Okay, now I'm in the wrong season, floristically speaking (is that a word?????). Tulips show up in spring, but I felt like painting them anyway.
Frankly, tulips scare me a bit. They have such simple lines, that it's easy to mess up painting them. I gave it the might try, however, and had fun...I do like their droopiness when fully open and their tight buds....All in all, I enjoyed this experience, I'd say! See you next week.
Sunday I play "Vanna" Nolan at the Richard Schmid Auction, displaying the artwork to the crowd, to raise funds for the Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department here in Colorado. I did this last year and had a blast! Also have a painting in the auction -- "Capitol Reef Flowers".
"Tulip Bouquet", 11"x11" measured edge to edge glass, painting on glass, sold framed as shown, $360 + $14.95 domestic shipping www.KarlaNolan.com www.dailyartpainters.com www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.comwww.KarlaNolan.blogspot.com
I appear to be in another sunset mood. This one, sold, is "Fiery Sunset". I've seen the sky on fire more than once -- no, not really on fire -- but you could swear that it was! The clouds just light up, vibrant! Everything glows.
Sunsets are like poppies to me -- never ending delights to paint. I cannot get enough of them but I do hope that viewers never tire of them, either.
Do you? "Fiery Sunset", oil/canvas, 18"x36", sold but I can paint something similar for you!
www.KarlaNolan.com www.dailyartpainters.com www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.com www.KarlaNolan.blogspot.com
I normally don't post sold paintings, but felt compelled to do so today because this is one of my very favorite paintings. I am so proud of it -- it was done with only palette knives and I tried to create some drama and texture in it. The painting was sold to someone in Grand Lake, Colorado, for a second house.
These artworks are like my children, my babies. Maybe that sounds a tad bit dramatic, but I invest a lot of emotion in them. I wonder where they end up -- who buys them? What attracts the buyer to it? Are they happy with the purchase? Does the buyer know he/she gets a bit of me, too?
"Rose Sunset", sold, but I can make a similar one for you! 4"x13.5", oil on canvas
www.KarlaNolan.com www.dailyartpainters.com www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.com www.KarlaNolan.blogspot.com
It's almost pear time! Yaay! You may be aware of my favorite color, red. Well, one of my favorite fruits comes in that color. Hence, this painting.
Pastel is my original favorite medium. I was so influenced by Degas a child, I had to play with the pastel sticks when I first tried artwork. The softness and silkiness and creaminess, butter in your hands, drew me in. And the variety of colors! You can own millions of pastel sticks and with so many different manufacturers around the world, get every shade and hue of the rainbow.
Doesn't this just make you hungry? Enjoy your red pears today!
"Red Pear Trio", 11"x14", original pastel sold unframed for $300 + $14.95 shipping domestically
www.KarlaNolan.com www.dailyartpainters.com www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.comwww.KarlaNolan.blogspot.com
Once upon a time the Nolan family took a trip to Ireland to see the "old country" (on my husband's side). We stayed in Dingle, Ireland, near Slea Head. The ocean beckoned, so of course we went to it. But the fields also beckoned and this is the flower which I saw growing wild. Quite the surprise.
We're past the iris season now, but I always look forward to the next one. Maybe tomorrow I'll post my latest glass painting, "The Four Irises" (as opposed to The Three Tenors!).
Have a good day.
"Wild Irish Iris", in private collection, maybe I can paint one for you! www.KarlaNolan.com www.dailyartpainters.com www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.comwww.KarlaNolan.blogspot.com
Sunflowers. Where aren't they? We see them driving down the road, plant the mammoth seeds for the birds in the back yard, go to Spain, wake up in a field of them...And, Kansas, of course, is known for them.
They are the cheeriest of flowers. Their flower heads follow the sun. Look east in the morning, west in the afternoon...what an odd thing to do....
Enjoy the chipper sunflower colors because autumn is just around the corner! Cheers!
"Sunflower Colors", painting on glass, 9"x12" measured edge to edge glass, sold framed in black as shown, $325 + $14.95 shipping domestically www.KarlaNolan.com www.dailyartpainters.com www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.com www.KarlaNolan.blogspot.com
First note: these poppies are not showing well on my screen. This probably has something to do with everything looking "flat". Painting on glass is reminiscent, somewhat, of stained glass. The colors tend to glow, merge. I'm working on showing how lovely and sometimes translucent or transparent the colors are by including close ups of the paintings. Please check them out, also.
Second note: I am a poppy addict. (Not in the drug sense!) I'll never stop loving fields of poppies or poppies one at a time. I hope you love them as much as I do!
