Best of Show update
“Hard Rock Cafe” 9″ x 13″ watercolor – framed 16 x 20
May 4 Update
I submitted this painting to an annual show at the local college where I’m attending the watercolor class I’ve mentioned from time to time. I was delighted to find out today that it won Best of Show. So, I’m a happy camper tonight and each small victory just fuels my creative fire to keep studying, keep practicing, keep working harder, day by day.
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previously posted
We live in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains – a seismically active range which is crossed at one place by the famous San Andreas Fault. It’s not near us, thankfully, but any movement on that fault would certainly be felt far and wide. The “basement rock” of the San Gabriels is said to be more than a billion years old. Through those eons it has intruded, metamorphosed and sedimented into gneiss, basalt, limestone, marble, shale, quartzite, sandstone, slate and all kinds of good schists. If there’s any sort of rock you want, you can probably find it up there. This scene is of a rocky clearing in the Angeles National Forest, where enormous broken rocks, not yet worn down by erosion, lay tumbled in casual disarray .
The evergreens keep things looking verdant year round, and the chapparal is abloom with every kind of native shrub and flower. It’s absolutely gorgeous any time of year, but spring is the best.
Because I’m an insatiably curious person about art, nature, science – well, just about anything – I found a link on the geology of the San Gabriels for any locals who might be interested.
http://seis.natsci.csulb.edu/deptweb/SkinnyCalSites/TrnsverseRng/SanGabriels/SanGablOview2.html
My favorite part was the discussion of the Precambrian Basement. I have a feeling there aren’t any good bargains there, though. I kept hoping with a billion years of compression and folding there’d be a diamond or two to talk about – but no luck.
Oh, and this is my entry for this week’s “Draw or paint something green” challenge.
Casey
April 23, 2007
Another beautiful landscape – I envy you living in such an incredible place.
alison
April 23, 2007
Great sense of distance – and a secret valley between the mountain ranges. Beautiful.
laserone
April 23, 2007
What a wonderful painting and what a cute name for it, too!
Sherie
April 24, 2007
Awesome painting and wish I lived there! I just love your style.
Su
April 24, 2007
This is just a smashing watercolour painting – I love it!
Linda
April 24, 2007
Ah… beautiful greens, but look at those wonderful warm pinkish-oranges, too! This is fabulous.
Creekhiker
April 25, 2007
Karen, Just fascinating reading on this one! All those “faults” scare me a bit when I realize the mountains all around us were created by them! Love today’s rose as well.
Hey – on May 5 (maybe the 4th as well) a well know glass artist will be working on an installation at the Arboretum. That’s not that far for you (Santa Anita exit) and might make for some interesting sketches… glass in nature kind of thing. Very “Chihuly.”
Holly
andrea
May 5, 2007
Congratulations – it is a gorgeous piece.
Malinda
May 5, 2007
YAY KAREN!!!!!! I am so happy for you!!
juj
May 5, 2007
Congratualtions on your well deserved recognition for this beautiful painting.
Mariana
May 5, 2007
Congratulations Karen, it’s a gorgeous painting!
carole
May 5, 2007
Yay! Well done, well deserved!
E-J
May 5, 2007
Congratulations on your success with this painting, Karen. It has a refreshingly “chunky” style for a watercolour … Nice one!
nina johansson
May 5, 2007
Congratulations, it is very well deserved!
Annie
May 5, 2007
Congrats, Karen. I am convinced that all of your spacious paintings of skies and mountains and lakes would win a BEST if submitted at shows. They lift my heart.
Jo Castillo
May 5, 2007
Hey, congratulations! This is just a great painting. Nice composition and all.
Jo
MartÃn
May 5, 2007
Congratulations!!! It’s a terrific work! I had visited your site and seen before. I like the use of blue/orange as contrast. really beautiful. Congratulationg again for the award!
ksklein
May 6, 2007
Congrats! You deserved the prize!
Casey
May 6, 2007
I’m a little late with my congratulations but they are heartfelt! You definitely deserved this honor, Karen, brava!
Creekhiker
May 6, 2007
Congratulations Karen!!! I love this painting too.
Lydia Velarde
May 7, 2007
Hi Karen,!
I just read the news!
cONGRATS ON THE BEST OF SHOW, THAT’S SO AWESOME!
Love the boldness!Arty Velarde
Wendee
May 7, 2007
Wonderful! Woohoo!
paulien
May 7, 2007
Karen, I hope you kknow how much you are inspiring other people. At least me. Congratulations, and here’s to many more victories!
Toni
May 7, 2007
Congratulations!!! Way to go.
Brenda Yarborough
May 7, 2007
Congratulations and well-deserved – you are so inspiring!!