ESCAPEE

ESCAPEE!

These strawberries were calling to me, "Paint me, we are so beautiful!", so I obliged.  Can't you just imagine the one strawberry escaping the plate for fear of getting eaten? 

This painting was done from life and strawberries don't do well under bright lights.  Two days is about all one can get in strawberry life.  After that, they start to break down.

By the way, I will be rejoining Studios on High Gallery in the Short North Arts district in downtown Columbus, OH in July.  This gallery has been named the best in Columbus for the 2nd year in a row!! There will be a food themed show in July and a few of my paintings will be in the show, so come on down and take a look.  If you purchase any of my work, 10% of the proceeds will go the the Mid-Ohio Food Bank.

A WALK AT THE LAKE

FOG AT ANTRIM

I walk everyday with my Labrador Retriever Logan. Lately, we've been in the habit of walking at Antrim Park, which is just 5 minutes from where we live.  The park has a big lake and we walk around it with another friend and her dog.

On this particular morning pictured in the painting it was cool and clear, the beginning of a beautiful spring day.  It had gotten cool enough the night before that fog had developed on the lake from the warmer water.  There is a willow tree near the lake shore where lots of dogs congregate to swim and play.  On this morning there were no dogs, only the empty bench and the backlit willow tree.

This is my impression of the fog that morning and the light coming through the willow tree.

I painted this on a canvas that I had painted over with a dark brown color.  I always enjoy working on a colored ground.  It takes me back to my old days of working on toned paper with my colored pencils.  There is something about working on a colored background that makes me use brighter paint and more of it to cover the canvas. And it is always nice to let a little of the color show through in appropriate areas.

PAINTING IT AGAIN

A VERY BERRY DAY

  I have been working on this painting on and off for about two weeks, and today I think I finally have it finished.  Strawberries are another of my favorite fruits, not necessarily because of the flavor of them, but I just love their color and texture.  I especially love how the stems and tops are this velvety texture while the fruit is shiny and bumpy with the seeds. 

 This particular painting also has quite a story.  The strawberries were a gift from a friend.  I had completed a calligraphy project for her as a favor and she presented me with these beautiful strawberries as a thank you. I put them in this green Depression glass bowl that a had belonged to my grandmother and shot lots of photos of them both inside and outside of our house.  The sketch that I used as a basis for the painting is a conglomeration of several photos. I originally did this painting in watercolor many years ago when we lived in Indiana.  I submitted it to the Hoosier Salon and it was accepted for their show. Somebody really like it because it sold afterwards. Fast forward several years and I decided to see what it would look like in oil. I think I was able to get more of the texture of the tablecloth and fruit in this painting. Hope you all enjoy!

CHERRIES TO CHEER YOU

TWO'S COMPANY. . .

The cherries are in season at our grocery stores and markets.  They are one of my favorite summertime fruits. I decided to give them the honor they are due by painting them in a still life.

Picking the ones that would stand up to my idea was a challenge.  Not every cherry was kind enough to oblige and I had to eat the ones that wouldn't cooperate. As you can see, I didn't end up with many cherries in my painting. This one is titled "Two's Company. . ."

KEEPING IT LOOSE

SUNLIGHT AT GLICK PARK

During the last plein air session that I attended, I made a conscience decision to try to loosen up my work. The area I choose to paint was a road leading down to the river.  It was a terribly hot and humid day, so painting this view would put me in the shade.  The view also had lots of lights and darks, which I felt would make for an interesting painting. I began by putting in the areas of the lightest lights and the darkest darks, then quickly filled in the mid-tones. I used the largest brush that I had brought with me and that forced me to make bolder marks.  Overall, I am pretty satisfied with the painting. You can see a larger version of this painting on my web-site, carol granger.com

BIRTHDAY FOR A FRIEND

A PICKERS HEAVEN

I recently presented this painting to a very good friend of mine for her birthday.  It is painted from a photo that she had taken when she was near Madison, IN on vacation.  She tends to love antiques and her house is filled with beautiful pieces.  Happy Birthday my friend!!

THANKFUL

DAZZLING DAISIES

SPRING ON MY MIND

These two paintings recently sold at a show in Berryville, VA.  It's always nice to sell something at a show. It immediately validates one of the reasons that I love to paint, which is sharing my work with other art lovers.