Third, and last, note: People ask if painting on glass is difficult. The answer is, undoubtedly, yes, yes, and yes! This is the most difficult type of painting I've encountered yet, very precise, very, very time consuming. I feel it's well worth the effort, however, and plan to do even more topics using the technique. Again, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
"French Poppy Fields", 12"x9" measured edge to edge glass, sold framed as shown, $325 + $14.95 domestic shipping
www.KarlaNolan.com www.dailyartpainters.com www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.com www.KarlaNolan.blogspot.com
Pansies are just delightful flowers. Although close to impossible to paint, at least for me, the colors are vibrant or subtle, but never dull. They spring back to life in the fall, having endured the summer heat, but are often better replaced then.
Many people think of pansies in shades of purples or blues. I have seen them in hues of oranges and yellows and whites and almost black. I feel it is incumbent upon me, being the colorist (so I'm told) to add a bit of zip that Nature seemed to remember in the bougainvillea but sort of skipped over with pansies. Call it artistic license, if you will!
Have a grand day!
"Happy Pansies", 9"x12" measured edge to edge glass, framed as shown in black, $325 plus $14.95 shipping domestically
www.KarlaNolan.com
www.dailyartpainters.com
www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.com
www.KarlaNolan.blogspot.com
Poppies, poppies, poppies! When will she ever stop painting those poppies, anyway?
Well, "she" will never stop painting those poppies, folks! They are just so much fun to paint, with those many shades of red, a bit of orange or yellow, purple centers and all. A thoroughly enjoyable experience and a blast on glass.
See you tomorrow!
"More Poppy Love", 9"x12" edge to edge glass, sold framed as shown, $325 + $14.95 s+h domestically www.KarlaNolan.com www.dailyartpainters.com www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.com www.KarlaNolan.blogspot.com
As I mentioned yesterday, it's starting to feel a bit like autumn! Very cool in the mornings, refreshing. However, the garden is starting to lose some of its color impact on me. The butterfly bush that's quite the attraction to not only butterflies, but also hummingbirds, is still blooming is lovely purple blooms and one can still see some cosmos around, but the rest of the yard is showing golden yellows with rudbeckia and coreopsis being the main culprits there.
So what am I getting at with this blog? I love the color combination of cobalt blue and hot pinks and about a year ago I applied these colors to the canvas with only palette knives. Talk about tricky! One can get a lot of texture and dimension with these knives. However, painting flowers with them solely was difficult (and yet fun). Here you see the results. One of the last bouquets of summer, harvested onto canvas.
"Cobalt and Pink", 24"x20", palette knife oil painting on canvas, sold unframed, $720 + shipping/handling of $14.95 domestically www.KarlaNolan.com www.dailyartpainters.com www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.comwww.KarlaNolan.blogspot.com
I can sort of feel fall in the air. It's not time yet. That I know. But in the mornings, it's cooled down a bit. The days are shortening just slightly. I keep thinking it's mid-summer but that's just because I have been so busy! Hard to keep track of the time sometimes!
Autumn brings November. November brings dramatic sunsets. I remember this particular dusk -- it was glorious. And all from my front door! Living by the foothills of the Rockies doesn't hurt any sunset and going out into the street to capture the sunset is a privilege I never thought I'd have. Enjoy the view!
"Front My Front Door", 9"x12" oil on canvas, sold unframed for $220 + $14.95 shipping domestically www.KarlaNolan.com www.dailyartpainters.com www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.com www.KarlaNolan.blogspot.com
Water lilies are intriguing plants. They just seem to float effortlessly on water and happen to have lovely blooms floating along with them. I've seen these plants at several places; they certainly are not native to Colorado!
In this painting on glass, I've tried to convey that floatiness. You might be able to see it to better effect in the close-up. Drifting through life, that sounds like a great way to live!
"Hawaiian Water Lilies", painting on glass, 10"x20" edge to edge glass, framed in black with gold lip, $360.00 + $14.95 shipping
www.KarlaNolan.comwww.dailyartpainters.com www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.com www.KarlaNolan.blogspot.com
This art work is entitled "Water Falls" and just looking at it cools me off in this summer heat. Spring and fall are my favorite seasons. I'm extreme enough, personality wise, don't need extreme heat or cold!
I'm always amazed at what one can do with a palette knife, it's great fun! Just pull down, you create cool water. And, of course, water falls just sound refreshing! The idea of standing under them sounds great at the moment....
"Water Falls", palette knife oil painting on canvas, 9"x12", sold unframed for $220.00 www.KarlaNolan.comwww.dailyartpainters.com www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.comwww.KarlaNolan.blogspot.com
It has finally cooled down here a bit. I think it's supposed to hit the mid-80's, which is utterly delightful. I'm looking forward to the day.
