Bluebird on Post

Bluebird on Post / Oil on black canvas / 5x7 unframed / $68 includes shipping

sold!

I LOVE TIE-DYE. I always have, though up until a few years ago, I hadn't worn it in decades. But I had a couple pieces, and after I saw Peter wearing interesting combinations of prints and colors, I decided to start wearing my tie-dye pieces again.

Not only did I not worry if I had an interesting pattern on the top and a different interesting pattern on the bottom, I began seeking different interesting patterns - what a friend's mother used to call "fancies." One fancy was fine, she would tell him, but two fancies were a no-no. Whenever possible, I go for three fancies. Or more! 

A few years ago, I found a maker of wonderful tops - Cranky Girl Tie Dye (https://www.etsy.com/shop/CrankyGirlTieDye). I have bought Ts and sweatshirts from her for years. Peter was cremated in one of my Cranky Girl sweatshirts. He loved it when I wore that sweatshirt, and he coveted it, so it seemed right to send it with him. 

Late last year, I realized that I could get tie-dye pants, if I hunted for them. And I did have to hunt, but I found a marvelous maker! Her name is Carmen, and she is also on Etsy, at Ogeechee River Tie Dye (https://www.etsy.com/shop/ogeecheerivertiedye/) 

In the photo of Doc and me by the Dogfish sign, which I believe I posted recently, I am wearing Ogeechee River Tie Dye pants and a Cranky Girl tie-dye top. And my jacket makes a third fancy! 

The bluebird in the painting comes from a photo that Carmen took in her backyard! 

***

For Today

"The world cares very little about what a man or woman knows; 

it is what a man or woman is able to do that counts." 

- Booker T. Washington

The Earth Laughs in Flowers

The Earth Laughs in Flowers

Oil on black canvas, with gold leaf, 40x40

Please email me for price and availability

One of the joys of leaving newspapers is that I am no longer required to be emotionally involved in the news of the day. I can choose to let it have a deep impact on my life, or to let the events of the day touch me and then dissipate. Most days now, this is what I do. It's what I must do, I find, if I am to remain sane and whole and devoted to finding the joy in my world and making art that captures that joy and passes it along.  

Today, I watched the news of the bombing in Brussels, and I listened to candidates for the presidency try to make hay from the events. I thought about the lives lost and the incredible, seemingly unstoppable violence, all in the name of God. 

And then I turned the television off, and I played with the puppies. I rejoiced in the warmth of a spring morning and the deep, simple pleasure of the first cup of coffee of the day. I thanked my God, a God who - in my understanding - doesn't want war or strife, for the many gifts I have, for my family and friends and this simple life. I turned away from the violence and the hate and focused on love and the light. While this might be simplistic, while it might be superficial, it is what I can do, and for that, I am thankful. 

***

Dog of the Day

Ruth's dog Patsy died suddenly last fall. When Ruth and Tim were in Tucson this winter, 

they found Lucy, on the left, and adopted her. Vinny, right, seems pretty happy 

with the change, and Ruth and Tim are happy, too. 

***

A Final Thought

"To create one's own world takes courage." 

- Georgia O'Keeffe

The Red Bandana

"The Red Bandana, "36x36

Oil on black canvas with gold leaf

Please click here to contact me about price and availability

I'm hoping people love these Pony Express painting, and that they buy them, because I'm loving painting them. I'm enjoying experimenting with perspective a little, bringing the horse to the front, putting the cowboy to the back a little, and stretching him by making his head smaller than it might be. Peter's not crazy about the gold leaf, and is worried that I might use it too much - but I am enjoying it, and hoping that I will know when enough is enough. 

***

AS I WRITE this, the puppies are curled up together at my feet. Lulu is actually resting ON my foot, and Doc is curled up with her, licking her ear. I admit, I was not completely sure about adopting not one, but TWO more dogs. But I'm so very happy that we did. These two really, truly need each other. They sleep on each other, play with each other, watch each other - and clearly, learn from each other. 

***

My dad is Donald Cooper... I stopped to take the photo of the Serva-Teria 

and noticed that across the street was Cooper Tires! 

