best view of these beautiful daffodils.  I had the sun in my face but not on my surface.  I blocked in the shapes then proceeded to paint.  My efforts at the end of my session were not what I had hope for.

When I get home, I wiped it off, but much of the paint had already dried because I had used a medium and it was a breezy day(this helps to dry also) so I was left with my original sketch and some of the dark background. So I tackled it again and am happy with the results. I think it has a freshness and looseness about it that looks like a plein air painting. I also think that having the dark background already in place helped to unite the painting.  I like the effect of the dark background peeking through in some of the spaces.

In Honor of Spring

Just a Jonquil

The jonquils that I planted last fall in the front of the house bloomed beautifully this year.  I was able to grab one of them before they all got destroyed in the last thunderstorm and do this little painting.

I love the smell of them, and the bright yellow after such a drab winter.

Speaking of Roses

Coral Petals

This little painting is from a photo I took of some roses when I was visiting Whetstone Park of Roses last summer.  I always think of my mother when I visit this garden.  She had a large rose garden on the farm and when she was here visiting once I took her here to see the roses.  She was very impressed.  I especially like the warm shadows reflected on the lower petals.

Plein Air again!!

Spring at Adena Creek

Last Saturday, I painted once again with the Central Ohio Plein Air group.  This time we were at Whetstone Park of Roses.  This park not only contains a beautiful rose garden, but acres of open space, a prairie, a casting pond, numerous bike trails and a beautiful creek that drains into the Olentangy River. I have painted here before, but never with the group.

I loved the area where I painted, and the painting was coming along well until I got to the water.  For some reason I lost my concentration and couldn't get the water to look anything like what I had hoped.  So today I reworked it and am happy with the result. I hope you like the result too.

Plein Air Season is Upon Us!!

Yesterday, the local plein air group that I paint with,  Central Ohio Plein Air, painted at one of the local Columbus area metro parks.   This is my first time out this year with the group, and it was so good to be outdoors again, even though it was a bit chilly at 8:30 AM. The term "plein air" is French and means, "in the open air". My goal this year is to try to complete a painting in one sitting (alla prima), which is harder for me that anything because I tend to pick my work apart once I get home, adding or deleting as I see fit to make a better painting. So here is my first plein air painting of the year.

" EARLY SPRING, BLENDON WOODS"

IT'S SPRING!!

After a long, cold, snowy winter, spring is finally in the air. Nothing quite says spring to me more than seeing all of the seasonal produce at our local grocery store.  The radishes are so beautiful this time of year, and finding them with their tops is a still life waiting to happen.  I was able to do a quick study of these beauties before the tops wilted. HAPPY SPRING!!

SPRING THING

To see this and my other artwork, go to www.carolgranger.com to view my web-site.

Italian Memories

Several years ago, my husband and I traveled to Italy for a bike tour vacation. We spent a few days in Florence before the tour began, taking in the sites and getting over our jet-lag.  While there, I was amazed at the local traffic which consisted of many motor bikes, scooters and tiny cars. They zipped around the city seemingly in total chaos amid beeps and shouts and rude hand gestures.  I marveled at the fact that there were many near misses but I never saw an accident.  The parking also amazed me, for the Italians were experts at squeezing into tiny spaces.  This dark blue Fiat was one such car.  It had managed to squeeze into an area at the edge of a roadway, it's front wheels still turned at an awkward angle.

  Italian Blue                                             

To see this and other artwork, go to www.carolgranger.com

Don't Squash

We live just down the street from an elementary school.  Many days, especially in the late afternoon or evening, I take our labrador retriever, Logan, for another small walk.  We usually end up on the school grounds, and take a large circle around the playing field in the back.  I have walked past this cute VW Beetle many times.  I am always amazed that it is most times the last car in the parking lot, sometimes past 5 or 6 PM, the sign of a dedicated teacher or adminstrator. I also love the license plate, DNT SQUSH.  So here is a tribute to the teacher; may you always be safe in your little red car.