Funny how heat takes such a toll on one. When it's as hot as it has been, up to 100 degrees lately, I don't even want to go out and see the sunset. Now, that's weird! Tonight, I bet I see something like "Last Rays". I painted this artwork a few years back in pastel and have always enjoyed it. Just the slightest peep of the sun dipping behind the mountains....the very last of the day.
"Last Rays", available at www.karlanolanprints.com www.KarlaNolan.com www.dailyartpainters.com www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.com www.KarlaNolan.blogspot.com
This is an oil painting, 14"x11", palette knife on linen, painted for a very special cause. I have been invited into the Richard Schmid Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department auction, held this year on August 31st, and this is the painting I have submitted for the auction. The volunteer fire department is just that -- no funds, just volunteers. Richard Schmid lived in these parts a few years back and began this amazing auction that has helped so many. Please consider bidding on this or any of the other pieces of art at www.RichardSchmidAuction.com. Thanks!
Pansies are truly the harbinger of spring. They can even bloom in fall and winter. Hardy little fellows!
Here's my take on pansy painting: It's hard! Because the petals can get into awkward positions, it can be difficult to follow the folds and lines of the blooms. But the color selection is a hoot! You can go absolutely wild with the hues, even make them up, because there are such wide varieties.
I'm finding that in this intense heat, mid-90s and upward, I'm having to replace the poor pansies. There's something rotten about having to pull out a half-dead plant and put in something new, bright, and cheerier. Guilt, I suppose. I had high hopes, as I do each spring, of the pansies carrying on through fall. Oh well, maybe next year!
Have a grand weekend!
"First Spring Pansies", 9"x12" edge to edge glass, sold framed in black with gold lip, available at www.KarlaNolan.com ("Works"/glass paintings, Paypal, $325 + $14.95 domestic shipping)
www.dailyartpainters.com www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.com www.KarlaNolan.blogspot.com
I love my poppies. I've decided to paint these flowers and other favorite blooms for a while, along with a few sunsets. They're soothing to paint once I get past the frustrating items.
Seeing poppies in bloom is such fun for me. They appear to be a mass of one color, but then I go up to them and see that they are many shades and hues of that color. When the sun hits a petal, that can bring out even more surprising tones. And the centers of the flowers are amazing, a web of pistils and stamens just waiting to tempt the next winged insect in to aid in repopulating the garden. The seed pods are just plain fun to look at and play with.
Go enjoy your blooms today!
A close up of this painting is also at www.KarlaNolan.com "works/glass paintings".
"Poppy Love", 8"x15" edge to edge glass, framed in black, $360 + $14.95 domestic shipping; go to www.KarlaNolan.com "works/glass paintings", click on Paypal, or contact me for more information www.dailyartpainters.com www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.com www.KarlaNolan.blogspot.com
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I guess it can sound almost obnoxious, "when I was last in Italy", but, when I was last in Italy, my husband and I stayed in Montepulciano, a small town in Tuscany, and a wine producing mainstay. The small bed and breakfast in which we stayed overlooked the town, since we were on the top floor and it is a hill town, so at dusk I went outside with my ever handy camera to photograph the sunset. Lo and behold, the rooftops and houses themselves were as intriguing as the sunset!
Red roofs dot Tuscany. Simply built houses fill the towns. The hill rock and roll, filled with vineyards and olive trees. Of course, the best time of the year for me is when the red poppies are in bloom. They are my favorite flower to paint.
Go there. See it. If you can't make it there, then enjoy my tour for yourself. I relive it when I paint it. That's fun!
(Two close ups of this painting are available at my website, www.KarlaNolan.com. Go to "Works", glass paintings, then three views are together for your perusal.) "Dusk in Montepulciano", 16"x20" edge to edge glass, framed in black with gold lip, $14.95 shipping domestically, Paypal at www.KarlaNolan.com (works/glass paintings) www.dailyartpainters.com www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.com www.KarlaNolan.blogspot.com
I don't know who called the Grand Canyon the Great Gash, but my husband told me that quip a long time ago. It really does look like someone went at that part of Earth with a fury and split it apart.
Doing what I enjoy most, I have taken my artistic license and simplified it and intensified the colors. Reds and oranges warm up the scene and, since this is Arizona, it does get hot!
