"Quietude"

"Quietude"  Mixed Media (18" x 24"),  C. Eastwood © 2017

Quietude -- the state of being quiet; tranquillity; calmness; stillness; quiet.

Sometimes you design a painting with a specific message or theme from the beginning sketches.  And other times there is a painting hidden within, waiting to be discovered.  You might be surprised to know that there are actually about 15 layers to this particular painting.  And it took all 15 before she was ready to make herself known.

Molly

"Molly"  (Watercolor  8"x10")  C. Eastwood, ©2016

I am so grateful to a friend's niece who gave me permission to use this photo she had taken.  Molly is a lovely young woman whose smile just radiates the joy and loveliness within.

Daisy Dear

"Daisy Dear"  (Watercolor --  6.5" x 8.5"),  C. Eastwood © 2016

It's that time of year again for the annual Daisy Miracle Benefit and once again I am donating a painting to the cause.  This one isn't very large.  Sometimes I like to change it up so that someone can still enjoy an original painting that tucks nicely into a smaller space.  I hope that it finds a good home and brings someone much joy.

Afternoon Delight

"Afternoon Delight"  (Watercolor -- 8x10) © C. Eastwood, 2016

"Afternoon Delight" was a commissioned piece for a surprise anniversary gift.  I went back to a more traditional approach for this one, raiding my stash of old antique tea and coffee pots and selecting some rather lovely looking fruit to put together a still life.  What could be more refreshing in the afternoon than a cup of tea and some cherries or pears?  Possibly even a tangerine.

I am delighted to say that the surprise factor was a success and the new painting went off this afternoon to live at its new home. I love participating in this kind of thing.  It's really fun to see the joy on the faces of both the giver and the recipient.  Yay!!!

"Mau Loa" (Forever)

"Mau Loa" (Forever)  (Watercolor, 8" x 10")  © C. Eastwood 2016

"Mau Loa" (which means "forever") was a commissioned piece that took almost forever to actually paint.  I was humming right along with the painting when life was diverted down another track due to a leak under the slab of our house.  In my haste to pack everything up so that work could be done to repair the damage, I neglected to hold out any of my painting supplies or work-in-progress.  While frustrated, there wasn't a thing I could do about it because it was one of a vast number of boxes stacked with furniture into a three-dimensional puzzle of a mountain covered by tarps filling our garage.  Little did I dream that it would be almost three months later before I would be able to pick the work back up and complete it.

I was in the midst of trying some new techniques, which had just really started to fall into place, when the hiatus hit.  So incredibly frustrating and, once everything was unpacked again, frightening. What if I couldn't remember what I was doing???  What if I'd forgotten how to paint???  What if I ruined what I'd already done???  It's amazing the places your head can go and the level of anxiety those trips can produce.

One of the new techniques was to have escaped edges (my terminology) where part of the images escape the edges of the the boundary created by the painting.  I'm sure there's a proper term for this -- I just don't happen to know what it is, nor am I curious enough to research it.  I'm happy with the results and will probably do this again on some future paintings when the subject matter lends itself to this technique.

But I'm happy to report that I was able to complete the work and it is already off to it's new home.

Time to start a new painting!

Speak No Evil

"Speak No Evil"  (Acrylic Mixed Media, 12" x 12")  C. Eastwood, © 2015

For some time now, I've been increasingly dismayed (which might not be a strong enough word) at the level of vitriol we hear from our leaders, at the bullying we hear expressed on social media, and at the general loss of kindness in our dealings with one another.  And maybe that's why I've been so taken this week with the coverage of Pope Francis' visit to the United States.  For the last four days, we've been treated to stories centering around images of joy, acts of kindness, and people behaving well.  Whether or not you are a Catholic, there is something about this man of God -- and I believe it starts with love. He's urged us to be better versions of ourselves, and that is what's behind this painting -- Speak No Evil.

Small words, once uttered, are out there, and they grow.  As the painting came into being, and the face emerged, I realized there was no mouth -- thereby giving this painting its name.

So I offer this to you.  I hope you enjoy it.

A Rose is a Rose

"A Rose is a Rose"  (Watercolor, 8"x10")  C. Eastwood, © 2015

So I've joined this watercolor painting group on Facebook that issues a challenge each month.  I haven't been painting in watercolor recently and had decided that the next painting I did would be in that medium before I forgot how to use it.  I don't paint a lot of flowers, and I don't believe I've painted roses before (if I have it's been so long that I've forgotten about them), so this was a challenge on several levels.  My initial reaction was to wait for next month, but then I heard the sound of clucking in my head and realized I was exhibiting definite "chicken" tendencies.  So it is, with a nod to Shakespeare for the title.

....And here it is...matted, framed, and at it's new home.  It's always fun to see the work when someone has purchased it and found a place for it in their hearts!