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!

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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.

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"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 !

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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 !

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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 !

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Blind Artists (Videos)

Sleepy Flamingo

Photo by Carol Reynolds

The flamingo above simply has closed eyes as if taking a nap.   What if an artist is blind?

The human spirit is a remarkable thing, if you have the right attitude.  Never give up!   As these videos below show, truly when one door is closed another one is opened.

Very inspiring !   I will continue to paint with joy, and with gratitude.

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"Joyful Song" - Pink Water Lilies Oil Painting

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever."   -  John Keats

"Joyful Song"

12" x 16" oil on gallery wrap canvas

$1575

This oil painting of deep rose-pink water lilies was completed today.   My joy was in experimenting with color in this work.   The flowers themselves are also cheery and joyful to behold.  

Being on gallery wrap canvas, the sides of this painting have also been painted, making it possible to hang it unframed.

To purchase this painting, please contact me at  reynoldsrenditions@gmail.com

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Almost There - 5th Stage - Pink Water Lilies (Work In Progress)

Stage 5 Pink Water Lilies

Work In Progress

12" x 16" oil on gallery wrap canvas

Now I am getting somewhere with this painting!  After working on it again last night, this oil of pink water lilies is finally taking shape and going in the direction I want it to.  I had intended to wait until I finished it to post about it again, but I am so excited I wanted to share it today.  It may take a couple of more days to finish.   

Some of you may not have read my previous posts where I stated that I am a self-taught artist, and have learned to paint over decades of trial and error.   Most paintings nowadays flow easier than this one did, for whatever reason.    I learned most of my painting knowledge from books, dating back to when I was a teenager.    At age 15 the one I poured over most of all was "Carlson' s Guide to Landscape Painting" by John F. Carlson.  It's really an oldie, first published I believe in 1929 and the ninth printing was in 1971.   I believe you can still find it on Amazon.   I highly recommend it for beginning artists; but all artists at all stages in their career would benefit from this book.  

Having said all that, sometimes I still just paint by instinct;   I don't always know why I do what I do or if I could repeat it again.   Does anyone else relate?    

Thank you for viewing my art !

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Fourth stage - Oil Painting of Pink Water Lilies (Work In Progress)

4th Stage - Pink Water Lilies

12" x 16" Work In Progress

This stage of my oil pink water lilies painting has reverted back to colors and hues in a previous stage.   I guess it is obvious I am experimenting and feeling my way along with this painting.  Sometimes when I work I know exactly what I want the painting to say and exactly how the finish will be.   With this oil painting,  that is not the case.   However, one plus in working in layers of color and in several stages is that you can discover new colors or, should I say, the colors can be richer and have more depth.    I hope to finish this before I post it again .   

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Spring In The Country (Reworked) - Landscape with Barns and Wildflowers

"Earth laughs in flowers." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Spring In The Country"

8" x 10" oil on archival panel

$595

Today I worked some more color and contrast into this oil landscape painting I posted earlier this week; take a peek at the previous post here .    I added more wildflowers as well and I am now satisfied with this country scene.     I should always wait a few days after completing a painting before I post here so I may look at it later with a fresh eye and decide if any changes need to be made.

To purchase this painting contact me at reynoldsrenditions@gmail.com

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Pink Water Lilies - Oil Painting (Work In Progress)

"I must have flowers, always, and always."  - Claude Monet

Pink Water Lilies

Work In Progress 12" x 16"

The red water lily painting I began the other day has now turned into pink water lilies.   I will not leave them this rather "neon" pink look, but will refine the flowers with lighter and darker tones as I continue to paint.   Also, I am not happy with the color of the lily pads.   Much work needs to be done here.  

It seemed fitting to do a post of flowers today, as it is still the first day of Spring here in Hawaii.  Due to the time difference, it is already Saturday on most of the mainland except the West Coast.

As a child, I lived primarily with my grandparents (on my father's side) and my grandmother loved flowers.  She also had a concrete pond with goldfish and water lilies.   My young mind was more interested in the goldfish than the flowers.   Even as a teenager I was not particularly overly interested in flowers, but when my husband and I bought our home in Massachusetts, I went absolutely wild with flowers in the yard.   I planted various bulbs like tulips and crocus that would bloom in the Spring and I started many flowers from seed under lights in the winter to plant outside come sometime in May in Massachusetts.    My grandfather had always had a vegetable garden when I was a child, and all of a sudden with my new home, I discovered an interest in vegetable gardening as well.    

My point is,  I now feel like Monet in the quote above :  I must have flowers surrounding me.  I do not have any water lilies,  but I visit gardens and other areas here in Honolulu and Waikiki to photograph them and just to take in their beauty.   Beauty, Light, and Color inspire me to paint.  

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Spring In The Country - Landscape with Wildflowers and Barns

"Flowers.....are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out values all the utilities of the world."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Spring In The Country"

8" x 10" oil on archival panel

$595

This oil country landscape is based on an area in Texas I visited several years ago when I lived in that state.    There were more yellow wildflowers, but it seemed too overpowering to include all that yellow in the painting.  To see this new work in its beginning stage, scroll below to the previous post.