Have fun with the travels, art and otherwise! "The Great Gash (Grand Canyon)", painting on glass, framed in black with gold lip,11"x14" glass edge to edge, $450 + $14.95 s&h domestically, go to www.Karla Nolan.com and click on "works, glass paintings", Paypal or contact at KarlaNolan@gmail.com for more information www.dailyartpainters.com www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.com www.KarlaNolan.blogspot.com
I return again to Santa Fe. Strolling down Canyon Road, I spot a lovely window, turquoise trimmed, featuring a box laden with flowers. Now this is my kind of painting -- adobe and flowers! I love both so much, I had to paint this scene. I have done that in oil and pastel. Here is the scene painted onto glass.
As I mentioned in my last post, painting onto glass is a difficult task. (Say that ten times quickly, it's hard to do, also!) I must say that I enjoy the fruits of my labor ultimately, but during the process I ask myself, "have you lost your mind, Karla? This is a pain in the 'tuchas', there are easier things to do!" Still, it is such an unusual artwork to see. A fellow artist was wise to remind me -- it's not the easiest thing to view on a screen, much better in person, as the photograph of the creation doesn't show the luminosity, the glow, nearly as well as viewing the real thing. Please do keep this in mind as you look!
Enjoy your show! See you tomorrow!
"Santa Fe Windowbox", painting on glass, 11"x14" edge to edge glass, framed as shown, Paypal accepted plus domestic shipping of $14.95 (go to "Works"/glass paintings) www.KarlaNolan.com www.dailyartpainters.com www.KarlaNolan.blogspot.com www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.com
Drama!
Quite the title, huh? Drama! Well, that's how it is in these parts with some of the sunsets over the Rocky Mountains (also known as the Backbone of the Continent!).
Isn't red just the most dramatic color in a sunset? It almost seems exaggerated when in a painting, but believe me, I've seen lots of shades of reds and oranges in them around here. Not every evening is dramatic, however. I find that the November evenings show the most drama. Maybe it's the time change, but I'm just more aware of them at that time of year.
Are you enjoying these paintings on glass? As I mentioned in my last blog, I don't always enjoy painting them. I find them to be somewhat anal and tedious at times. My personality is such that I move very quickly, multi-tasking to three things at once many times. Motherhood may have provoked that way of living, but I think it's a natural for me. I have been diagnosed with ADD and I'm proud of it -- think of the creativity associated with that diagnosis! Even Winston Churchill painted...and he was believed to have had ADD. The brain can do funky things to you -- best to dwell on the positive aspects, in this case creativity. Must go, see you on Monday.
www.KarlaNolan.com (go to "Works" glass paintings, Paypal accepted, $14.95 shipping domestically, 12"x12" edge to edge glass, framed as shown, black frame, gold lip) www.dailyartpainters.comwww.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.comwww.karlanolan.blogspot.com
Here are the happiest mailboxes I've ever seen! They are in one of my favorite spots for the past 35 years, Santa Fe. I don't get down there that much these days, but I do enjoy it when I do. I remember eating blue corn tortilla enchiladas years ago at Jose's Casa de la Comida but that cafe's gone now. Life does trudge on, doesn't it?
These mailboxes just grabbed me a couple of years ago when I was down there with my husband. Color, color, color! Can't get enough of it!
This glass painting process is something else, I must tell you. Very, very trying. I have mixed emotions about it while I'm in the middle of painting -- can't even see the finished product until the next day, as the liquids glide all around the surface. The medium controls me, not the other way around.
I honestly hope you are enjoying these paintings. I am (most of time).
www.KarlaNolan.com (go to "works"/glass paintings/ 11"x14" measured from end to end of glass, framed as is, black with gold lip; $425 + domestic shipping, Paypal
www.dailyartpainters.com www.marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.com
Papaveri. Coquelicot. Poppy.
(Italy. France. U.S.A.)What happy names for cheerful flowers!
Red. Orange. Yellow. Even blue. What bright colors for these amazing little blooms. The blue is a Himalayan poppy, hard to grow in these parts. However, the reds and oranges are commonly seen around Fort Collins. The orange and yellows are reminiscent of California.
No matter what the color, these lovely flowers make me smile. I love, love, love to paint them. Don't forget: "Earth laughs in flowers!" "Papaveri", painting on glass, 10"x20" (measured by glass edges) frame as shown,
$650 plus shipping to be calculated domestically
www.KarlaNolan.com (go to "Works", "glass paintings", Paypal available) www.dailyartpainters.com
Okay, hard to believe that I'm featuring a "winter" painting. But it has been so hot here, almost 100 degrees, that I actually enjoy the thought of it being cold! Go figure! I noticed a serene twilight last winter while driving home from grocery shopping. It stayed with me, in my thoughts, the entire evening. There is something about just before darkness that is so soothing to me. The day has to end. I need to take time to appreciate it. Here it is.