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Dog of the Day 

This guy was snoozing in the sun in Tubac.

***

A Final Thought

"Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing." 

- Salvador Dali

Time Stands Still

Time Stands Still

Oil on canvas, 10x10, $125

Please click here to email me if you're interested in this painting

Sorry for the delay! The show here in Tubac lasted for five days, and it's always hard, if not impossible, to post during a show. Then I got a terrible, stupidity-inducing head cold. THEN I fell down a step and twisted my knee so badly I couldn't put weight on it.                                                                                       I've been lolling around, knee elevated, for days on end, and finally, this morning, I was able to gimp around a little bit without leaning on furniture or a cane.                                                                                                   So I am still in Tubac, at Dad and Paula's house, and there's a lot to be said for an enforced vacation and a long stretch with D&P. Yet I am eager to get home, to see Peter and the wolves (dogs), my friends in Wachapreague (Hi, Pat! Hi, Carol!) and to start painting again. But first I have to be able to walk to the van, and then to get up in it. 

The show was pretty good! I saw lots of people I know, met many new folks, sold a few paintings and had fun. My friend Cynthia Battista (she's an amazing jeweler - click here to check her stuff out at her Old Stone Studio page) was right beside me, and new friend Brenda Peo (see her wonderful animal paintings and more, by clicking here) was right up the road from us, as was photographer Rick Sprain (check out his stunning images by clicking here). Last year, Rick was right beside Cynthia and me, and we missed him this year, as he was around the corner. 

No telling whether I'll be back to Tubac next year, as there are big goings-on set to take place in the winter of 2017. I'll tell you more soon... 

***

Scenes from the Road

Here's Dad and Paula's house in Tubac, where I'm currently resting my poor hurt knee. 

Saw some cool cars at a car show in Tubac! 

The gem show in Tucson has all sorts of stuff - yes, gems and minerals and fossils, like the giant ammonite below, which must have been 18 inches across. There's also just cool stuff, like fabric, key rings, drones and scarves, above.

***

Dog of the Day

He was in Tubac, and he was Not Happy that I was daring 

to walk past in the road, stare at him and yes, laugh a little. 

Free Already

Free Already

Oil on black canvas, 16x16, $385

Please click here to email me for availability and shipping info

 I was taking a detail photo for a person who is contemplating buying "Leonine Dreams," and it occurred to me that the detail I'd photographed - the eyes, part of the ear and some of the sheep's coat - would make a fantastic painting. 

And so I gave it a try. I love the abstract quality of this piece, the shadow on the eye, the free flow of colors and paint, the heavy surface. 

It's not the first time that a part of a piece has presented itself as a whole piece, and it got me thinking that maybe people are like that, too. And when you find someone you love - a partner, lover or friend - it could be because the part you saw first truly echoes the whole that follows. It's a thought, at least. 

*** 

Deli meat for that oh-so-tiny, 1-pound family. Sigh. 

***

Dog of the Day

Three Shelties, behaving well, as always. Saw these three in Omaha last summer. 

Want your pet to be Dog of the Day? Send a jpg to me at carrieBjacobson@gmail.com

***

A Final Thought

"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art."

- Andy Warhol

Leonine Dreams

Leonine Dreams

Oil on black canvas, 36x48

Please click here to contact me for price and availability

In just about two weeks, weather permitting, I'm going to head west! 

First stop (and here's where the weather comes into play) is St. Louis, MO. In my ongoing efforts to improve, I've entered my art to be judged by a mock jury. 

The shows in which I participate are all juried shows, meaning that artists send in 3-5 images of their work, and a picture of their booth, to be judged - juried - by a panel. The ones who score above a certain level are accepted, and the others are rejected. In some of the shows, the rejections are eight or 10 times the acceptances. So, 2,000 artists apply; the show accepts 160, and 10 of them probably have been invited back. 

While every show is a gamble, the "best" shows are generally the ones with histories of solid sales. This also means good attendance, strong marketing, thoughtful organization and, ideally, generally fair weather. Of course, everyone wants to get into them. 

