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Sunday, August 14, 2011

"Bags"

10x20 oil on canvas

Have you ever started a painting and wondered why in the world haven't I tried this sooner!!??

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Painting for me is like a treasure hunt of finding all the unexpected colors...

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that actually make up what we perceive as one color.  

How fun this was to explore just how far I could push color and brushwork in this painting!  I'm seriously in love with brown .... I mean magenta, and cad orange, and pink, and gray, and blue, and violet paper bags now.  

I think I'll so another :)

22 comments:

  1. Michel McNinchAugust 15, 2011 at 5:54 AM

    I guessing there are bows inside the bags! : ) Nice painting!

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  2. Audrey HackmanAugust 15, 2011 at 6:13 AM

    Who knew that bags could be so beautiful. Another stunning painting!

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  3. Mary AnneAugust 15, 2011 at 6:29 AM

    Karen: I have always loved your paintings and now a blogsite I can visit I am now a follower. AND you tell me you live in the Chicago area. . . . I am starting to plan a local blogger event. . . . I will email you!

    LOVE LOVE those brown paper bags!!!

    Mary Anne

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  4. Christine BrayAugust 15, 2011 at 7:15 AM

    Your amazing Karen!!!!!!!! I love the bags with the colors. Beautiful

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  5. Poet Whale StudioAugust 15, 2011 at 7:38 AM

    Beautiful paintings!

    I remember a drawing class exercise where we had to draw one paper bag. It was quite a challenge as they are not as simple as they may seem.

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  6. Ann MarieAugust 15, 2011 at 8:26 AM

    Wow! Wonderful painting. It never ceases to amaze me how an artist can take something that is mundane and lackluster and render it beautiful.

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  7. Karen AppletonAugust 15, 2011 at 10:16 AM

    Hi Michel, I'm sure bows are somewhere close by! :) That is so much the attraction for me to this subject matter too, I love that unknown interior!

    Thank you Audrey!! This was so much fun!

    OH Mary Anne, how exciting! Please email me and let me know! Thanks so much!

    Thank you Christine!!! I really loved pushing all these colors next to each other :)

    Thank you Poet Whale! And you are right, this was very difficult, I had to totally think about this as a jigsaw puzzle or I wouldn't have been able to pull it off. So many changing directions and light.

    Hi That Girl Designs! Thank you!! It really was a treat for me to discover all these hidden colors, and most were really really there! So fun! Thank you!!

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  8. Kim RempelAugust 15, 2011 at 11:09 AM

    Karen - stunning!!! I just love this painting!

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  9. AnonymousAugust 15, 2011 at 2:03 PM

    I feel at a loss for words to describe how I feel about this latest painting of yours. It's just so cool.

    I can imagine people working in offices all across this country, asking each other at 11 a.m.; "watcha doin' for lunch?" The reply: "I'm brown bagging it today".

    This painting is an American classic!! Iconic.

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  10. ski holmAugust 15, 2011 at 3:25 PM

    Hi Karen,
    I hope you don't mind but the next time that I ask one of my students what color they see when they look at a paper bag and they shrug and say "I don't know. Brown?" I'll show them THIS. Well done.

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  11. Kate LewisAugust 15, 2011 at 5:37 PM

    karen, this painting is stunning. i can't wait to see it in person!!

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  12. Karen AppletonAugust 15, 2011 at 7:21 PM

    Hey Kim!! Thank you so much!! I have been obsessed with this painting for weeks :) I really appreciate your feedback!

    Silvina!!!! I am blushing! I'm the one at a loss for words to express how much I appreciate your enormous compliment! You are tooooo much!! Thank you my friend!

    Ski I am very very flattered! Thank you so much! And truly all these colors were actually there, I just maybe enhanced them a tiny bit :)

    Kate!!! I can't wait for you to see it too! I'm so excited, I can tell I'm being inspired by your wonderful brushwork!

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  13. Don GrayAugust 16, 2011 at 2:55 AM

    So fabulous, Karen--love it!

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  14. kayce hughesAugust 19, 2011 at 8:52 PM

    So fun. Looks like lunch for my family...well half of it.

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  15. AnonymousAugust 20, 2011 at 4:06 PM

    pretty darn sweet painting!!

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  16. UnknownAugust 20, 2011 at 6:19 PM

    So much unexpected beauty in all those folds.

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  17. Karen AppletonAugust 21, 2011 at 10:17 AM

    Hi Don, thank you so much! I really appreciate it!!

    Kayce I don't know how you do it!!! :) Thanks for commenting!

    Hi Simon, thank you! And WOW I've just spent all morning on your blog and LOVE the figure painting you've been doing!

    Hi Maryann! Thank you so much! Who knew all those colors could be in a paper bag! :)

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  18. MaryAugust 22, 2011 at 8:57 PM

    Stunning! You are simply amazing!

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  19. JenniferAugust 23, 2011 at 5:00 AM

    Love. It.

    Nuff said. :)

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  20. BethAugust 28, 2011 at 8:26 PM

    I absolutely adore your work, (and have for quite some time) but I just discovered your blog! I'm so happy to have found it! If you get a moment, I did a little feature on you over at our art guild's blog. You can check it out here - http://lemleyhouseartguild.blogspot.com/2011/08/artist-spotlight-karen-appleton.html. Can't wait to see what wonderful paintings you come up with in the future!

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  21. Helen ReadAugust 30, 2011 at 2:39 PM

    Karen! I love this! :) LOVE it!

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  22. Mary Sheehan WinnSeptember 28, 2011 at 9:23 PM

    I love these paintings. Such fabulous colors in the (not) brown bags!!

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