The glass is painted on the reverse side, although I almost never think of it as "reverse glass painting". That must be totally different. I've seen that on antique lamps. This is more modern, more contemporary, in my mind. It's difficult to attain the correct colors. The medium truly controls me. I hope you enjoy this. Let me know.
Sold as shown in black frame, gold lip. 11"x14" measured on glass edges and available at www.KarlaNolan.com/Works (glass paintings) Paypal available with $14.95 shipping domestically
www.dailyartpainters.com
I would like to introduce you to something new for me. My husband and I were travelling in Italy a while back and we discovered some spectacular artwork in Tuscany. I was so inspired and, dare I say, awed by it, I decided to bring the technique home and apply my very own topics which I enjoy painting so much to this technique.
These are paintings on glass. I use several different types of specialty paints developed to adhere to glass and are formulated to be highly UV lightfast. I researched these techniques and experimented constantly. These artworks are reminiscent of stained glass panels but I do not want to be anyone but myself, so I never trace photographs or patterns for these paintings, but rather I draw upon my own memories and references and freehand draw these artworks.
Color has always been of primary importance to me and these creations are saturated with color. I feel that color influences emotions and hopefully lifts them. I derive great joy from creating these paintings on glass, but find them to be more difficult to produce than either oil paintings or soft pastel paintings, far more tedious and difficult to control.
Please, let me know your opinions of these creations. My plans are to sell them framed for now in simple black frames with gold lips, so that the paintings are not overwhelmed by the frames, but complemented by them. And I sincerely hope you enjoy the journey of my new adventures!
"I'll Always Love Italy!", 12"x16" (measured along edges of glass), framed in black frame, gold lip; call 970-225-0025 or write KarlaNolan@gmail.com for further information www.dailyartpainters.com,
www.KarlaNolan.com
Have you ever noticed how clouds drift through the sky at dusk? I have and this is my presentation of that action. As you must know by now, sunsets are my favorite subjects to paint.
However, I am also onto something brand new and I invite you to keep tuned to this blog! I hope to unveil a new type of painting for me on this blog....I am offering these paintings as framed items, as they are ON glass, not just UNDER glass, so I have put them into some basic black frames with gold lips....I was inspired by an Italian master on a recent trip to Italy and took the dive into this new medium for me. Please send me your thoughts....I'll unveil them on Monday!
Meanwhile, back to this post. "Travelling" is 18"x36", oil with palette knife, on gallery wrapped canvas and is available for $870. Click on "Works/Skies" and buy directly from Paypal -- or order as a print at www.karlanolanprints.com. The original painting need not be framed! Thanks for viewing! See you soon. www.dailyartpainters.com
Living in Colorado has tremendous perks when it comes to artwork. The natural beauty of the state is stupendous and I am fortunate enough to live in northern Colorado, right next to the foothills. As I walk out in the evening to view the sunset, I am amazed at how lovely it usually is, but also at how quickly it appears and then leaves. Capturing any part of it can be difficult; I am compelled to refer to photographs but usually end up changing them rather rapidly -- I am the Great Editor for a brief time! This sunset, as I recall, was during a hot summer night -- the temperature at nighttime usually drops 20-30 degrees, but I remember being unsure about this night. It wasn't a sure thing that we'd have such a good one! What do you think? I was very pleased with that evening's works. "Another Torrid Sunset", 9"x12", pastel, sold unframed, www.KarlaNolan.com
"Works/Skies" (Paypal) or Contact Karla at KarlaNolan@gmail.com or 970-225-0025www.dailyartpainters.com
Occasionally I just see the most sumptuous sunsets over the Rockies. This is an example of one of them. When I paint with oil paints I use a palette knife throughout the artwork. Brushes and I do not agree on anything; they make mud, I usually don't want mud! The colors in the sky vary. I don't think it's such a seasonal thing, just Nature working magic. This is the most serene time of the day for me. It's work, hurry, go, plan, quick...all day long, just as everyone does. Then, get home, go outside, avoid mosquitoes, sink back into a better frame of mind, maybe a glass of wine....You get the gist! This painting, "Billowing Dusk" is 12"x9, oil on canvas panel, sold unframed and costs only $220.00. Not too bad for these tough economic times, huh? Call me at 970-225-0025, e-mail me at KarlaNolan@gmail.com or through my website, http://www.karlanolan.com/ (go to "Works"/Skies and buy through Paypal) or at http://www.dailyartpainters.com/.
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