I'm grateful to have been accepted into a handful of the top 15 shows in the country - but generally, I've not been accepted into the top 10 shows. And I want to be. If it's that my work isn't strong enough, I want to know how to improve. If my booth isn't enticing enough, I want to know how to make it better. If my photos aren't good enough, I need to know that, too. 

It's scary to go into a situation like this, especially if you have little or no formal training. But I'm going to do it. The responses to my art will be delivered in public, with me and other artists sitting in the room. I am going to listen hard, take to heart what they say, but remember that my painting is my painting, and that people - regular people, not sitting on a jury - respond to it, love it and buy it. 

***

Living, Breathing, Healthy Dogs of the Day 

The lightbulb-eating incident ended happily for everyone involved. Abby, left, and Koko survived their stupidity. I didn't murder them, either. Here they are, happy to come in and get cookies - and maybe look for more yummy stuff to ingest. 

***

A Final Thought

"I paint for myself. I don't know how to do anything else, anyway. 

Also I have to earn my living, and occupy myself." 

- Francis Bacon

Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum

Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum

Oil on black canvas, 36x60

Please click here to email me for information on price and shipping/delivery

I said I was going to paint bigger and bolder, and so I'm pleased to show you this new one! It's hard to get a feel for it on the computer here, but it's five feet across and three feet deep, so you can see how big the images of the cows are.

You might not be able to see very clearly in this photo, but there's a little house and red barn in the saddle of the hill under the mountain in the far distance. That helps give a little perspective, I think. Also, the sky on this one is really wonderfully rich and thick and swirly!

***

For a few years now, a friend and I have exchanged photos of the sky nearly every day. It's a project I've grown to love. I really look forward to receiving her sky photos, and to taking a photo myself that says something. This was my photo from Jan. 1. I took it through the new window in my studio. It was about the 1,000th gray day in a row (well, that's what it felt like), and honestly, I hadn't taken pix for a few days. There's only so much you can do with unrelenting gray. The paperweight belonged to my mom, and reminds me of a crystal ball. 

***

Dog of the Day

I met this guy at the SoNoArt show this summer; he's the dog of a nice couple 

who collect my art. Can't remember his name, but he was a great guy! 

***

A Final Thought

"Have no fear of perfection. You'll never reach it."

- Salvador Dali

Good Day Sunshine

Good Day Sunshine

Oil on black canvas, 30x40

Please click here to email me for price and availability

Earlier in the year, I came to the conclusion that I must - must! - make paintings that are bolder, brighter, and even bigger than I've been making. And so, I am on my way. 

When you visit my tent this summer, you'll see fewer paintings on the walls. The colors will be more vivid. The images will be larger. 

 I'm going to concentrate on canvases that are 40x40, 40x60 and 20x60. I will have some 10x10s, and I believe I will have a small bin of paintings on panels and perhaps on paper, or canvas paper. But that's it. 

I will have to get my thick skin on, and be ready and willing to sit there and wait for the buyers to come along. There will be shows when I sell nothing. But that's OK. There are always shows where I sell nothing. My point in this will be to sell bigger paintings for bigger prices, and to stand out from the rest of the people at the shows. 

When I make smaller pieces - and I'm sure I will - they'll be available from me on line, and in some of my galleries. And I will always be happy to make smaller pieces on commission. 

So what do you think? Good idea? Bad one? Am I shooting myself in the foot? I'm interested in any and all feedback. 

***

The other day, it was warm enough, even late in the afternoon, to hang laundry on the line. I did have to put it in the dryer for a few moments, but if it had had 30 more minutes on the line, it would have dried! Amazing. 

***

Dog of the Day 

It's Koko, sitting pretty in the studio. Most days, she's still too much of a puppy to be a good studio dog. But every now and then, she has a spell of calmness and sits or sleeps out there. 

***

A Final Thought

"There is no 'must' in art, because art is free." 

-Wassily Kandinsky

Ashton

Ashton

Gouache and oil on canvas, 12x12

I was a bit disheartened after my portraits of Emmett and JJ - not truly disheartened, but a little, but determined to push on - and then I made this painting of Ashton, and it changed everything. I love this painting! It looks a lot like Ash - maybe an older version of Ash, but a distinct version of him. 

