Rose Brooch in Display

"Rose Brooch"detail © Carrie Garrott 2012

I finished the display for “Rose Brooch”. It turned out better than I was expecting, so I’m having a hard time making myself give it away.  I will submit it to the charity benefit soon, promise.

paint layers

paint layers

paint layers

Check out the fantastic frame, my awesome husband made it for me. It really completes the piece.

"Rose Brooch" © Carrie Garrott 2012

"Rose Brooch" © Carrie Garrott 2012

"Rose Brooch" © Carrie Garrott 2012

"Rose Brooch" © Carrie Garrott 2012

Rose Brooch

"Rose Brooch" © Carrie Garrott 2012

I have been pretty busy this past month substitute teaching for some colleagues. Don’t get me wrong, I love teaching art, it’s one of my favorite things to do. I just did not have much time or energy to work on my own artwork, hence no blog posts. So now that I can, I have spent the past few days in the studio working toward some goals.

 

 

Hand painted, watercolor paper, resin coated

"Rose Brooch in Progress" © Carrie Garrott 2012

I have been working on this piece with the intent to donate it to an up coming local charity auction. I am also planning on making a wall mounted display for the piece so that it can be used as wall art and/or body adornment.

 

 

Laying out and numbering petals

"Rose Brooch in Progress" © Carrie Garrott 2012

Preparing to cut out silver backings

"Rose Brooch in Progress" © Carrie Garrott 2012

Silver backing with pin and receivers soldered in place

"Rose Brooch in Progress" © Carrie Garrott 2012

Top section riveted to backing

"Rose Brooch in Progress" © Carrie Garrott 2012

Back view showing rivets.

"Rose Brooch in Progress" © Carrie Garrott 2012

"Rose Brooch" © Carrie Garrott 2012

"Rose Brooch" © Carrie Garrott 2012

"Rose Brooch, back" © Carrie Garrott 2012

"Rose Brooch" © Carrie Garrott 2012

More to come soon…

Blooming

Several of my flowering plants are currently blooming, I wanted to share some images.

Barrel Cactus Bloom

Barrel Cactus bloom, my new favorite flower.

Ocotillo Blooms

Passion Flower, this is one of the most interesting flowers I have ever seen.

Passion Flower

Garden Rose, these just grow wild in my yard and they smell as good as they look.

Garden Rose

Pin Cushion Cactus with blooms, I love how the blooms circle around the cactus.

Pin Cushion Cactus

Fresh Air

Sunrise

My husband and I spent our spring break in one of the most beautiful parts of the U.S. (well, at least I think it is). We camped out in the mountainous desert of Southwest Texas. We had a wonderful time, sunshine, fresh air and all that. It’s nice to stop… catch your breath and do some soul searching.  I wanted to share some images from the trip.

Small cactus growing out of a rock.

A wicked Lechuguilla.

Close-up of Goat's Horn Cactus.

Close-up of Claret Cup Cactus

Close-up of Ocotillo with dew drops from morning fog.

Morning dew drops caught on spiderweb.

Sunset view from camp.

The Beauty of Imperfection

Carrie Garrott © 2012

These images are photographs I took as research for a future body of work. My plan is to emphasize the physical changes that occur in living things because of time, illness or trauma.  I wish to focus on the imperfections found in old or damaged botanicals with the intent of creating a parallel between the frailties of flora and the frailties of fauna.       

Carrie Garrott © 2012

Carrie Garrott © 2012

Carrie Garrott © 2012

Carrie Garrott © 2012

Carrie Garrott © 2012

Carrie Garrott © 2012

Carrie Garrott © 2012

John William Waterhouse

Hylas and the Nymphs, 1896 (detail)

I wrote about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in a previous blog entry, anyone familiar with the brotherhood probably wondered why I did not include John William Waterhouse. It’s not because I don’t like his work, in fact I love his paintings. Waterhouse is one of my all-time favorite artists, he was one of the first artists I studied and admired. John William Waterhouse was not truly a Pre-Raphaelite; he was technically a neo-classic painter and postdates the brotherhood.  His career began almost two decades after the brotherhood disbanded. Waterhouse’s later works are in the Pre-Raphaelite style and he is said to have been influenced or inspired by the brotherhood artists. Many historians and artists consider Waterhouse a Pre-Raphaelite painter because of his style and subject matter; I tend to agree but I feel his work is the greatest of the brotherhood.

JohnWilliam Waterhouse, 1886

The Magic Circle, 1886

The Lady of Shalott, 1888

A Mermaid, 1892-1900

Ophelia, 1889

The Siren, 1901

A Naiad, 1893

Ophelia, 1894

Flora and the Zephyrs, 1897

Boreas,1903

Echo and Narcissus, 1903

The Lady of Shalott,1894

Hylas and the Nymphs,1896

Lamia, 1905

"Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May", 1908

The Soul of the Rose, 1908