Celebrating Color

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Why Paint a Series?

February 7, 2022 By Carol McIntyre

Have you ever thought about painting in a series? If not, why not? …And what is it?

A series is a cohesive collection of paintings whereby the viewer has no doubt the same artist has created each piece. A series communicates a common thread that connects the paintings. Every painting can standalone, but together the visual impact is greater.

The series’ common thread can be established in a number of ways, including: technique, color palette, subject, medium, size, etc. This theme or thread is stated and restated in different yet interconnected ways. This facilitates the viewer’s ability to understand more easily what the artist is saying visually.

One of my first series, back in the early 1990’s, incorporated musical instruments and flowers. They were painted in watercolor and each was a full sheet or 22″x30.” Notice the unique edge on each piece and that the flower’s petals are strategically placed as if they are playing the instrument. There were 12 in this series. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Art Material & Painting Tips, Creativity & Painting Concepts, Selling & Buying Art Tagged With: abstract painting fused with realism, art marketing, art tips, artistic process, Painting Process

How Did I Create a Solo Show During COVID?

March 15, 2021 By Carol McIntyre

Back in December 2019, the gallery owner of G44 Gallery, Colorado Springs, surprised me with an invitation to have a solo show in 2021. Not only was I honored and excited, but I also had a strong visceral reaction of “Yes! That will be perfect timing.” Ha! Little did any of us know what the future had in store for us.

How did I begin creating for this upcoming solo show?

At the time of the invitation, I had just begun experimenting with a new medium — cold wax with oil — followed by an excellent cold wax workshop taught by Tish Lacy Reed in January. Subsequently, I dove in with great gusto. At this point – about the Feb/March time frame – I wasn’t thinking about a series or my show, I was dedicated to learning about cold wax with oil. create a solo show

During my 30+ years of painting, I have worked in watercolor, pencil, oil, pastel and acrylics, and in that sequence. During each medium, I focused on just that one medium. In other words, I have never jumped from one to the other and back. Why? Because I wanted to get to know the medium as well as I could and enjoy all of its characteristics. My subject matter also evolved along with these medium changes. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Color Mixing, Tips & Concepts, Inner Artistic Journeys Tagged With: abstract artwork, abstract painting fused with realism, an artist's musings, artistic process, Creative Process

“Colorscapes” Solo Show Invitation!

January 11, 2021 By Carol McIntyre

You are cordially invited to my upcoming solo show

colorscapes solo art show

Opening reception:  Friday, April 2, 2021

Time:  5-8pm

Location: G44 Gallery

1785 S. 8th Avenue, Suite A, 80905, Colorado Springs, CO

 Call 720-951-0573 or visit www.g44gallery.com

Hours: Thursday-Saturday 12pm – 5pm or by an appointment.

Show dates:  April 2 – April 30th

How does color impact you?

Are there colors you love and/or despise? Why?

This exhibition will give you the opportunity to “try-on” a number of different colors and color palettes all in one space.

Colorscapes will feature over 15 new paintings. All of them celebrate color!

Wwhen you come to the reception colorful spirits are encouraged! 🙂

I also look forward to presenting an Artist Talk don Saturday, April 17th at 3pm. Reservations via G44 Gallery are required because space is limited.

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: abstract artwork, abstract painting fused with realism, Colorado artist

Painting Out of My Funk – Mixed Media Demo

October 30, 2019 By Carol McIntyre

How do you get yourself out from under emotional challenges? Do you use your creative outlets and/or something else?

As most of you know, starting late summer I took a sabbatical for several months because I needed to Prevent a Train Wreck. This time was followed by our much anticipated vacation to Barcelona. Unfortunately, it was rudely interrupted by the theft of all of our luggage from inside of our rental car as described in Thieves Among Geniuses-Miro and Gaudi. As a result of this traumatic experience, I have been experiencing periodic mild anxiety attacks. This was a surprise me and continues to confound me. Consequently, I have not been inspired or motivated to paint, much less anything else work related.

I had intended to return from our European vacation all charged up and ready to get back to work. Ha! My psyche wasn’t ready, so I have been patiently listening to my body and trying to take care of myself. Meanwhile, what about my art? As I mentioned in my last blog post, I asked a good art friend to push me to start a couple of paintings. I did and that was Okay, but not satisfactory.

mixed media demo

This week, after a few mornings of mild anxiety attacks, I decided that I needed to do something different. Painting has almost always served as an emotionally grounding activity for me, but I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to paint! This is not a common phenomenon for me. Feeling lost like this indicated that I still needed some healing time. However, sitting around watching the snow fall (quite the snow storms this week in Colorado), wasn’t working for me.

