All 7 Original ACEO abstracts in oil Be Curious

Real
original
fresh
unique
natural
colorful
beautiful
musical
spiritual
~Nature is all these things and more~

Here are 7 aceo art cards I have completed, of the series Titled Be Curious!

They are now all available through my online store Natural Abstracts

Like a little child wonders surround us,
discoveries await and new sights fascinate.

All from Nature painted in oil measuring 2.5" x 3.5" each.

Wishing you a wonderful 7/7/07'
All the very best,
Rebecca





Rebecca Grantham.Com,

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Purple Ornamentals

Here is Purple Ornamentals.
8" x 10"
oil, plein air on heavy primed watercolor paper

I love these new works because they come directly from nature in an Andy Goldsworthy kind of way.
If you haven't heard of this artist, please google his name to find out more and I recommend his Rivers and Tides Dvd Documentary. That gives a beautiful first hand encounter with the artist, and how he works with nature.



I'm busy getting ready for Dine with the artist, tomorrow night.

I send you all my best.
Rebecca


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Daisies and Magnesia Core

First I want to thank Maria and Toni Carosi from Magnesia Core for contacting me and sending me some samples of their product to paint on.

Maria first contacted me online about their product and Toni quickly shipped out a handful of 12" x 12" panels.



This is a 5" x 7" painting in oil plein air of Daisies on Magnesiacore.

Here is my first painting on this kind of panel.
Previously I have used masonite wood panels for works.

These handle very nicely and have a ceramic feel to them that is light, sturdy and pleasing.

Cutting them down was very easy, I had only to measure, score and snap.
I did prime my panels with gesso and it absorbed the medium well.

I have waiting in the wings some small pendant size pieces to paint on.

and will be reviewing the panels more as I paint some different subjects and color ideas.

You can read more about their product here.
http://www.magnesiacore.com/art

and as their website states:

Magnesiacore is a flexible ceramic sponge that is dense but airy with fine microscopic pores that support all media, paints, oils, stains, watercolours and adhesives with 26% absorption and a feel suggestive of soap stone.

Thank you again sincerely, Maria and Toni for the opportunity to try out this new support.

Rebecca Grantham.Com,

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Stone and Sun plein air Natural Abstract

Here is a refreshing piece for me,
I titled it Stone and Sun,
it measures 24" x 36" and was completed entirely out doors on site, alla prima plein air.
Although it's highly untraditional,
It embodies my term Natural Abstract.



and here are a couple detail pictures





This piece was a much needed break. I enjoyed letting my mind relax and capture the movement of the sun and patterns of the shadows. It is something I am going to continue to explore.

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Susan's Tears 12" x 12" original oil painting

click to see larger
Original Signed oil painting
12" x 12" gallery wrap canvas
Susan's Tears


This piece is inspired plein air created in the studio from memory.
email to purchase.

Visit my website for all available works.

Rebecca Grantham.Com,

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Original Black-eyed Susan Triptych Painting

detail picture, click each for larger views

This piece has been sold.


A wide assortment of fine art gifts and merchandise are now available only through plein air cafe featuring this inspiring painting. Large Framed prints, coffee mugs, ceramic tiles, t-shirts and much more. Click here to see them all!

Each Panel Measures 5.5" x 12" on Gallery Wrap Canvas .
This piece is best told as half and half.
The sky and clouds were painted outside on site and the black-eyed susan flowers were inspired from a photo I took recently.

With this piece I wanted to capture the joy that swells in me and the summer memories I feel whenever I see black-eyed susans.

I loved creating the Rose of Sharon Series, from the flowering Lucy in my yard, it was an exciting blessing to work on and now that all the blooms have withdrawn and faded until next summer, I'm at a loss for colors here around my home. I will surely be painting the sunsets, but I ache for colors and paintings created at all times of day. Being that our five children are little yet I am tied to my homescapes and working from some choice photographs until Falls show comes. In the spirit of Monet it matters not whether a piece is created entirely onsite or with reference, It's the Results that matter!


~Wishing you all the best, don't forget to look up and around, inspiration and beauty are everywhere.
Rebecca

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Carnival No.2 original painting, Inspired Plein Air

After much work here is the 2nd Carnival painting, this is 18" x 24" and surely inspired plein air. I came this close _ to taking a pair of scissors to it. The day before yesterday I has said that's it I'm done and walked away.

and then in a sudden fury of palette knife hours that tumbled by I finished the piece into something that makes sense visually for me. I was trying to explain to my husband that I won't know it until I see it, that it's a visual thing and for many days this piece was just plain ugly and grated on my soul. I hated whenever he would look or whenever I would look at it.