To purchase this painting contact reynoldsrenditions@gmail.com

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What's On The Easel - Oil Paintings In Progress (Water Lilies and Barns)

"I just make stuff that transports me to a happier place where I can hum and whistle.  Art can do that."   - Joel Haas

Blue Water Lily and Bee

Photograph by Carol Reynolds

This is one of many photographs I have taken of the water lilies at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki.   I have meant to paint from this reference photo for a long time and today was the day I finally began a rough lay in with oils on gallery wrapped canvas . The very beginning stage is shown below.  Much work needs to be done and, yes, I intend to include the bee in the painting.

Blue Water Lily

9" x 12" oil  Work in Progress

Below is another photograph, this time of red water lilies; although, I admit, they look more like a dark pink.

Red Water Lilies - photograph by Carol Reynolds

This photograph is a reference for the oil painting in progress shown below:

Stage One of oil water lilies

12" x 16" oil on gallery wrap canvas

I wasn't very satisfied with the colors and the arrangement so I changed things up a bit in the very very rough work in progress below.

I intend to make some lily pads a brownish-pink and also maybe more pink in the water.   I wanted bright red water lilies but may change them to a dark pink for more color harmony.  I have really been experimenting with this painting.

Below is a rough beginning stage of barns in a field of wildflowers.  It has a long way to go.

8" x 10" oil work in progress

I felt the need to work small for a while, but once I finish these 3 paintings I intend to paint some larger works.    

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The Clouds Speak (Oil Sunset Seascape by Seascape Artist Carol Reynolds)

"The artist must say it without saying it."  - Duke Ellington

"The Clouds Speak" - Psalm 69:34

6" x 12" oil on gallery wrap canvas 

$595

This small oil sunset seascape, though based on a reference photograph, was created  mostly from my imagination, especially the dramatic clouds.   The reference photo has a dull grey sky.  

I went back to painting a smaller canvas for now.  I have been ill with bronchitis with other side effects and have not felt like painting.   I tire easily and need to rest more, so the going has been slow lately.    I will resume painting larger canvases when I am feeling better.     

To purchase this painting please contact reynoldsrenditions@gmail.com

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Happy Day at Santa Monica Beach and Pier (Acrylic Seascape by Carol Reynolds)

"Happy Day at Santa Monica Beach and Pier"

16" x 20" acrylic on canvas 

This acrylic beach scene of Santa Monica Beach and Pier was painted about 15 years ago.  I  just thought I would share it with you as I ran across it while doing some changes to my living room and studio this week with the help of my son.    There has been no painting for me all week as I have been very busy with this other work.    Hopefully by Saturday I can begin working in oils again.

When I lived in the area I used to visit Santa Monica frequently, and the other beaches along the famous "Strand".   

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"Brokenness Amid Beauty" (Wyoming Landscape - Wind River) by Landscape Artist Carol Reynolds

"Brokenness Amid Beauty"

8" x 10" oil on museum quality gessobord 

$575

The broken wood in the foreground seems to attract all the attention in this oil landscape of Wind River in Dubois, Wyoming.   Life can be like that for us as well;  we can be all broken when all around us is grandeur and beauty.    This painting depicts twilight time, although I livened up the color a bit.  

To inquire or purchase please contact me at reynoldsrenditions@gmail.com

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Wyoming Oil Landscapes - Next Stages of Works in Progress

"Art and I have an agreement..... I won't ask where we are going and art won't ask, "Why me?"
-Bob Brendle

Pinnacle Buttes Wyoming

Reference photo by Carol Reynolds

Shown below is stage 2 of my oil painting of Pinnacle Buttes in Wyoming.

WIP  Stage 2 oil painting of Pinnacle Buttes

16" x 20" on gessobord

I wish now I had chosen an 18 x 24 canvas or preferably a 15" x 30" size for this work.   The mountains are way too large here and much work needs to be done. 

Below is stages 2 and 3 of the WIP of Wind River #2 oil painting.

Stage 2

Stage 3

Wind River WY

8" x 10" oil on gessobord 

The orange hills need quite a bit of toning down.   I am rather excited about this work.  

"Bring something new, something beautiful and something filled with light into the world."   This art quote by Ross Bleckner could also very well apply in a spiritual sense as well.   When you think about it, art can be rather a type of a spiritual experience. I feel extremely spiritual and/or I am reminded of the Creator especially when I paint clouds.  Just a note,  I have been considering doing a series of sky paintings, or perhaps with some landscape or ocean showing in the work but with the sky predominating.    

I am reminded here of another quotation, this time by Martin Kippenberger: "A good artist has less time  than ideas."    I have so many ideas for new works, but there will never be enough time to complete or begin most of them.  Time is short and I am getting older.   

Thank you for visiting !

