It's ALL Good...on the easel....

New Work On the Easel 

"Watching Me...Watching You, Again"

When I get stuck ....as I did last week...no painting, no inspiration, I turn to Emmi

She always comes through for me.

I have a million images of her and she is so alive in my heart.

This painting came forward and presented itself to me,

A gift from my sweetie...maybe it will be offered for sale to help others,

maybe I will keep it...it is all good.

Leo walked into the studio and said..."It's my Emmi"

yes, yes indeed.

***

Yesterday it came together...before I started painting in the morning,  it was a horror.

I hated what I was pushing around on that canvas...then I started to paint.

She appeared and won me over.

***

That is the magic of art...it does not always go in the direction you think it will.

Oh...there are parameters but something dead and mechanical is not my way.

I can't just draw something out and follow it like a plan.

I have to have the alchemy or mystery of what will join me on the canvas. It can't be simply a formula...do this, put that here...it has to have some magic to it.

So Thursday I half heartedly grabbed a canvas ...looked through a bunch of Emmi images to stoke the fire and then I just started in.

Reached the snag...hit the wall...looked at 2 days of painting and thought

"well this looks like crap...it is not speaking to me at all"

Then ...yesterday we turned the corner and there was the magic.

Today?

The Muse came into the studio and I started 6 ...YES, six new pieces. 5 of them I feel will make the grade...1 is iffy. And they are all different.

I am renewed. I am gratified. I feel blessed.

Maybe they will help homeless animals.

We'll see.

It is not, after all, all up to me.

***

Living like I really mean it,

Carol

peace & cheers!

BEAGLES ~ Rescue Effort for 36 puppies!

You Can Help!

TAKE ME HOME

(and other beagle prints now available)

Link:   Lab to Leash ~ Prints to help Puppies

THE PUPPY PROJECT

There is a wonderful effort by

BEAGLE RESCUE LEAGUE, INC

rescuing 36 four month old beagle puppies from

a research lab. 

All the details to make this CHALLENGE a success are in the link below:

http://beaglerescueleague.chipin.com/puppy-project-5000-challenge

You can help by making a donation to help support the rehoming of these pups. They all deserve a chance at a real life with real love and their own families.

ALL my work until the end of the year supports rescue. 100% goes to a rescue no matter if the work is an original oil or a print.

Please consider a print (link above) and all sales will go directly to the challenge listed above. This is a direct to you sale from my site. If you have any questions please just contact me regarding the prints. carolchretien@aol.com to email me.

Go directly to the link to the challenge to donate funds.

The BEAGLE RESCUE LEAGUE main page is also found below
you can follow them on Facebook:

http://www.beaglerescueleague.org/



When the Muse Takes Over...

You never know what will present itself!

DETAIL VIEW

UNTITLED WORK IN PROGRESS

CAROL CHRETIEN

***

Sometimes you struggle. Sometimes you work for what seems like days...

then you have those times every Artist knows where you hold the brushes and 

something else just seems to take over.

After working all day on some detailed paintings that really have to have somewhat accurate angles and such I was about to stop for the day and then much to my surprise ....my hand reach for a canvas and all of a sudden there was a LION staring back at me.

This is what I mean by the Muse just doing her own thing. I had NO intention of painting this Lion today or any day in the near future. I have a bunch of in-progress paintings of Urban Scenes that I am ambitiously working my way through. I have been thinking about paintings with beaches and children playing...

BUT...today this majestic Lion...this King of the Cats decided he needed to appear here.

So there you have it. He is going to be quite wonderful...no thanks to me! 

I am just a cog in the wheel.

I am doing my job by showing up.

***

as with all my work this year...

it will eventually be offered at 100% donation to a rescue when ready to go.

***

you just never know...but isn't it nice to be able to still be surprised?

HA HA!

truly.

It's a New Year!

" Bobby Boo"

detail

a Christmas commission 2010

~~~~

Wishing everyone a wonderful NEW YEAR!

I am in the process of getting the studio up and running for 2011.

Commissions are already booked and work will resume shortly.

(every piece of work I do gives a donation to a non-profit rescue)

***

It was a crazy finish to 2010...

The old year ended not as planned...with blizzards and cold bugs and cancelled travel plans.

Not a great ending, I did however get all my commitments completed! WHEW!

The new year is a new beginning and hopefully we will be able to help many homeless animals again this year with sales of art and art related items.

and...

ART HELPING ANIMALS

continues to grow as well!

we have new artists joining us and new work to celebrate

we have almost reached the

80,000.00

mile stone of funds donated from artists helping animals in need.

