“Jacinto Reyes”, 2008, acrylic on paper, 5×5″ matted to 14×11″
Taking Route 33 north out of Ojai quickly transports you to a completely different world. The highway, called the Jacinto Reyes Scenic Byway, twists its way through some of Southern California’s most beautiful and rugged terrain. Mile upon mile, the magnificent chaparral-covered hills rise above the road to either side. You quickly lose sight of anything manmade except the road itself. You might as well be on another planet, somewhere people have never set foot.
I always get excited when I stumble onto these remote regions, especially when they’re so easy to get to!
Still, I’m a little puzzled by this road. It’s in surprisingly good condition, seemingly newly repaved when I traveled it last fall. But it’s almost completely deserted. It doesn’t really go anywhere in particular: it connects to other roads which eventually lead to a few small towns. It’s certainly not a shortcut anywhere, nor even a reasonable alternate route to anyplace in particular.
There’s no reason to drive on this road, as far as I can tell, except to see the landscape. In this case, the journey really is the destination. It’s commonly said, but how often is it so true?
This painting is sold, but many others may be seen on my web site.
Email inquiries welcome: info@barbarajcarter.com
April 23, 2008
It’s spring, and the 2008 art festival season has begun!
These are the next few shows I’ll be exhibiting in (all are in Southern California):
For full details, see my show schedule page.
Four shows in a row seems a bit much! The thing is, I’m still figuring out which are the best shows for me, so I need to try them all. Maybe next year I can be a little more selective!
See you at the festival!
April 17, 2008
“Merced River”, 2008, acrylic on paper, 5×5″ matted to 14×11″
Looking across the river at the far bank, the water sparkles in the sunlight. Slow ripples like miniature waves work their way across the water, breaking the sun-sparkle up into broad patches. The feeling is calm and meditative. People may come and go, but the timeless river endures.
This painting is available matted $115, or matted and framed in a simple black frame $145.
Email inquiries welcome: info@barbarajcarter.com
April 17, 2008
“Topanga Mist”, 2008, acrylic on paper, 5×5″ matted to 14×11″
While hiking in Topanga State Park last fall, I saw some amazing cloud formations. Fog from the ocean started rolling in from the coast. I’d hiked far enough uphill to see over the next ridge and down into the valley where the fog was pooling. The sun, behind this pool of fog, made it glow eerily. The haze also veiled the far ridge in a lavender mist.
Much taken with this spectacle, I snapped several photos. Now I’ve turned the experience into a mini painting (and probably will do more). The composition of this painting appears quite abstract, but it’s actually quite true to the photos I took. Just some of the colors are a little altered, to give it my own twist. With such a simple composition I was able to have a lot of fun with my Pointillist technique.
This painting is available matted $115, or matted and framed in a simple black frame $145.
Email inquiries welcome: info@barbarajcarter.com
April 16, 2008
“Two Pines”, 2008, acrylic on paper, 5×5″ matted to 14×11″
This is the other pine-themed painting inspired by all the trees I saw while hiking in Sullivan Canyon last summer. Its “companion” is “Pines at Sullivan Canyon”, though of course the two don’t necessarily have to stay together.
This painting is sold, but many others may be seen on my web site.
Email inquiries welcome: info@barbarajcarter.com
April 15, 2008
“Pines at Sullivan Canyon”, 2008, acrylic on paper, 5×5″ matted to 14×11″
Last summer I hiked in Sullivan Canyon, took lots of photos, and eventually painted a large painting of some of the trees I saw up on the ridge above me. Those were sycamores, I believe. But there were other trees growing above the canyon, including pines. So here’s a mini painting of some of the pines. Actually, there is another mini painting of the pines. I think the two paintings would make a nice pair.
This painting is sold, but many others may be seen on my web site.
Email inquiries welcome: info@barbarajcarter.com
April 14, 2008
“Broad Tree”, 2008, acrylic on paper, 5×5″ matted to 14×11″
The next in my new series of mini-paintings.
Because I work on several paintings at the same time, it’s not unusual for me to complete several around the same time. This is happening with these mini paintings. I finished painting a few of them late last night. I’m not quite done gluing up the mat assemblies for all of them, but at least I got this one finished and ready for its day in the sun.
I really enjoyed the unusual combination of colors in the lower part of this painting. Pink and orange and turquoise and indigo, oh my!
This painting is sold, but many others may be seen on my web site.
Email inquiries welcome: info@barbarajcarter.com
April 10, 2008
“Tree at Pacheco”, 2008, acrylic on paper, 5×5″ matted to 14×11″
As I mentioned in my last post, I’m painting a series of “mini” paintings. This is the first to be finished.
I paint these little 5-inch square paintings using a very small brush. There’s something very freeing about this tiny format. These paintings come together much more quickly than my larger ones, allowing me to be more spontaneous. Also, I do enjoy the simpler compositions that allow the pointillist dots to shimmer.
The format of these paintings is important to their appeal. Most of my time is spent painting, but a large chunk also goes into putting together the “package” with the mat and frame. I glue foamcore spacers between the mat and the painting to float the mat above the surface of the painting. The process is rather fussy (I’m very nitpicky about getting everything perfect) but I think the final effect is worth it. (Note: the photo above shows the real mat in a mock frame. The real frames are on order and should be available in time for my next show.)
It’s hard to show in a photo, but the effect of the mat is quite three-dimensional, floating 1/4 inch above the painting. It’s like looking through a tiny window into a different world. It’s much cuter in real life, so I hope you’ll stop by one of my shows and see for yourself!
This painting is available matted $115, or matted and framed in a simple black frame $145.
Email inquiries welcome: info@barbarajcarter.com
April 9, 2008
A few years ago I painted a series of 5×5-inch mini-paintings. They were much smaller than my canvas paintings, but otherwise they were much like my usual work. There were about a dozen paintings in that series. They were a fun project for me, and proved quite popular with my collectors.
Well, I’m doing it again. I need to have lots of paintings on hand for all of my upcoming shows, and these little guys seem just the thing. They’re pretty quick to paint and the smaller size is more affordable for collectors, not to mention easier to find space for hanging.
Here’s a group shot of the first few mini paintings in the new series, in varying stages of completion. I mat each one with a thick mat that I float above the surface of the painting for a peek-a-boo window effect. The mat hides the edges of the painting. How far does the painting go under the mat? That’s the mystery, and I’m not telling!
Each mat’s outside dimensions are 11×14 inches, a standard frame size. Unlike my paintings on canvas, these mini paintings do require framing, so I make that easier by using a standard size. At my shows I’ll also offer frames to go with these.
Check back for updates as I finish painting and assembling these mini paintings. I’m having a lot of fun with them. The only question: how many will I be able to finish in time for my next show? Stay tuned!
April 4, 2008
“Soft Light”, 2008, Acrylic on canvas, 12×9″
As I mentioned previously, I began two paintings the same size with similar subjects, intending them to be companions, possibly to be hung together as a pair. And then during the process somehow they diverged.
They’re certainly both in my signature “neo-Pointillist” style. Both are images of the hills around Ojai. But the colors in this one are much more subdued than the last. Subdued for me, anyway! It gives it a calmer feeling.
I think some of the calm feeling comes from the use of the color green. I had a lot of fun working green tones all through the composition in this painting. Of course the shrubbery at the bottom is green, but there are also bits of green peeking out in the hills, as well as green in the sky. I like how that subtly pulls the composition together.
This painting is sold. Many more may be seen at: www.barbarajcarter.com
March 26, 2008