Making this piece taught me a lot. Hair makes a big difference. The nose is a good place to start - it's where I start in dogs and cats, so why not in humans? The shadows on his face in the photo I had were harsh and deep, and I was worried about them, but they make this painting. 

For a while, I had a sign posted on my computer that said, "Carrie, Paint the Light." It was a reminder not to paint THINGS, but to paint light, and shadow, and how light and shadow define things.  That very Big Lesson came back to me with this painting. 

***

At my site on Fine Art America, you can have my paintings printed onto all sorts of things. You can get actual prints, on paper or metal or acrylic block or canvas. You can get my paintings on pillows, iPhone covers, duvet covers, tote bags (these are really great) - and also on shower curtains. 

During the summer, I stay with my brother and his family often, when I'm doing shows or delivering paintings or visiting in New England. They live in Hartford, which is pretty central, and they have a nice bedroom for me. They take me in, they feed me, they put up with me, share their house and life with me. I know he's my brother, but still, it's a lot. I wanted to thank them, so I had a shower curtain made of a painting I'd made of their daughter and one of their dogs. 

The shower curtain is great - but their bathroom is very narrow, so narrow that there really was no place to step back and look at the painting, as huge as it is. So Rand had a great idea - to put it on Larkin's tree house. Doesn't it look great?

***

Dog of the Day

Saw this giant at the SoNo Arts Festival this summer in South Norwalk, CT. 

Happily for everyone, he was very friendly. 

Want your pet to be the Dog of the Day? Send a jpg to me at carrieBjacobson@gmail.com

***

A Final Thought

"Poor is the pupil who does not surpass his master." 

- Leonardo Da Vinci 

Heart in the Mountains

Heart in the Mountains

Oil on canvas, 16x16

commission

A while back, I received an email from a person who'd stumbled onto my blog on a day when I'd mentioned my blank-canvas paintings, and showed a photo of one of them. She was at a place in her life where the blankness of the canvas called out to her, and she was interested in having one of these in her life.

This was pure delight to me! I love making these paintings, but it's impractical to bring them to shows. They are just too fragile for the loading and unloading, people's dirty fingers, and the miles bumping over American highways in the van. So to sell one on commission, that's just perfect. 

***

 

One of the things I enjoy about living on the Eastern Shore of Virginia is my frequent brushes with incredibly gigantic pieces of farm machinery. I rarely have any idea what these things DO - but I find myself strangely attracted to them. I have no idea why. So, here's one I saw on Route 13 the other day. Isn't it amazing? 

***

Dog of the Day

Woodreau, crashed out after a long day of barking, digging and defending the property. 

***

A Final Thought

"Painting is a means of self-enlightenment."

- John Olsen

Jumping for Joy

 Jumping for Joy

Oil on black canvas, 48x54

Please click here to email me for price and delivery information

Those of you who've been following this blog, and my career, and have supported me and encouraged me over all these years, you know what a departure this painting is.

I've painted pretty straight-on, over the years. Yes, I use wild colors. Yes, I edit landscapes liberally. Yes, I build interesting surfaces that catch the light in inventive ways. But all in all, my paintings have been based in the visible, based in the real.

This painting, and at least one more (almost finished!) find their feet in the land of hope, rather than the land of reality. These pieces have come directly from the people in motion idea, and from the breadth of response that all of us seem to be feeling about the state of the world.

I was going to say, a couple paragraphs earlier, that my paintings have not carried any sort of message to date - but that's really not true. In the face of everything, in the face of all history and all humanity, I do believe in the goodness of people and in the power and fertility of optimism. I think my paintings have expressed that belief, unwaveringly.

And so, to that degree, my paintings have carried a message. It's the same as the message in this one, I think, though this one is certainly more overt.

So what do you think? I'd love to hear your responses to this piece!

***

 I'm the featured artist at the Jack Richardson Gallery this Friday during the Art Walk in Onancock. I think my stuff looks great in his window and up on his smooth gray walls! If you're in the area, please stop by. I'll let you all know how it goes.