~~~

I hope you can coninue to join us and follow our journey with art that helps.

***

Have a healthy and happy New Year everyone.

all my best,

Carol

The Call Home - a work in progress

The Call Home

new work on the easel

CAROL CHRETIEN

***

The latest work in my continuing theme of Angels and Animals.

This painting is at its start and will help support the work of

FRIENDS OF BRISTOL ANIMALS

with 25% of the sale going to the rescue.

If you would like to reserve this painting before it is listed for sale at the finish

just email me.

150.00

carolchretien@aol.com

25 % to rescue!

free domestic shipping

~~~

The style of the painting will be soft and luminous with a serenity that is part and parcel of

the Rainbow Bridge

where all our pets wait patiently for us.

~~~

On this day of 9/11

wishing all a day of reflection for us and prayers for our fallen

and support of our heroic citizens and soldiers who fight insidious evils for the good of our country.
God Bless America

The way it all works...

....Inspiration....your names are Annie and Oscar!

Annie (above) photo by Pam

Oscar (photo by Pam)

Yesterday afternoon after painting all day (on a commission and a piece for rescue) I sat and thought ....What will I work on next?

I stared at a blank canvas, I went through some of my old photos for inspiration and that just brought me to a trip down memory lane.

I spent over an hour totally lost in time. I looked back 20 or 30 yrs at people I love who have passed, at people who have aged...even my husband...I looked at images of our former pets and our current two, Lizzie and Emmi who are 12 and 17 respectively. Lizzie turns officially 12 in less than 2 weeks! Where does all the time go?

When I put the cover back on the box and realized I was back in 2010 it was such a sad feeling. I smothered our Lizzie with hugs and kisses (because she really loves this) and went off to make tea and cookies...we shared a cookie "party" and I felt resigned and better. I even added it to my facebook status. If that doesn't smack you with "2010" what will? LOL!

But then came today and the Muse was just waiting...I was working online and I stopped by Facebook and see my friend Pam's photos of her fabulous dachshund Oscar and one of Annie the beagle and I am instantly INSPIRED!

Pam always generously allows me to use her wonderful images to inspire paintings that help rescue and I am so anxious to work up the immediate visions I see when looking at these two faces.

They will be my first Christmas paintings for rescue this year.

A shout out to Pam for being such a great rescue worker.

She has helped get many beagles and others into good homes matching up families with the right pet. Pam has inspired some of my favorite paintings with the loan of her terrific photography.

Thanks Again ...PAM!

***
Come back in a little while and see where this inspiration takes us!

Inspired by Dusty ...Wait, Love, Pray...For a Home!

" WAIT, LOVE, PRAY...FOR A HOME"
12x12
oil on canvas
CAROL CHRETIEN
***
Painting for
DALMATIAN RESCUE OF TAMPA BAY
where you can adopt the inspiration for this painting!
20% of the sale goes directly to the rescue.
125.00

Dusty is in foster care and is available !!!!
http://www.dalrescuetampabay.org
for information.

***
and if you want to purchase the painting email me:
carolchretien@aol.com
a lovely way to add fine art to your collection of dalmatian art while helping rescue!

I'm BAAAAACK!!!!! Oh happy day!

Well I am so very happy to make it official and say I am back to work again!

It has been an awesome weekend of painting for me. What a great start. I always wonder when I have been away from it for awhile how hard will it be to pick up again from where I left things. I used to be afraid I would forget "how" to paint. Each time I have come back better for taking the break. It always surprises me and humbles me when it works out.

First of all, the weather was perfect to have all the windows open, no fans or a/c needed and just great light all the way around.

Below is the second pass of this new painting:

"WILD WOMAN" is the title of this piece.

Very fluid piece of painting. All about the light as usual. It is so much fun painting the effects of light that create drama and hopefully draw you in.

100.00

WILD WOMAN

10x10

oil on canvas

email to reserve this painting.

carolchretien@aol.com

20% of the sale will help a rescue

I have several other things on the easel that are commissions and a very rough start to a Rainbow Bridge inspired painting. Will be posting updates soon.

SO GOOD TO BE BACK!

Thanks for looking.