Mary's Garden

Mary's Garden

10" x 8"

This garden had so many beautiful things to paint it was hard to pick just one spot.

New Exhibit

The Guild of Charlotte Artists 

Small Works Show 2020

The Lobby of Novant Hospital in Matthews

February 2 to 29

contact me to purchase:  704-560-3261

"Blue Tractor"  Plein Air

8" x 10"

oil on panel 

Framed

$150

"The Colors of Sprint"

6"x 6"

Oil 

Framed

$150

"Afternoon Tete-a-Tete"

10" x 8"

oil

Framed

$150

Plein Air at Col. Beatty Park

"Shimmering Lake"

10" x 8"

oil on canvas panel

Before the heat became unbearable, the Plein Airies had a nice morning to paint outside.  There was a breeze coming of the Col. Beatty Park Lake.  After two hours of painting then we went to lunch at Mario's which is just down the street.

Art in the Garden weekend

Garden Beauty 10" x 8"

Spring Marsh 8" x 8"

Twelve artists painted in six gardens last weekend.  The gardens were beautiful and the weather glorious.  It was such a busy weekend that I forgot to take photos of all my plein air  paintings that I sold.  The photo at the bottom is the area I painted as a 9" x 12" and sold to the owner of the garden.

                          

Through the Fence

It was a beautiful day at Hunter Farms in Weddington. There were five or six school buses full of children to see Hazel the cow and go for a hay ride.  My small plein air painting group decided to stay out of the way of all the children's activities.  We learned to paint something we really couldn't see.  It was warm weather and a great day to experiment. 

Good Gulf Gas

Plein air painting at Mint Hill Historical Society location with Mary, Shirley, and Ken Karlic.  What a treat to paint outside with a master watercolorest.  I tried to thin my oils to make washes like it was a watercolor.  It was a great day even though we were freezing but we stayed for about five hours.

Ken Karlic's beautiful and detailed drawing of Good Gulf Gas pump.

Autumn has arrived

A beautiful morning at Col. Beatty Park.  The colors have popped since last week.  It's always a pleasure to paint there with people walking, fishing and painting.  Today the K-9 unit was there training a beautiful hound-dog to follow a scent.  His reward was a cookie at the end of the trail.

Day 8 "Cypress Trees"

Day 8 of 30 paintings in 30 days

This is the second challenge for me so it is 39 days so far.  I try to paint a day or two ahead so if I have a busy day, I can relax about this challenge.  I painted this plein air at our local shopping center that has a duck pond.  I turned 90 degrees from the pond and saw this building and trees that definitely had a Tuscan feel to me.  

"Autumn Days" sold

"Autumn Days"

8" x 10"

oil on canvas panel

plein air

SOLD

So excited that two of my plein air paintings from Hunter Farm have sold.  I painted this on a beautiful autumn day last month.  The children were out on a field trip running around and taking photos in front  of the wagon I painted.  Maybe you can still feel that energy in the painting. 

Caladiums

"Caladiums"

10" x 8"

oil on canvas panel

SOLD

After a beautiful morning of painting in the Duke Mansion gardens, I sold this painting right off the easel.  One of the Duke Mansion guests bought this painting after watching the plein air painters turn a blank canvas into a piece of art.

Thank you!

John's Garden

Our Tuesday plein air group met at a private garden last week to paint.  The garden was beautiful and the weather sunny and warm.  I added a few touches to the painting yesterday to bring out the colors of the garden.

Where Dreams are Made

"Where Dreams are Made"

10" x 8"

oil on canvas

$95

This was a plein air painting day at McGill's Rose Garden.  Volunteers work in this garden keeping the roses beautiful by deadheading and watering.  Art classes are taught here where adults with special needs can develop their own style.  The beauty here calms the restless soul and inspires the best in ourselves .

Mint Garden Club "Art in the Garden Tour"

These two paintings and more will be for sale at  the "Art in the Garden Tour".  Visit me tomorrow from 10 to 4 at 1508 Dilworth Road.  Photo below of the Dilworth garden.  It is one of eight gardens on the tour.  I will be there  also on Sunday  from 1 pm to 3 pm.  See you at the reception at 4:00 pm on Sunday when 16 artists will be selling their artwork.   Mint Museum on Randolph.

"Three Vases"

Three Vases

oil on canvas

This 10" x 8" painting will be for sell at the garden tour on Saturday and Sunday.

CHARLOTTE GARDEN CLUB

Enjoy the splendor of a southern spring during the Charlotte Garden Club’s Art in the Garden tour of eight area gardens. Artists will paint “en plein air,” capturing on canvas the serene beauty of the gardens.

Following two days of relaxed garden strolling, the tour concludes with a celebratory party and plein air art show on Sunday afternoon at Mint Museum Randolph (casual attire).

SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 23: 10am - 4 pm
Sunday, April 24, 1 - 4 pm | Mint after-party, 4 - 6 pm

TICKETS
IN ADVANCE: $15 Mint & Garden Club members / $20 non-members
ON TOUR DAYS: $20 Mint & Garden Club members / $25 non-members
Price includes the Sunday party and plein air art display.

Country Barn

"Country Barn"

8" x 10"

oil on canvas panel

Our plein air group met at Hunters Farm yesterday.  Not a big group so I ended up painting alone.  I painted a little faster to get home where it was warm.  It was so cool that my paints were stiff.  I realized I needed a little medium to help the paint glide across the canvas.  I added the fence this morning in my studio.

"River-walk"

"River-walk"

10" x 8"

Oil on canvas panel

For sale on Daily Paintworks

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

The river-walk is a 2 1/2 miles walk along the Catawba Rive in Rock Hill, South Carolina.  Our painting group was small yesterday.  We started out early to avoid getting the heat of the day.  People stopped by to see what we were painting and ask questions about our painting group.  Next week we will be back in Charlotte for our Tuesday paint out.

Day 27 " Cane Creek Park"

Day 27 ~ 30 paintings in 30 days

"Cane Creek Park"

Oil on canvas panel

8" x 8"

The high was 48 degrees today but the "Plein Air Buds"  still met for our Tuesday paint out.  However, the sun was out and it was a nice day to paint with other artists.  I'm seeing parts of North Carolina and South Carolina that I wouldn't have seen if it wasn't the the "Buds"

Day 20 " Log House"

Day 20 ~ 30 paintings in 30 days

"Log House"

8" x 6"

Oil on canvas panel

I started out a little grumpy this morning until I met with my "Plein Air Buds".  We  traveled to Landsford Canal State Park for today's paint out.  The day was beautiful and the park was on the Catawba River.  Some painted the river with it's  sparkling waters and I painted a portion on this historic log house.  It is wonderful to paint with other artists.