When in a conundrum such as this, I often pose challenges for myself. I decided that I would use existing painting materials and try something I have only watched on YouTube. I would paint multiple paintings on one sheet of 22″ x 30″ watercolor paper. Here is the step-by-step process of my mixed media demo. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Art Material & Painting Tips, Inner Artistic Journeys Tagged With: abstract painting fused with realism, an artist's musings, artistic process, Creative Process, how a painting develops, tips for artists

How a Wine Painting Evolved From an Abstract Painting

May 9, 2018 By Carol McIntyre

Have you ever put lots of time and layers into a painting and it just didn’t work out? And, to add to the frustration, you convinced yourself along the way that it was a good painting and that you like it? I call these paintings “problem children.” I do so with affection.

Recently, I experienced one of these challenging paintings and thought I would show you the evolution of an abstract painting into a wine painting.

The original abstract painting started out on a textured panel 24″ x 28″ x 1.5″ board. First I applied  several colors, different textures and collaged a napkin (do you see the tulips?). There are probably 4-5 layers at this point.

wine painting, abstract painting, painting lesoon

Step 1.

During the beginning stages of my abstract paintings, I always turn the board around, trying to find where and when I might begin to connect with it. Below you can see it in a vertical orientation. I am liking the drama of it and the mysterious layers that give it depth. The bubble-looking shapes were created with rubbing alcohol.

wine painting, painting lession, color theory

Step 2.

As you can see in Step 3., a few more papers have been collaged, as well as the dripping of paint and circle shapes. I painted in the clouds to create a sense of drifting and more drama. My husband titled it “Carnival Dreams,” which I liked.

At this stage of the painting, I am trying to convince myself that I like it. Actually, I only like a few sections of the painting because it is way too busy. I began wishing I could cut it into a couple of paintings, but that isn’t possible with this panel board. A tad perplexed, I put it aside and moved onto the next painting. It needed to go into hiding for a while.

wine painting

Step 3.

After a couple of months, I decided it was time to let “Carnival Dreams” go and to see if I could do something different with it other than sand it down to bare wood. I wondered if I could turn it into a wine painting. To do this, I applied strips of green Frog tape to my panel, and then applied light layers of white paint to imply Venetian-like blinds. I confess, emotionally it wasn’t easy to cover up all of my previous layers. .

wine painting, oil painting lesson, color theory

Step 4. Click the images to see a larger view.

When the tape was removed and this was the result.

wine painting, oil painting lesson, color theory

Step 5.

I am liking this but wanted to continue to see how I could transform this abstract painting into one of my wine themed paintings. The edges were softened and more thin layers of paint were applied as seen in Step 6.

wine painting, oil painting lesson, color theory

Step 6.

I still wasn’t sure about my goal, but decided to go for it and so I took on the wine painting challenge. In this next image you can see the charcoal drawing of the wine glass, bottle and a hand. I have also applied a little paint.

wine painting, oil painting lesson, color theory

Step 7.

In Step 8., the forms of the subject have been painted in. I am wondering whether to keep the bottle vague because  I want the wine glass to be the focus. Color wise, it was a challenge to not let this wine painting get muddy, so I had to be careful how I applied the purples over the oranges. As you know, purple and orange mix into a brown, which is fine but I didn’t want it too brown/burnt sienna. Learn more about mixing orange and purple in my post What is the Correct Definition of Tertiary Colors?

I do enjoy the problem solving of painting glass, because it’s not easy. It is all about using values – the lights and darks – in the correct places. The layers also need to dry in between before I applied the last white highlights. It is not quite finished in Step 8., because I want the glass to pop more.

wine painting, oil painting lesson, color theory

Step 8.

Are you thirsty looking at this wine painting? Ready to have a glass?

wine painting, oil painting lesson, color theory

Step 9. “Let It Pour!” finished 24″x 18″ mixed media on panel painting.

You now have a unique view of the evolution of a wine painting or rather, a painting that was not totally satisfactory, and how I tried to resurrect it. This digital photo is not able to reveal the layers below, but you know they are there! Where might you have stopped during this process? Or would you have continued as I did?

I hope you enjoyed seeing the development of this wine painting and my problem solving along the way.

When have you experienced something similar? Have you documented it? Or perhaps you have a painting you might want to resurrect? Tell us what happened in the comments below.

Please share this post with others if you found it helpful or interesting.

Grateful and colorfully yours,

Carol

learn color theory, painting lession, oil painting, watercolor painting

Filed Under: Creativity & Painting Concepts, Inner Artistic Journeys, Step-by-Step Painting Demos & Commissions Tagged With: abstract painting fused with realism, artistic process, Creative Process, step-by-step painting

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