Karen F Rose My Painting Journey

Monday, November 28, 2011

Dachshund oil painting

Leo
© Karen F. Rose
oil on canvas
in private collection
I always enjoy painting portraits of dogs. Especially ones I have had the privilege of getting to know.
What a character this guy is!
Leo is a long haired dachshund, with short little legs, the courage of a lion and a look that will melt your heart!


Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Artists as Collectors - Your Walls Their Art

Tending Alice's Garden
archival inkjet print
© 2011 Mary Hatch

What do artist's collect and hang on their own walls? That's the question fellow artist
Nanci Hersh posed on her blog.
As Nanci's "guest blogger" this week, I am sharing one of the artworks hanging on my wall. This digital fine art print, Tending Alice's Garden by was created by my friend, mentor and fabulous figurative painter Mary Hatch.

Hope you will hop on over to Nanci's blog and Mary's website to learn more.
Happy Thanksgiving.


Friday, November 18, 2011

Randy Higbee Gallery 6" Squared Exhibition, Fall 2011

The Randy Higbee Gallery 6" Squared Show, Fall 2011
My three oil paintings, Morning Sentinel, Safe Harbor and Seeking Calm will be for sale through the Randy Higbee Gallery, 102 Kalmus, Costa Mesa, CA from December 3 to the 22, 2011.
The Gala Artist's reception will be on December 3, 2011 from 5 to 9 pm.

I'm honored to be juried into this year's show of exceptional paintings.
Over one thousand paintings were entered and half of those entries were accepted.
Gorgeous paintings by talented artists from all across the country -
Be there and be squared!

Monday, November 14, 2011

The Artist and Her Silent Movie

Press the Play button to view 
my silent movie 
painting a poetic vision in oil and pastel
© 2010 Karen F. Rose

I am very anxious to see the newly released black and white silent film The Artist,
with handsome French actor Jean Dujardin, Beranice Bejo and huggable John Goodman.
You gotta love the old silent films stars. Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, Rudolph Valentino and Mary Pickford acted with so much emotion through their facial expressions and communicated without a single word spoken.
According to last week's segment on Sunday Morning, this new film "The Artist may just be the first silent film to win an Oscar since "Wings" in 1927".

Seeing that clip reminded me that I had my own silent film. Playing with Imovie, about a year ago, I had put together a film of some of my oil and pastel paintings.

My silent film, painting a poetic vision in oil and pastel, includes portraits, landscapes, a still life and figurative works made by "this artist".
This silent film won't be up for any academy awards or Oscars, but does include some paintings that were award winners.
Hope you enjoy it.
So sit back, turn off your cell phone and pass the popcorn please!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

On the Road Again, The Kindness of a French Stranger


Leave the roundabout at the first turning. 

During our trip, we met the most incredible warm and friendly people. 
But my thanks goes out to one man in particular who got us on the road again. 
We had a rental car and of course before we returned it to the train station, we had to gas it up and bring it back with a full tank.
We were at a gas station in Coustelet in Provence, on a Sunday evening with no people in sight. Try as we might we could not get the pump to accept our "plastic" card. 
We decided to return on Monday morning and try again but still no luck.
Getting a little nervous that we might miss our train or worse run out of gas, I asked a gentleman in the car in front of us if he could help. He tried putting the card in upside down, sideways and backwards and still no luck.
He did not speak English, but without hesitation, he motioned to us to "follow him" and he drove us through town to another station that thankfully was open and would take euro.
Now he could have just driven off and not been bothered with tourists, but he took time out of his work day to help total strangers.

Renting a car on a vacation in a foreign country is an adventure no matter where you are, but the kindness of strangers makes the trip even more memorable. 

If you are planning a painting trip to France here are a few tips .

1. Take along a GPS device, it is invaluable to find gas stations, restaurants and places to buy art supplies.

2. Call your credit card company ahead of your trip and tell them you are traveling  overseas so you don't have them deny your card while you are there.

3. Pack light. If you are hopping on and off trains the lighter suitcase the better. Cause you have to be nimble on your feet!

4. Use Rail Europe to purchase you train tickets before your trip. It is an easy site to use and your tickets will be mailed directly to your home before you leave.

5. If you you are renting a car, be sure you know exactly where the rental car station location is. Hopefully you rent from a company that has the drop off location next to the train station.

6. If you use the Paris Metro be sure not to put your tickets near anything magnetic,
like the clasp of a travel purse. They become demagnetized and are useless! Buy a carnet, ten tickets at a time, and save a few euro.

7. Use Trip Advisor to help plan your trip. Get the low down on hotels from people who have stayed there.

8. To and from the the airport book ahead and prepay with Super Shuttle. They meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. You are sharing a van ride but what a great way to meet new friends!

9. If you don't speak the language and you do take a taxi, write down your destination address on a slip of paper and hand it to the taxi driver. Nothing get's lost in translation!

10. If you rent a car and are traveling in the countryside have enough cash to pay for a tank of gas...just in case your credit card doesn't work at the pump!


Any travel tips you would like to share?




Monday, November 7, 2011

Lavender in Provence

Lavender Sketch
© 2011 Karen F. Rose
Provence, think warm glorious sunshine and fields of sunflowers and lush purple lavender.
The lavender was not in bloom when we visited Provence in October, but the air still had a sweetness that well, you just can only imagine.
Just wish I could make one of those scratch and sniff patches to let you smell the aroma right through your computer screen.

And while in the beautiful countryside in Coustellet, Provence you can learn everything you ever wanted to know about lavender at the Musée de la Lavande.  There is an educational tour and a lavender gift shop with all things lavender.
Did you know this about lavender? 
Lavender was used by the Romans in baths and to freshen their linens. Oh those Romans.
It is part of the mint family and putting drops of essential lavender oil on your pillow can aid relaxation and sleep. 



Thursday, November 3, 2011

Memories De Provence

Gathering Light Provence
© 2011 Karen F. Rose
6x6"
Peter Mayle wrote the best selling book A Year in Provence, in which he tells of moving into a 200 year old stone farmhouse in Provence. We had about ten days in the Luberon in Gargas, Gordes, and Avignon.
Incredible food, warm gracious friendly people, ancient buildings, ochre soil and glorious light.
Did I mention the beautiful light?

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

We're Not in Kansas Anymore


My pastel painting We're Not in Kansas Anymore, shown above and mentioned in two previous posts, caught the eye of Pastor Dorothy Saunderes-Perez of the Red Mountain United Methodist Church in Mesa, Arizona. She emailed me, asking permission to use my painting in their church newsletter. I was honored and pleased to share this painting with her congregation. Here is the link to the church's web site http://mesachurchaz.org/home
The November newsletter has her special message and the painting.

Thanks to all who commented on my Paris and Beyond blog posts.
Kathy Cousart is the winner of a little something from France with my special thanks to her for taking the time to read and to write a comment on almost every post!
Thanks Kathy. Check your mailbox!
My trip was so memorable and now that the suitcase is unpacked..time to get back to painting!