Now I can present the piece satisfied visually and in my heart. With every piece I paint I learn more about myself as an artist and am slowly throwing off the layers of expectations. I was convinced this piece would be a failure, but one that I would learn from.

Now instead I learned that nothing beats working outside on site. And that when I need to I can recreate the emotions and memories. That's what I had to do here. Working from small 4 x 6 photos limited me to one single moment in time, it was when I let go of the photo reference, tossed them aside and relied on my emotions and memories that I was able to paint.

~Rebecca
the pics are clickable for larger views
18" x 24"
Original signed painting on gallery wrap canvas

Please visit my website for purchase and more information.
This painting is now available on a wide selection of artful gift items click here to see them.
Rebecca Grantham

Rose of Sharon No. 12 Handpainted cigar box

Here is the finished Rose of Sharon No. 12 twilight cigar box.

The sun has been hidden for a few days now. Which is good for me to get caught up on business paperwork and chasing my chores as well as getting into a routine with our kids back in school.
I am going to be starting a plein air inspired series of Black Eyed Susans tomorrow I'm happy to move on to a new color theme. And have learned much from The Rose of Sharon Series.

I have some great pictures to work from in the studio well actually on my easel outdoors :) and Although I wish I were onsite for these, I have loved these flowers for a long time and can recall the emotions involved.

All the best,
~Rebecca
www.RebeccaGrantham.com
www.PleinAirCafe.com Artful gifts
Rose of Sharon Series Artful gifts are now available, Large Framed Prints, coffee mugs and more, click here to visit my artful gift site.

This piece is unavailable but do contact me if you are interested in cigar box paintings.

Hand painted Rose Cigar Box

Just a little post today, this is a section of my finished hand painted rose cigar box. I'll post the entire piece tomorrow.

Rose No. 11 Daily Plein Air Painting

12" x 12" original oil on gallery wrap canvas.

The sky was kind and offered a similar scheme to yesterday unintentionally creating a wonderful pair to Rose No. 10.

This painting is now available on a wide selection of artful gift items click here to see them through my site plein air cafe.


Please my website for availability of originals.
~Rebecca
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Rose 10 Daily Plein Air Painting

Rose No. 10 daily plein air oil painting on 12" x 12" gallery wrap canvas


Please visit my website for more information on purchasing this original painting.
You can now find me on myspace, come on over.

This painting is now available on a wide selection of artful gift items click here to see them through my gift shop www.pleinaircafe.com.


I'm working on the second Carnival painting and gearing up for a joyfuly busy month of September painting plein air.
~Rebecca

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Rose No. 9 & Mrs. Paint Brush - Miss Palette Knife

Fresh Off the easel!

Detail picture

Rose No.9 original plein air painting on 12" x 12" Gallery Wrap canvas,

Please visit my wesbite to purchase.

This painting is now available on a wide selection of artful gift items click here to see them.

I have two more of this size of which I thought I would be creating a triptych but creativity can't always be planned, I mean the sunset was too amazing to pass by.

Follow up news - I have had this thought and a few others that won't leave my mind so I'm posting them here.

The first is a split artist personality I am trying to marry.

There is Mrs. Paint brush who loves the gobs of paint and mushing her brush onto her palette and into the paint. Swirling, mixing and laying it down. Enjoying the paint for paints sake and then there is Miss palette Knife who aggressively carves out geometric shapes inspired by her natural environment. Who likes instant blocks of color but is peeking over her shoulder at Mrs. Paint brushes techniques of mixing.

separate from themselves two distinct styles emerge that are detracting from my voice.

The question is what happens when harmony is reached from using the strengths of each together in one painting?

From now on I'll be using both, the above painting is the first example.

Be sure to subscribe to see the new works as they're created.

~Rebecca


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Rose of Sharon - Lucy No. 8

18" x 24"
Original Plein Air Oil on canvas panel

Rose No. 8

Detail Pictures




Please visit my website for purchase information.
This painting is now available on a wide selection of artful gift items click here to see them.

