"The Center of Attention" 5" X 7" Pastel

                                                           
I often do an underpainting by massing in the basic shapes (no details), then using either alcohol or water and a brush to wash the different areas. It creates a good roadmap to values and colors for when I lay in the pastel.

This time, after I sketched in my subject I broke out my box of Caran d'Ache Neocolour II water soluble crayons and colored in the basic shapes - just like we used to color as kids. Then, using water I "painted" each shape and the crayon turns to an opaque watercolor.  It does the same thing as the first method, but the colors are a bit brighter.  Sometimes, I'll use a very wet brush and let the colors run a bit just because I like that effect. You might see this above at the very top where the green from the leaf ran into the background color.  It's all just personal preference, but it's so enjoyable to experiment!

This painting is listed on Daily Paintworks at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/carol-flatt-1045          

"Shadow Patterns" 6" X 8" Pastel SOLD

I just love, love, love Wallis paper. It is a hardy, resilient, forgiving and creative surface for pastel. The characteristic with which I have the most fun is the texture. It's fairly rough and accepts a great amount of pastel which means you can have just about as many layers as you want to try. But, because of the gritty surface you can create many different "looks" or textures. Rubbing in the pastel can give things a smooth look. Scumbling the pastel over the top (my personal favorite) gives a mottled look which I think makes things look like they have more form. It also gives you a chance to drag over the top of a beautiful color ANOTHER beautiful color giving it a rich look. In the painting above I did a lot of scumbling. You can see the deep green/blue underpainting showing through the pastel as well as the textured, multi-colored apple skin. If you like a loose, impressionistic look in your work I think you'd like working with Wallis.

                                                                                 

"Communal Living" 6" X 8" Pastel

                                                                         
This is an example of Squatter's Rights.  Our many Mourning Doves in the area generally throw a few twigs together on a ledge or in a bush and hope for the best. Even the slightest breeze often carries away the materials. The dove couple that laid these eggs must have seen an opportunity to move into a Thrasher nest and immediately took advantage of the moment. Thrashers build fairly substantial and sturdy nests within the branches of the Cholla cactus for protection.  These doves can taste an upscale life for awhile.

"Snack du Jour" 6" X 8" Pastel

                                                                           
I wanted to add a knife as an element in a still life of Granny Smith apples. I enjoyed doing the two little bits of apple reflections on the blade. The little things that give us pleasure, right?

"Oh, My Darlin'" 6" X 6" Oil on linen panel

                                                       
I've been anxious to complete a painting of my youngest grandson as I have done several of the oldest. Children just fascinate me with their curiosity and wonder as to how their little bodies function. This day, Logan was so happy while his Dad held him, and he tried to express this happiness with a big smile  and  hand movements. Wasn't quite sure what to do, but his exuberance made us all smile! Gosh, I love being a grandparent.
                        

"Two Delicious" 6" X 8" Pastel

                                                                               
This painting was done on Pastelmat paper which I haven't used a great deal. I loved the way the pastel went on and left a texture I thought was interesting. It takes detail well, and it allows for sufficient layers of pastel. It's exciting to try different surfaces occasionally.
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/carol-flatt-1045

"Plum Pair" 8" X 6" Oil on linen panel SOLD

I have been following lately the wonderful (and colorful) blog of Julie Ford Oliver. She has been experimenting with a fracturing technique in her paintings. I would love to see her work in person; better yet, take a workshop from her, but traveling for me is difficult. So, I've been trying to glean as much as I can from her blog on her insights into this technique as well as her decisions with regards to color, tools and texture.

I like her blog for not only the beautiful work but how she describes her process and discoveries. She calls them her "Artist's Notes," and you can sense her enthusiasm for her work. At one point she describes and shows with photos a particular tool she uses for the fracturing process, and she made it herself. It does some really neat things with the oil paint. She says the tool takes some getting used to, and that is definitely true. Above is my first attempt using it, but I feel it can do so much more than I gave effort to this time. I can't wait to explore some more. The process is just plain fun!                                                                            
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/carol-flatt-1045

"Yucca Springtime" 6" X 8" Pastel

Here, in southern Arizona the yuccas have blossomed in abundance this Spring. There are so many huge blossoms on each stalk that often the weight will cause them to droop. All this without much rain this winter. Shows me once again how tough and hardy these desert plants are.

This painting is listed for purchase beginning 5/27/2012 at:  http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/carol-flatt-1045

"See-Through" 12" X 12" Oil on panel



The first time I thought I was "finished" with this painting I looked at the plain purple runner and thought it needed something. I decided to put some subtle polka-dots - hopefully, subtle enough not to distract from the other elements.
P.S. I have really been having some Blogger trouble. They were able to fix whatever it was that wouldn't allow me to post or edit or look at data, but getting this post on was a challenge as well. Sometimes, it's unresponsive to me and just goes blank. I'll contact Blogger again, and maybe it'll be a fast fix. Ya think?

"A Shore Thing" 6" X 12" Oil on panel

One of the many seagulls strolling the beach on Monterey Bay. I loved the numerous colors found in the water's edge as the waves rolled in.                                                                              

"Palo Verde Spring" 6" X 8" Oil on linen panel

We have many Palo Verde trees in this area which thrive in this desert climate. I've always liked their graceful branches which are a beautiful yellow-green. The name Palo Verde, in fact, means "green stick." Very appropriate.The trunk and limbs are also green.  In the Spring they bloom out first with bright, yellow blossoms which sometimes are so thick you cannot see through the tree. When these drop off the thin green branches that held the flowers remain.

