Tuesday, May 26, 2015

On The Easel - Wyoming Oil Landscape (Second Stage - Work In Progress)



Pinnacle Buttes Wyoming
2nd Stage - Work in Progress
16" x 20" oil on panel

This oil landscape of Pinnacle Buttes in Wyoming is coming along and this is the second stage of its progress.   I intend to finish this painting this week.   I have also been working on other projects.  The evergreens need more work and, as you can see, so does the foreground.   

To view the reference photograph I took and the painting in its first stage go here


Monday, May 18, 2015

Photographs of Kualoa Ranch - Oahu, Hawaii


Entrance to Kualoa Ranch

The center building has a nice gift shop as well as tasty food at their cafe.   In the not shown foreground is the beach across the road at Kaneohe Bay.



See the ATV's in the middle ground?   I was not adventurous enough to try them, but I have taken their jeep tours (which go more in the jungle) and also their bus tours.   The tour guides keep you informed and entertained as you travel along, and they are generous about stopping to let you take photographs.    Some shots I took from the windows as well.   




From the two photographs above you can see they have horseback riding at the ranch as well.   By the way, you can find out more information about the ranch and their tours at www.kualoa.com .   At more than one tour listed, they have short videos of beautiful scenery on their site. 
You can also have a wedding ceremony in different areas of the ranch.   This is a sixth generation working ranch complete with cattle and it was first established in 1850.


Above is yours truly when I took the Kualoa Ranch's catamaran boat tour.   Behind me is Chinaman's Hat Island, or Mokoli'i;, and behind that is the Koolau Mountain Range.   


Desert rose plant on the property




Above is what is left of the movie set "Mighty Joe Young".    Many movies have been filmed here; like 50 First Dates, Pearl Harbor, Jurassic Park, and Godzilla.  And of course most of the TV show  "Lost" scenes were filmed at Kualoa Ranch.   The ranch has a special "Movie Tour" you can choose if you wish. 

For more photographs and information on Kualoa Ranch, please visit my photography blog .

I am still painting so check back again soon.   


Saturday, May 9, 2015

Took a Break, Took Photos at Foster Botanical Gardens Oahu

"I have not tried to reproduce nature: I have represented it."  Paul Cezanne


Cannonball Tree Flowers
Photography by Carol Reynolds

Since it is May, it is time for the Magnolia Trees on Oahu to bloom.  They are rare introductions on this island, and I only know of two spots where there are magnolia trees.   One is at Foster Botanical Gardens, so I went there this morning to see if I could photograph it.  There were no blooms on the tree there and no buds whatsoever.   I went later to the other tree in a Makiki suburb of Honolulu and that magnolia tree had several buds on it so I will return there again in 4 or 5 days.    

The photograph above was taken at Foster Botanical Gardens this morning, and I have several photos of  the cannonball trees there.  For more information, visit my photography blog  here and once there in the box saying "search this blog" type in cannonball tree.   I am sorry, but I could not get the link to work on the exact post there.   

Below are more photographs showing the cannonball shaped fruit on this tree, which when it falls to the ground it makes a loud cannon-like sound and also gives off a foul odor. 







Foster Botanical Gardens has a nice gazebo, and today when I first arrived there a wedding was being held at the gazebo.   I have several other photos of this gazebo taken previously, but the one below I took today.    I fully intend to paint this gazebo soon.



Below is a shot of an ornamental pineapple plant at the gardens today.


It felt good to get out and take photographs today, but now I need to finish some paintings I have started .   Please stay tuned !

Thank you for visiting today!



Tuesday, April 28, 2015

What's On The Easel - Pinnacle Buttes WY (Oil Landscape Painting - Work In Progress)

"If one really loves nature, one can find beauty everywhere."  -  Vincent van Gogh


Pinnacle Buttes Wyoming
Photograph by Carol Reynolds

Remember this photo from a previous post ?   I am currently working on an oil painting of this Wyoming landscape.    Below is the stage as I finished today.   Much work still needs to be done before this painting is finished.


Pinnacle Buttes Wyoming
Work In Progress
16" x 20" oil on gessobord panel 

The treeline needs to be a bit higher, thereby making the mountains not quite so tall; compare with the photograph above.  This painting shows promise and I am getting excited about it now.  

Thank you for viewing my art.



Saturday, April 25, 2015

"Blue Drama" - Oil Water Lily Painting With Bee


"Blue Drama"
9" x 12" oil on gallery wrap canvas
$650

This oil painting of a blue water lily and a black bee was a challenge to paint with the various shades of blue involved.   The photograph of it doesn't show all the color variations.    

I read somewhere earlier today that the worker bee only produces about 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime.    That is something to ponder where our own life and our own accomplishments are concerned; are we making a difference at all?

Please contact me to purchase or inquire about this painting,  Since the sides of this work are also painted, there is no need to frame it.

Thank you for viewing my art !



Saturday, April 18, 2015

Blue Water Lily and Bee - Oil Painting Work In Progress

"One day's happiness often predicts the next day's creativity."  -  Teresa Amabile


Blue Water Lily and Bee
Photograph by Carol Reynolds

I posted this photograph of a blue water lily previously, but wanted to show it again to give you a better idea where I am going with the oil painting in progress from this reference photo.  Below is the painting as it stands now.


Work in Progress
9" x 12" oil on gallery wrap canvas


I made some changes, not going by the reference photograph exactly.   Please keep in mind this is a beginning stage and that much work needs to be done.   

Would you like to see what happiness looks like?   Look below !


This is my grandson, Dash, right after turning 9 months old the end of March; the photo was taken the beginning of  April.  What a happy fellow !  This is my only grandchild that is living in Hawaii; my others are all on the mainland USA.

Many of you have probably read this quote or heard it spoken:  "Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for."  - Joseph Addison.

That certainly holds true where children and grandchildren are concerned, but it can involve many things: first and foremost of spiritual things and the hope of eternity.   "Happiness is the highest good, being a realization and perfect practice of virtue, which some can attain, while others have little or none of it."    -  Aristotle

Would you like to see a happy cat?  Below is my calico cat, Lika.



This photograph was taken 3 days ago.   Did you notice the heart shape coloration on Lika?  She has another "heart" on her left shoulder which obviously is not showing in this photo.   Guess that means she is double-hearted.    She is truly full of mischief  but she can be very lovey dovey as well.

The cactus in the photo only blooms once a year, as a rule, and it bloomed first in January this year and again in April.   That was a nice unexpected  treat. !!

  
This is a close-up shot of the salmon and white cactus blossoms. I hope to paint from this photo or from another close-up shot of it as I have never painted a Christmas cactus.  I have had this plant about 3 years.

Thank you for visiting my blog !


Friday, April 10, 2015

South Padre Island Splendor - Oil Seascape (at FAA)


"South Padre Island Splendor"
16" x 20" oil on canvas

I have posted this oil seascape of South Padre Island previously, but I wanted to share with you how this image has sold more as a print on Fine Art America than any of my other paintings or photographs available there.    It has sold as a framed print on watercolor paper, an unframed print, an acrylic print, and as a note card.   Fine Art America also provides metal prints as an option.  Check out this painting on FAA here       You may also visit my website there  http://carol-reynolds.artistwebsites.com 

Below is an oil seascape "Sunflowers At North Padre Island" another 16" x 20" on canvas painted around the same time as the work above.  I had never seen sunflowers at the beach before and I was granted that pleasure on my visit there...... the right place at the right time.


The above oil painting is also available as a print or a note card at Fine Art America.

I will be posting recent works in progress soon.   Stay tuned !