~Rebecca
www.RebeccaGrantham.com
www.PleinAirCafe.com

Rose of Sharon No. 7

Here is Rose of Sharon No. 7,
Original oil painting
18 x 24 canvas panel.
click for larger image

and here are a couple details pictures.



While certainly not abstract as I had thought I had hoped for, it is a step towards the shapes I enjoy. I learned a painting can take a life and course of it's own, and you have to do what's best for the piece.

The shapes of the colors up close are abstract to me and will be a gentle inspiration for the next painting.

I had so much fun painting this piece. Every color was mouth watering to paint, it has been a while where I felt my eyes consuming the colors I was painting, like a visual dessert.

Here is a close up of one bloom on the Rose of Sharon - Lucy.
They are a gorgeous color with their ruffled layers.


This is a general inspiration for the completed painting above.
The day I began it, it was not overcast like here, but that is part of plein air, ~remembering your inspiration until the piece is completed.
Enjoy
~All the best
Rebecca

For More information about this painting and to purchase please visit my wesbite.

This painting is now available on a wide selection of artful gift items click here to see them through www.pleinaircafe.com .

Rose of Sharon -Series

I am so glad that the local parade of deer through our yard doesn't like our flowering Rose of Sharon. (which I just found out is a Lucy, Hibiscus Syriacus ) It reaches high at about Ten Feet or so.
Although the deer ate all the blooms off my Red & Pink Peace Rose, they have left this large flowering Rose of Sharon alone, untouched begging to be painted over and over until all the blooms fade.
The flowers are very unique and special with their ruffled edges. And I love how the entire bloom cycle is present.
There are buds, opening blooms, full blooms and fading blossoms everywhere. With each different stage there are different colors. From deep red, to hot pink and cool lavender.

Sold
I am going to keep painting and exploring this series until I feel it's temporarily exhausted.
My goal is to work more quickly, completely and at the same time exploring some ideas I have.

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There is an itch deep inside me that I am trying to get out visually.
It feels like a balanced combination of realism- I love and admire a great representational piece, impressionism- ~nough said I love Monet and his glittering luscious colors and abstract/ print making-I love flat shapes of color and the shapes that are created when colors meet.

You'll see what I mean when I post the large 18" x 24"
canvas panel I'm working on.


Until next time,
~Rebecca

the thumbnails are clickable ~

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Brand New Cigar Box Painting en plein air
I love this piece it was so much fun to paint in the square. Taking pictures is another story. The painting wraps completly around the box, each side is different.
Imagine if you want a medium size canvas painted then wrapped around the box. That is how I approached this box.

ACEO #18/18

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I love this one. It's an ending of my 18 card series and the beginning of the next!

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Almost There ACEO's #15 -17

Here are no's 15-17 of the 18 ACEO Art card series I've been working on.
No. 18 will be posted tomorrow.

What I've learned through this series as others is when you start you think surely by the close of 18 or however many, you will exhaust some inspiration of the ideas you had in mind at the end. And be ready to leave it behind for something new.

Not so, this series is only serving to inspire similar works of which I dream could and will be full size. Little studies of love.
and no. 18 is surely a spring board for the next series. I started with the simple idea of dark and light.
And have found so much joy in pursuing this little thought bordering the line of natural and abstract.
Titled Imagine, this series has allowed me to imagine the possibilities of small works and large dreams.


Rebecca :)

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Pink Nights

8" x 10"
Oil on panel
I really enjoy twilight, sunsets and finding the unique patterns of light, color and shape.

I love the natural patterns found in seeing past the details.


Rebecca

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Simply Sky oh so Simple

Before & After
click the pics for larger images

You may remember the first piece.
but my soul says ahhhhhh much better is the second!
Same panel, same artist, new day, new piece.

I really enjoyed painting this panel the first time and even better the second.
I love black or near black, I don't ever use black straight from the tube but prefer to mix.

I love it, I have heard that black isn't found in nature.
Well it comes pretty close.
Next twilight watch the sunset, go on keep watch until twilight comes and dusk approaches.
It creeps in quietly and suddenly you find yourself among the shadows of the trees or buildings.
Where I live the fireflies begin their dance and my children chase them wildly.

Just before the last shades of light pass from this day there will be a moment where the trees you know as green become very dark, dare I say BLACK.
Your mind will want to tell you those leaves are green but look again and let me know what you see.

Rebecca


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