***

Dog of the Day 

It's Smokey, our big old bear of a dog. And the one who's chosen him is Koko, who's snuggling with him in the photo above. Smokey is Koko's hero, and it's a well-deserved accolade. In spite of his age, his arthritis and some eye problems, Smokey is optimistic, loving, always enthusiastic. And he is very, very soft.  

***

A Final Thought

"Art is the only way to run away without leaving home." 

-Twyla Tharp

Big Cows - and Riding the Rising Tide of Spring

Big Cows

Oil on canvas, 48x48

sold

 

Another of the unexpected rewards of this life of painting is that I spent a lot of time outdoors. Throughout my decades of working inside office buildings, I thought I had maintained a connection with the natural world - and I had, but now I see how tenuous it was.

These days, I notice when the tips of the winter trees begin to redden with the very first touch of springtime, then turn yellow-green, and then, in what seems like seconds, burst into leaf. I've been out painting in chilly spring mornings when the first summer birds have sun their arrival. The earliest hummingbird landed, bedraggled and hungry, on the feeder outside my studio.

Here, on the Eastern Shore, and south of here, in the Carolinas and Tennessee, the dogwoods have bloomed, shining deep in the forest, and dancing along the edges of the woods. In town, daffodils have come and gone here, except for in the deepest of shadows. Azaleas are in bloom everywhere, ridiculously, piggishly bright, so vivid they seem to suck the light from everything around them.

This morning, I drove in a thin fog to the vet's, bringing a sample from Woodreau, who I hope is not as sick as the vet seems to think he could be. I made my way slowly, along the back roads, and the greening fields seemed to shimmer through the mist. I saw wisteria, hanging in vines in the woods, in front of a long-abandoned house.

The seasons turn in slow procession and these days, they carry me with them.

***

Dog of the Day

This is Scout, who lives in Wachapreague, and walks by the house every day with Bill, a friend and fellow Red Sox fan. The dogs think Scout is the best target for barking EVER.

Running Before the Storm

 Running Before the Storm

Oil on canvas, 36x60

Please click here to email me for price and delivery options

On Tuesday, I head to Florida for the Boca Raton Museum of Art Fine Art Show - and I know it is going to be a fabulous show for me!

Though my first time in Florida was not good, sales-wise, it opened my eyes and my soul to a whole lot of possibilities - and forced me to make changes in attitude and action that already are paying off.

Those first Florida shows prompted me to start working with Prosperity Coach Joe Skelly. They brought me to the idea of my sponsored painting trip, which is coming up in March. They made me examine my mode of transport, and the wisdom of keeping my beloved teeny camper.

And most of all, they made me get even more serious about my success - and vow to have even more fun painting and going to shows.

What felt like a failure at the moment has been transformed into a success, and I am grateful. So off I go to Boca Raton, and the February Florida Success Tour!

***

p.s., there is still time to join the following wonderful sponsors and take part in my "To Tubac and Back" adventure! To read more about it, and join these supportive folks, click here! 

Kathryn Yamartino

Tiffany Williams

Laurie Cooper

Dov Kugelmass

Pat Hart

Blake Wenz

Maggie Platte

Donald & Paula Cooper

Kristen Singh

Linda Fite

Nancy Russell

Sherry Svec

***

This year, my booth will actually have a SIGN! WHEE! 

Ta-da!

Grimlock

Grimlock

Commission

For anyone following the ins and outs of our home sale here in CT, feel free to let up a little cheer - the water test came out A-OK, and so the sale of the house can go through.

I am doubly, triply glad about this, because my water duties this past weekend (running the hose for 10 minutes every hour) meant that, at the very last minute, I had to pull out of the Meet the Artists show in Olde Mystick Village. Again, I apologize to anyone who went to the show looking for me!

This weekend, I'm in a show in South Norwalk, CT, the SoNo Arts Festival. I'm in Booth No. 448.... Don't know where that is, but I imagine the booths will go in numerical order, so I should be findable. This is a new show for me, and I have heard it's excellent!

The following weekend, it's the Mystic Outdoor Art Festival! This is a good, busy time.

Thank you all for following my blog! The 200th follower signed up recently! I could not do this without all of you, and I am grateful to you every day.