"We are family"

This painting was requested from my niece to show off the beautiful masks that she is making.  This was complicated because the only photo I had of us was from Thanksgiving.  We were a large group and I had to cut and paste to get the four of us together. 

Here is her link on Etsy.  https://www.etsy.com/shop/lindsayjeanmarie

I had one of my original paintings turned into a face mask also.  This mask is of the TWA Hotel and propeller airplane that the Hotel made into a bar.  https://fineartamerica.com/featured/1-all-about-the-lines-carol-pighin.html?product=face-mask

What kind of things are artists doing during stay at home order?

From seeing Facebook and Instagram posts, my artists friends are painting beautiful paintings  everyday.  I'm following Larry Moore's "What if University" and doing studies.  Lots and lots of studies about color combinations, texture, shapes, line, and lots of ideas for new paintings.  Below are most of my studies from the last month.

Making beauty marks with one color.

                                               Color and Texture

  Azaleas at the Biltmore

Studies from an ancient blue door in Spain

Studies from ancient building following the Camino in Spain.

Please Vote for this painting.

Stay at home art contest. Please VOTE for this painting.  https://woobox.com/yu7xrf/gallery/oryT0YscByU
Clink on the link above to vote.
  

I am one of the few paintings in this contest.  Most of the entries are photographs.

Daniel Stowe Garden is pleased to announce the Stay-at-Home Spring Art Contest. Check out details at the link below or on the Art Contest tab on our Facebook page and enter for your chance to win tickets to the Chinese Lantern Festival or a one-year gift membership.

https://woobox.com/yu7xrf

Park Memories

"Park Memories"

30" x 40" 

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas

$850

I reworked this painting to give it more color and interest.  I also renamed this painting from "Winter Trees" to "Park Memories".  This park is one of my plein air group"s  favorite places to paint.  January and February we all painted this lake because there is always many views to paint.  I actually flipped this photograph of Col. Beatty Park in Matthews.  I thought it would be fun to look at it from another angle.  The last time we painted together was March 10 at Hunter Farm.  Now painting outdoors with other painters is just a fond memory.  We didn't know that would be our last time together for awhile.  This painting is more meaningful than ever.  This particular painting was painted from a photograph but I had already painted many plein air studies of it.  I hope you enjoy this breath of fresh air.

Blue Skies

"Blue Skies"

8" x 10"

Oil on canvas panel

unframed $125

This is a place that  I have painted often but for a change I painted it in my studio from a photograph.  It was very cozy inside and the last couple of weeks has been full of snow flurries and tornado warnings.  I flipped this photo to change it even more.  When painting outdoors I have a smaller palette to work with and changing weather and light conditions to challenge me.

Afternoon Tete-a-Tete

"Afternoon Tete-a-Tele"

10 x 8

oil on panel

$99

without a frame

At an afternoon luncheon recently, I fell in love with the lighting in this home.  I loved the rim lighting that the large windows created.  The light that reflected on my two friends as well as the tables and floors was inspiring.  I just had to paint this scene while it was still fresh in my mind.

"It's All About the Lines"

"It's All About the Lines"

11" x 14"

$275

SOLD

The last painting I did was commission for a Christmas present.  See the painting on the last blog post.  It was the front view of the former TWA terminal at JFK.  Now the TWA landmark has been remodeled it former glory but with a new purpose.  The terminal is now the lobby for the TWA Hotel which open in May, 2019.  This is the back view of the hotel with the wing on the Lockheed Constellation.  This has been made into a bar.  Lots of fun things going on at this hotel.

"City of Dreams" Oct. 19 7-11

"City of Dreams"

30" x 30"

oil/cold wax/palette knife

gallery wrapped canvas

$750

See this painting for sale at Hart Witzen Gallery 

October 19, 7 - 11 pm

136 E 36th St, Charlotte, NC 28206

I'm posting this painting again because my husband got a new phone and the camera is so much better than mine.  I also changed the name to City of Dreams.  It's whatever city your think it is.  I had one in mind when I painted it.

Alecia's Green Boat

Another Green Boat painting.  This one was a commission from my friend Alecia.  I name it "Alecia's Green Boat" because she has like this painting since she first saw it hanging on my wall.  I have sold "Memories of a Green Boat" 30" x 40", "Vintage Green Boat"  24" x 30", and now "Alecia's Green Boat" 30" x 40".  All originals and all slightly different.  I hope you enjoy the video.

