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Zoom 2020

Send your artwork (or mine) as a gift to friends and family!

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"I'm Dreaming..."is my choice for 2024 My inspiration was seeing some of our old family ornaments on my daughter's tree.  I hope this makes you smile! Enjoy the happiest of Holidays!! PS  In case you run out of time, I merchandised this image on notecards, ornaments,  tote bags and pillows ...all are available on Fine Art America: carolsue-witt.pixels.com

Want to make a very unique statement? Try a wall mural...

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 An outside covered entry with a stucco surface is a perfect spot to create a unique statement…and here is mine. Wall murals were a popular decorating statement in the 90's...dining rooms, entryways and especially children's rooms were personalized into magical places using trick of the eye artwork. I was fortunate to be the right age and stage in my life to climb on ladders and fearlessly paint on people's walls. My confidence came from having the wall paint nearby for mistakes and having excellent partners in this endeavor both in St Louis, Missouri and then in McKinney, Texas. I felt like a surrogate accomplishing what someone envisioned. at first our clients were people we knew or word of mouth but eventually we were hired by an interior decorator ( thank you, Kim). She had high end clients and entered our completed rooms in contests in magazines like "Window and Wall Ideas" ....and we won! I have the magazines to verify this. What a thrill.           ...

Can an underpainting improve your artwork?

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 I think so!  It certainly has been a wonderful addition to my processes and how I now begin almost every painting.  This is an example.  My painting titled "Snip, Snip" ( completed in 2022)was painted to honor my Mother and her sisters who were amazing seamstresses. Those Italian girls were all taught to sew at a professional level and made careers with this ability. Although I tried, I am a poor substitute to their expertise. But....I did inherit a love of art, color and a lot of scissors! Let me explain how I created this painting.   1. First I arranged scissors in a complicated overlapping pattern. I photographed the color and the B/W versions as a guide.  The B/W then became my value study which showed me a minimum of 5 values I wanted in my painting. From the lightest to the darkest, I established a mid tone and one value inbetween. 2. Sketching this on watercolor paper did not require more than a ruler. I did enlarge the shapes from the 8.5" x 1...

Art for a Good Cause....it's such a good idea!

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June is just over and can I say phew?!  We managed to find a lovely new one story home in Austin just 3 miles from our current peeps. We wrapped up the entire process of buying, down sizing and moving while summer sizzled. Grandsons, neighbors and Square Cow Movers were all great help...and I can't say enough about our Realtor, Elicia Michaud. She is now focusing on selling our 1 1/2 story ( we really don't want 2 homes) ...let me know if you are looking. And, of course, I had agreed to paint a whiskey keg during all of this. Garrison Brothers Distillery had the awesome idea to use their barrels as a fundraiser to benefit the west Texas fire victims from earlier this year. I got mine at Art Direct and here is a little of the process... I envisioned our stunning prickly pear cactus in bloom so used photos from our yard to scatter on all sides of the barrel. At a certain point I knew a soft blue background would be an excellent border The barrel was heavy & a little awkward t...

Tarnished?....let's polish up our colors

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 I never understand painters who can't find something to paint.  That simply does not happen to me. I have more paintings planned than I have time.  Sometimes it only takes an everyday chore to inspire a watercolor.  For example, I decided to polish my Mother's silverware, while Spring cleaning. It really needed it. It was tarnished. This silver is a treasured gift that I rarely use. It's a pattern called "First Love"by Rogers and it makes me smile to think of my parents saving to buy these pieces back in 1942. I wanted to have others enjoy this heirloom so I polished the items, arranged them in a specifiic way and shot many photos at all angles. At a March 23 rd one day workshop in Bastrop, Texas I was able to share the processes I used to create the lower 2/3 of this painting. We masked certain areas so that we could begin with an underpainting of Hansa yellow, French Ultramarine Blue and Opera Pink. With 6 enthusiastic painters, we set out to explore the reflec...

Want a "Fresh" Start?...what will your brand new year look like?

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 I say... go to nature for inspiration. SIMPLISTIC, BUT NOT SIMPLE! When I think of growth and renewal, bright colors and crisp smells, I think of seasonal landscaping, spring greenery and ripening fruits and vegetables. These may have a short life but it is undeniably fresh! And a reminder to all of us to refresh especially at the start of a new year. Colors in nature are ....well, perfect. Especially at each end of the spectrum of their growth periods as they mature. Look at California and Florida farms in the height of their growing seasons. They are rippling blankets of color that are, at first, a solid but, at closer inspection, almost pixilated versions of color that make me understand  pointilism as an art movement just a little better. These strawberries are a perfect example. Note that even in the leaves the variation is from tip to stem, topside to underside and in proximity to other adjacent colors...so take a good look!  I have had fun painting this close-up o...

Merchandising Your Art

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"Dairy Queen" If you have lived in Texas, you might love Blue Bell. Even our cows do.  I hope you have considered merchandising your images. Not only is it fun to see products with your artwork on them but it is lucrative and makes a longer lasting impression of your intention and talent. It's a great gift from you, as well. Where can you get this work created? One artist website is Fine Art America. I let the people at Fine Art America print my images on notecards, prints of all sizes and on surfaces of all kinds. For example, tote bags are a popular item. Many folks aren't collectors of hanging art but they like color and uniqueness in other areas of their homes. Mugs are  another popular item because they are practical and inexpensive as a gift. You can include beach towels, tapestries, masks and notebook covers and more. Pros: It doesn't cost much, (I set my own prices) and it is working behind the scenes making income for me. You can order personally from he...