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Thursday, April 15, 2010

Spring Flowering Tree Painting SOLD

'Spring Dreams' 8x10 pastel
This was my first plein air painting of the season and did it ever give me fits! It is always a challenge to get back into plein air....and my goal for this tree was to eliminate all of the clutter around it...houses, cars, other trees. So I simplified the background. But it was the tree that wouldn't cooperate. I probably brushed it out and sprayed fixative 5 or 6 times until I got a thick textured area of pastel. It is so thick that it almost looks like oil paint in person. Even though it was a challenge, I had a lot of fun experimenting and it was a good way to get back into the swing of paintng outside.

3 comments:

Susannah said...

Oh Karen! I know you said the tree gave you fits but you did it! You captured that fragile, delicate beauty, so sweet, so transient, that IS the springtime flowering tree. I just love it. You are brilliant at capturing elusive qualities, like the innocence in the face of your cat, but the really incredible thing about your work is, well, it reminds me of my favorite quote by Helen Keller. "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart." Your paintings touch my heart and stir something in my soul.Even though I look at your painting every day I don't comment all that often so when I do I want to get it all said. lol.

Karen said...

Susannah,
Thank you so much for your support. Your comments mean so much to me and you have such a wonderful way with words! I am so glad that you enjoy my work. It really does mean everything to me!

ti-igra said...

Karen! This is the best painted blooming tree that I saw! :-)
Fantastic!
I go every day to your blog to look at this! :-) Very beautiful!