Nearing Twilight

"Nearing Twilight"

18" x 36"

Oil on wrapped canvas

On the way to get ice cream in Cape Cod on vacation this summer, I stopped and took this photo at twilight.  The boats were half in the sun and half in the shade.  This beautiful little port is Harwich Port. 

Demo of painting Sunflowers

"Facing the Sun"

24" x 24"

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas

I hope you enjoy this video of my latest painting and progress.  I may have a few more finishing touches but I would like to study it for awhile.  These are sunflowers from Renfrow Farms in Matthews.  It was to hot to paint the sunflowers in the sun so I painted flowers and trees in the shade.  

Two Blue Herons

I had a request to paint another Blue Heron.  The first one went to Germany and the second one will go to Cape Cod.  I had to paint from a photograph of the painting so they are both very different.  The top one is a total side view where the other is slightly turned.  Which one to you like?

Blue Heron #2

30" x 30"

Oil on wrapped canvas

Palette Knife

Blue Heron #1

36 x 36

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas

Palette Knife

Green Boat Memories

Green Boat Memories

30" x 40"

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas
$600

I mentioned this boat in another blog post.  My sister-in-law and I had fun untying this boat and positioning it so I could draw it and take photos of it.  It was very funny to see and what a challenge.

Calm Water

"Calm Water"

8" x 10"

Oil

For Sale at Matthews Alive

McDowell Art Center

123 W. McDowell St., Matthews

At the beginning of August, I was on vacation with my husband in  Glacier National Park for some breathtaking hiking and views.  Then a large family reunion in Kimberley, BC, a mere 160 relatives.  After that a smaller family reunion at Heffley Lake near Kamloops, BC.  My sister-in-law and I have a fondness for the green boar above.  The old worn out boat looked beautiful to me but it was a little bit stuck under the  dock to get a good photo of it.  My sister-in-law and I decided to move the boat out so I could draw it and take many photos of it.  Of course, as I was unhooking what I thought was the boat, I really unhooked the dock.  After much laughting and pulling the boat around, I waded into the water to reattach the dock.  There were also a couple of other boats to go around to get our subject into just the right place to be photographed.

Above is the first of a series of boats that I'm going to paint from that adventure in Canada.

"McAlpine Meadow"

"McAlpine Meadow"

8" x 10"

oil on canvas

plein air

It was a beautiful spring day in Charlotte today.  I went to McAlpine Creek with my plein air friends to paint this morning.  Not much color but green today so all of us tried to do something different with the greens that we saw.  I added lots of other color to my greens.  This maybe purchase on Daily Paintworks, starting tomorrow.

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/carol-pighin-5435/artwork

Country Walk

"Country Walk"

30" x 30"

oil on gallery wrapped canvas

This inspiration for this painting came from a photo I took while walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.  The views along the way were gorgeous.  We walked through countrysides, vineyards, villages centuries old. and thriving cities. 

Day 30 and Day 61 "Last Blossoms"

"Last Blossoms"

8" x 8"

oil on canvas panel

I thought it was appropriate as the last blossoms of the tulip trees fall, I finished my last painting of these two challenges.  The first one was for 31 days with Strada Easel and second one was 30 days of painting with Leslie Saeta.

That makes 61 days of painting.  I feel like I have learned so much and love my new studio where it is a joy to paint in everyday.  

Day 28 "Big Eyes"

Day 28

"Big Eyes"

8" x 8"

oil on canvas panel

I painted at a farm yesterday and painted a tractor while I was there.  I took several photos of this sweet calf.  She was young and a little scruffy but had beautiful markings around her eyes.  She reminded me of Liza Minnelli"s eyes especially in "Cabaret".

Day 27 "Red Tractor"

Day 27

"Red Tractor"

8" x 8"

oil on canvas panel

Today was a beautiful day to plein air paint.  We visited Hunter Farm with so many choices of what to paint.  I painted this working tractor while listening to the goats and roosters near by.  Tomorrow I may attempt to paint the sweet young calves that were in the barn.

Day 25 "Purple Barn"

Day 25

30 paintings in 30 days with Leslie Saeta

I also did 31 out 31 days paintings with Strada Easel

Altogether this is Day 56.

I'm very excited to paint everyday.  A few days when I couldn't paint, I would do two the next day.  This purple barn is the last of my barn series.  I have five more days to paint.  These have all been small pieces. The more successful paintings, I will make into larger one.  Let me know what one of these small paintings that you would like to see larger.  I have two 30" by 30" canvases ready to go.