I've been working hard to find MY method to paint landscapes. I've always struggled with them, mostly in trying to make everything cohesive as well as working to simplify the scene. It's a challenge, but fun to try. Below, is a photo of one of our local Palo Verde trees - just down the street a bit.

 This painting is up for auction on Daily Paintworks at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/carol-flatt-1045                                                                            

                                                                            

"Lobster Floats" 8" X 10" Oil on canvas SOLD

I had seen these floats in the past but didn't know they were specifically for lobster catching. I did some research and found they are attached to the cage that is lowered into the ocean. The float of course marks where the cage is located for later retrieval. They have numbers on them for further identification. I also learned that taking someone else's catch or floats is akin to cattle rustling. Makes sense to me.

I haven't painted on stretched canvas for a long while. I've been using mostly linen-covered wooden panels which I really enjoy.  It took a certain amount of "getting-used-to" again. If I had to choose between the two I would go with the panels as I like the way the paint just glides over the smooth surface. However, I feel it's easier to blend colors on the canvas because of the little "tug" on the brush that the texture allows. Both have their purpose, I guess.      

This painting is up for auction at Daily Paintworks  here .                                                              

"Home Grown" 8" X 10" oil on panel

The state in which I grew up was just too cold for citrus to grow. But here in Arizona they are abundant. We don't have any grapefruit, lemon or orange trees on our property, but we have neighbors with these trees who are more than willing to share. After all, what does one do with
200+ grapefruit?
Nothing like a chilled grapefruit or orange for breakfast or snack!
This painting is available through Daily Paintworks at: http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/carol-flatt-1045

"Date-ja Vu" 12" X 24" Oil on panel

Seems like a long time since I posted, but I wasn't idle! I've wanted to do a larger-sized painting for some time, so decided I would do a close-up of one of the local date palms in a 12" X 24" size with a horizontal format. I don't know how I got it into my head that it might be finished in three days (HA!). That was a foolish notion! It seems when I added or changed one element it affected the elements around it -sooo there were many adjustments. I tried to make the two central dates the "stars" of the show (focal point) by making them lighter, brighter, and with more texture than the others. Not quite sure that was successful, but I sure enjoyed playing with color on this one.

 This painting is available through Daily Paintworks at:  http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/carol-flatt-1045                                                                           

"Loose Ends" 6" X 6" Pastel on Pastelbord

I photographed a bunch of radishes I purchased at the store and thought I'd do another painting - this time pastel - of a different arrangement. I love their quirkiness...again, each one different from another. It also gave me a chance to work with the complementary colors of red and green which is my favorite twosome. Carol Marine often talks about her "favorite part" of a painting she's done. I think that is a great idea - a part that was a joy to do and turned out well. For me it was the shadows of the radishes. They add so much volume and interest to a setup.      
This painting is available at: Daily Paintworks at  http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/carol-flatt-1045                                                                   

"Lemon Quintet" 6" X 6" Oil on panel

                                                                                 
What CAN'T you do with lemons in a still life setup? You can stack them up, line them up or slice them up. Any way you pose them, they're fun!

This painting may be purchased at Daily Paintworks at:  http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/carol-flatt-1045                                                                         

"'Tis the Season" 6" X 6" Oil on panel SOLD

Ah, love is in the air! Even though it is only the first of February our local Mourning Doves are beginning their pairing up and nest-building. We had one couple a few years ago who ended up having over six "batches" (sets, litters, bunches, etc.) within about five months. They built their nest on top of the old alarm system off our patio. It's ancient and no longer active which is good for them.
This painting is for sale on Daily Paintworks in my gallery here:  http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/cflatt-1045                                                                           

"Early Morning Shadows" 12" X 12" Oil on canvasboard

I haven't done a landscape in quite awhile. I think it's the intimidation of "the enormous space" in a big scene with all the details included in the setting. I know this is probably (actually) irrational, but it's my trepidation in starting the task. It just seems "HUGE!" Most of my work focuses on the intimate view of an item. I love that! I feel much more confident in experimenting and know that I will finish it in a reasonable time. All of this being said, this scene pulled me in a personal way. As we were leaving the Monterey Peninsula last October we headed east on Hwy. 68 to Salinas in order to catch U.S. 101 south. It was early morning and the sun was just rising over the hills. There were plenty of nice, long shadows, and where the sun hit the meadows there were shades of green, brown and yellow. One couldn't have choreographed the light any better than it was that morning. I felt lucky to have been there to photograph it.  
This painting is for sale through Daily Paintworks at:  http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/cflatt-1045                                                                  

"Oranges in the Limelight" Oil on panel 3 1/2" X 7" SOLD

I purchased a frame I liked several months ago because of its style, quality and price. It was for an unusual-sized painting - just 3 1/2" X 7". I knew one day there would be a subject that would lend itself to a long and narrow shape. As I'm usually chasing frames for an already completed painting, this was a fortunate find.  My husband cut down a masonite panel and as you might guess it didn't take a long time to do. It was great fun to play with the texture and color aspects.

This painting may be purchased through Daily Paintworks at  http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/cflatt-1045

                                                                             

"A NATURAL RESOURCE" 6" X 6" Oil on linen panel

I struggled with the decision to make the edges of the eggs loose, or not. I can't erase from my mind that eggs are these clean, white, perfect ellipses, and I thought really loose edges would look sloppy rather than "creative." Silly of me, I know, but I just couldn't do it. Instead, I settled for texture applied within the egg shape with palette knife and brush. Hopefully, that will suffice. First time I've worked on eggs in a painting...very enjoyable.    

This painting is available through Daily Paintworks at:  http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/cflatt-1045