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Wyoming Oil Landscapes (Works In Progress) and WY Reference Photos by Landscape Artist Carol Reynolds

Wind River at Dubois WY

Reference photo by Carol Reynolds

I could not resist painting this scene of the Wind River in Dubois, Wyoming; I particularly like the broken tree log in the foreground.   Below is the beginning stage of the painting.

Work In Progress Wind River #2

8" x 10" oil on gessobord

This is obviously the very first lay-in of color.   I "sketch" on the panel with the brush and general color instead of drawing lines or painting it in grey or sepia.   I have always worked in this manner.

Below is another reference photo I posted previously, but today I began an oil painting of the scene below so I am showing the photo again.

Pinnacle Buttes WY

Reference photo by Carol Reynolds

And below is the beginning stage of the painting from the above photo:

Pinnacle Buttes WY  16" x 20" 

Oil Work In Progress by Carol Reynolds

To be honest, I hesitated to show these two paintings in the very very very beginning stage, but then it occurred to me that you might like to see how they progress as time goes on.   Sometimes, in my anticipation to begin work on them, I forget to take photographs of each stage.   But with these two works I will make an extra effort to remember to record each stage by photos.  

Below are some more of my Wyoming reference photographs you might enjoy.

Grand Tetons Wyoming

Reference Photos by Carol Reynolds 

The photograph directly above just screams out to add buffalo grazing, as many other artists would  do. 

Hope you enjoyed the beautiful scenery.  Looking again at my above reference photographs gets my enthusiasm to a great big high and I want to paint all of the above images at once !

Thank you for viewing my art !

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Twilight At Wind River (Wyoming Oil Landscape by Landscape Artist Carol Reynolds)

"Twilight At Wind River"  - John 7:37-39

12" x 16" oil on gessobord

$1575

This oil landscape shows the Wind River in Dubois, Wyoming, as it was over 10 years ago.   This scene is right in the town, behind the motel I was staying in.   Still, it is rather a romantic painting; I toned it down somewhat from when I first began painting it, but my love of color shows here in that I should have toned it down even more, maybe.

Scroll down to view the reference photograph I took and to see the painting in its beginning stage.   Or just click here .

For inquiries or to purchase this landscape painting - reynoldsrenditions@gmail.com

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Work in Progress - Oil Landscape Painting (Dubois WY) by Landscape Artist Carol Reynolds

Reference Photograph by Carol Reynolds

Wind River Bank in Dubois, Wyoming

This reference photograph above was taken on the banks of the Wind River in Dubois, Wyoming, several years ago and below is a photo of  my work in progress oil painting of this scene.

WIP   Wind River Bank - Dubois, WY

12" x 16" oil on panel

The color is a bit exaggerated in the above image, but I often do that at the beginning of a new work.  I will tone it down some as I continue with the painting.   Besides,  I tend to want to exaggerate color somewhat for beauty's sake and my own personal preferences.

I work in stages; this stage will have to dry completely before I begin work on it again.   Which is not a bad thing, as I am considering painting another Wyoming landscape soon and may begin work on the new one while the present painting is in the process of drying.    Below is the reference photo I took over a decade ago, which is true also of the photo of the above scene on Wind River.

Wyoming Reference Photo by Carol Reynolds

Thank you for viewing my art !

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"Endurance" - Windswept Tree on Beach (Oil Seascape Painting by Hawaii Seascape Artist Carol Reynolds)

"Endurance"  (Matthew 24:13)

6" x 12" oil on gallery wrap canvas

$425

This oil seascape of a windswept tree on the beach in Kapaa, Kauai, has been on my mind to paint for a long time.   I admire trees and their character; each tree is unique and has a different story to tell.   This particular one could really tell some whoppers, judging from its weather formed shape.   

It is painted with exceptional artist oils and, since it is on gallery wrap canvas and the sides are also painted, you need not frame it.    However, I always recommend a nice frame for a more elegant presentation.

Please contact me at reynoldsrenditions@gmail.com to purchase this new work.

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Fishermen At Kailua Bay For Halalu Run - Oil Seascape by Hawaii artist Carol Reynolds

"Fishermen at Kailua Bay - Halalu Run"

8" x 16" oil on canvas

$1275

This oil seascape shows fishermen with their net anticipating a good catch of Halalu, which are juvenile akule, a fish indigenous to Hawaii and often called "Big Eyed" scad.   They can be eaten or used for bait for much larger fish.    I was at the right place at the right time to snap reference photos of the fishermen at Kailua Beach on Oahu.    

The peninsula in the background is known as Mokapu peninsula, as well as King Kamehameha's Turtle.   Legend says that the "Turtle" hides a secret underwater tunnel that King Kamehameha  used to travel to the island of Molokai.  This peninsula is now home to Kaneohe Marine Corps Base.

To purchase this painting, please contact me at reynoldsrenditions@gmail.com

Below is a video of  people fishing for halalu at Waimea Bay, another beach on Oahu.

Thank you for viewing my art.

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