Karen F Rose My Painting Journey

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Safe Harbor

Safe Harbor
© Karen F. Rose
oil on canvas
6x6"
available

This painting is a memory of my visit to the beautiful and historic town of Essex, CT this summer. I walked down to the Connecticut River to see sailboats moored not far from the docks.
Hoping you were in a safe harbor this weekend as hurricane Irene made her way up the coast, disrupted life for many, knocking out power for thousands.
 I have a tip for your hurricane preparedness. There are converters you can purchase for your car (which of course you filled up with gas before the storm) that will recharge your cell phone, camera battery or laptop. It has a usb port and an ac outlet. 
Believe me when your electricity goes out and may be out for days, you will be happy you can go to your car and recharge. 
Here's a link to one available at Best Buy

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Oak Hammock Art Presentation

Earlier this year I gave a presentation to the Oak Hammock Art Group. One of the subjects I talked about was exercises. We all gotta love 'em. They are good for our health. Push ups, sit ups, arm curls..ooh I am beginning to sound like a 2 AM infomercial. And truthfully I did not talk about those kind of exercises but rather art exercises.
As an artist, you often squint and look as light cascades across the surface of an object. You see a beautiful color. You ask yourself, just what color is that? So how can you fine tune and develop your "color sense"?

Larry Moore, an artist whose work I admire, gave out a painting exercise during one of his workshops and this is the art exercise tip I shared with the group at Oak Hammock. You might want to flex your painting muscles and give it a try.
Go to Lowes, Home Depot or your favorite paint store and pick up a dozen free paint chip samples. Pick out a few samples (no pain, no gain) and try to match the colors in that sample using just red, yellow, blue and white paint.

Pick a Paint Chip Sample
You really have to study the sample...is it warmer or cooler than what you are mixing on your palette, or perhaps lighter in value...you get the idea.
I smiled when I left the paint store the other day with a handful of green, brown, blue, mauve and orange colors "exercise" samples.
The clerk said to me,  "Wow, that must be some room you are painting"!

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Karen F Rose Paintings from QR Code to Your Phone

QR Code for my website
www.karenfrose.com

So what are these little square all about? Wondering if I have I become an abstract painter? Well those of you who know me, know I love innovation and advances in technology.
You may have seen these little boxes with strange patterns in magazines, newspapers and print ads.
QR Code for Karen F. Rose Daily Paintworks Gallery


They are QR codes. Simply a fast and easy way for you to find an internet site by using you cell phone.

Just download a FREE QR Reader app for your phone. If you have an iphone, go to the I Tunes app store and download the free QR Reader. If you have a blackberry or android just download the QR reader for your make of phone.
Once you have downloaded the reader, just hold your phone steadily over a QR code for 2-3 seconds you will be directed to the web site. No more typing or misspelling the url address!
Go ahead and give it a try.
Click on your QR reader program, place your phone over the image on the screen so it can be read and voila see what happens! Pretty amazing huh?

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Twilight Companions


Twilight Companions
© 2011 Karen F. Rose
oil on linen canvas

Large oak trees are symbolic of strength and perseverance for me. They survive strong gusts and storms and give relief to those creatures who huddle under their strong outreaching arms.
When I pass by this group of trees at twilight, I often think of dear friends whose character is much like that of an oak - in the face of life's troubles, they weather life's winds of change. And with the breaking new day, they are there, steadfast to greet the new day with hope and resolve. 
What an inspiration. 



Sunday, August 14, 2011

This Week's Daily Paintworks Auction Painting

Above It All
© Karen F. Rose
oil on canvas
6x6"
Available through Daily Paintworks Auction
I am excited to announce I am now a member of Daily Paintworks.  To view my auction --> Daily Paintworks Auction Site

Above It All will be auctioned on my site and part of the proceeds of the sale of the painting will be donated to the Putnam Land Conservancy, a non profit land trust dedicated to preserving and protecting important natural areas in Putnam and surrounding Florida counties.

A new painting for your home or office or as a gift for a special someone and a donation to the Putnam Land Conservancy. Now that's a great gifting idea.
Thank you.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Painting Donation to the August 27, Putnam Land Conservancy Fundraiser

Firefly Nocturne
© 2011 Karen F. Rose
oil on canvas
6x6"
"Nothing is as fleeting as summer, except childhood."
What are your fond memories of long summer nights when you were growing up?
In our little town after dinner, the neighborhood children would gather with mason jars in hand to catch fireflies in someone's yard. Yes, back then we did play outdoors.
If you caught enough fireflies you would poke holes in the lid of your jar and keep it by your bedside. That lime green light would glow well into the night. I don't want to say what the boys would do with their catch! Let's just say glowing Indian war paint was their objective.

This memory painting will be available at the Putnam Land Conservancy Fundraiser and Art Auction, Sat. August 27 from 6 to 10 pm at Melrose Bay Art Gallery and Bellamy Road Fine Arts in Melrose, FL. A portion of the sale of the painting will be donated to the Conservancy. Thank you for supporting this worthy cause.
I'd also love to hear one of your childhood summer memories!


Friday, August 5, 2011

Framing an Oil Painting


Cameilia Still Life
© 2011 Karen F. Rose
oil on canvas
11x14"
Camellia Still Life
© Karen F. Rose
oil on canvas
11x14"
available
How would you frame my Camellia Still Life painting? I chose this gold washed closed corner traditional wooden frame which I think is appropriate for the style and subject manner of the painting.

But speaking of frames..the reopening of the New American Wing Galleries for Painting, Sculpture and the Decorative Arts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City now scheduled for January 12, 2012 will highlight a spectacular American oil painting and its glorious new frame.

As a centerpiece will be one of the best known paintings in American art, the painting by Emanuel Leutze, Washington Crossing the Delaware.  A new stately frame for this historically significant painting was painstakingly created by the Eli Wilner & Company.
Trust me you will be interested to click  HERE to see a fascinating CBS Sunday Morning video story and interview with Eli Wilner about the painting and the craftsmen that have hand carved the spectacular 12 x 21 foot gold gilded frame for the painting.




Monday, August 1, 2011

Paynes Prairie Moon, oil painting


Paynes Prairie Moonrise Study

© 2011 Karen F. Rose
oil on canvas
8x10"
available
In March of this year a spectacular perigee full moon was scheduled to make its "rise". The best place to watch this for me was near Paynes Prarie just south of Gainesville, a large flat environmentally protected state preserve with large stands of grasses but few trees to block the panoramic view of the horizon.
About 200 of us waited, hoping for continued good weather so we might not miss this special moment.

This moonrise was the largest in about 20 years and might not happen with this brilliance again in my lifetime. This magnificent moon did not disappoint us. The large crowd gathered and as the moon rose,  there were a few oohs and ahhs, not like those for a 4th of July fireworks, but in hushed tones with reverence for this display by mother nature.

This oil painting is a study I will work into a larger painting.