Painting Sale

Special pricing from Feb 1 until Feb 14 - all paintings still available on website will be 1/2 price plus shipping and $10 for packaging. I am revamping my art studio and website. Please email me at karen.oliver @outlook.com (no spaces). This does NOT include paintings in shows or galleries (first come/first served).

https://www.karenoliversfineart.com/

Fleurs de Feathers

"Fleurs de Feathers"

Acrylic and paper on canvas   10" x 8"

Framed    #20015717

Lois Mollard came from Armstrong to the Eagle Valley Brush and Palette Club to show us how to build up an acrylic painting using acrylic based pastes. I had a lot of fun trying the pastes after painting a very vibrant under painting then using pastes on top for a background texture. I also incorporated paper collage. It was very strange painting over the rough texture but I liked the effect. 

"I'm Not Suppose To Tell Anyone, But..."

"Talk" about fun to do! Wild colours and wild conversations. We have all been at both ends, the speaker of secrets and the receiver of secrets we may not of wanted to hear. Now we are the unwilling keeper of the "secret". When I was painting this one, I was going to call it "Office Politics" but then thought the concept was more general than that. Did you notice the speaker has her fingers crossed?

"I'm Not Suppose To Tell Anyone, But..."

16" x 12" Acrylic on canvas with black painted sides

 #20123216

Paddling The Shuswap

This painting was done with the Eagle Valley Brush and Palette Club in Sicamous. Leanne Spanza taught a workshop for the group awhile back and not all could attend so Betty showed us Leanne's technique and away we went. It was certainly different for me to paint in this style but doing a water scene is always enjoyable in any style. Leanne's technique looks simple enough until you try to do it, enjoyed the learning there.

"Paddling The Shuswap"

16" x 12"

Acrylic on canvas

#20119216

"Girls Who Do Lunch" - Liana Bennett FCA workshop

"Girls Who Do Lunch"

20" x 16" Acrylic on Canvas

#20021316  $300 unframed

Can't you just feel the fun in this one?! Again "Abstracting The Figure" was the workshop so I wasn't going for a realistic rendering but rather the figures gesture and attitude. Love, love, love this one. I hope to do more in a similar style.

Liana Bennett FCA workshop - "The Last Show"

I have read artists "story lines" for their art and always wonder how they come up with such descriptive ideas behind their art. I usually paint what inspires me. At Liana's "Abstracting The Figure" workshop, I had the experience of a full story in a painting develop before me. We were to paint a blank canvas using words, colours, designs, really anything that inspired us.

I started with a very colourful background (no surprise there) and printed the word "GRATITUDE" in capital letters across it, knowing full well it would probably be covered up. It looked like a funky graffiti wall. We were told to carve out a figure and the story began. The figure started to look like someone in period costume and it made me think of my Aunt Lynn that recently passed away. She was very involved in theater and as I saw this progress everything fit, the last dress up, last story delivered, last performance and with gratitude!





"The Last Show"
Acrylic on canvas board 20" x 16"
#20020316

Kacie, Keelie and Kalli - a pet portrait

This is a pet portrait that Lavona commissioned (thank you!). I loved their bright collars and the differences in each dog's face. The top painting was just about finished so I asked for input and made a couple of minor changes. They were unsure of the vibrant pink background so I toned it down but still kept some of the pink coming through. It was hard to find a neutral colour (with the dogs all being neutral) without washing them out. The final painting is below.

Kacie, Keelie and Kalli - sold

11" x 14" Acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas with image over the sides and bottom.
#20101015
The response to the gifted painting "... to share with you the bride was so excited with my gift of the dane painting...she had tears in her eyes!  My son too was  thrilled and says.." wow" that looks exactly like her!!"
So grateful for the feedback, thanks Lavona!

Mia Moo - a pet portrait

"Mia Moo"    SOLD

9" x 9" Acrylic on gallery wrap (with painted sides)

This wonderful Great Dane was a commission that was going to be given as a gift. This beauty's attitude really came through in the photo I was given...what a great way to spend my birthday. It was fun using so many colours even though Mia Moo is black and white, I did not use black! I just love her name! I also worked on another commission that I will post later.

"Waiting For PlayTime 2"

"Waiting For Playtime 2"

Oil on gallery wrap canvas (1 3/4" painted sides - frame not required)

40" x 30"
$1200
click on either painting for a larger view

This is one of my favourite paintings! I currently have it up in my dining room and enjoy it every time I go by. Summer and water are two of my favorite things and this painting captures them both, as well as the sense of warmth and play. This is one of the largest paintings I have done and am so happy with it.

Below is the first painting in acrylic from a reference photo showing more of the large dock system and the very small boat. I was really happy with it and found the wood panel I painted on showed the wood grooves which added to my interest. I liked it so much I wanted to paint it larger and in oil. My art friends (Debbie and Linda) suggested I make the small boat larger and leave out more of the large dock (they are sooooo art smart). I am enjoying the acrylic one in my art studio, reminders of summer with the long snowy winter looming ahead.

"Waiting For Playtime"

Acrylic on wood panel 15" x 16.5"

$250 framed in a brown frame painted to match the dock

"Fergus 2" A Pet Portrait

"Fergus"

8" x 8" 1 1/2" gallery wrap canvas with

sides painted (framing not required)

$75

 This family pet is a real character and fun enough to paint a second time!

Sicamous Arts and Craft Show and Sale

This is an invitation to anyone coming to or through Sicamous B.C. for the Eagle Valley Arts Council Community Arts and Craft Show at the "Red Barn" downtown. The show is from 10am to 6pm through July 2. This year they are having a "show within a show" of paintings done of Sicamous landmarks. I have 4 paintings of the Sicamous views and landmarks as well as 4 paintings in the regular show.

The art show is beautifully displayed and includes acrylic, water colours, oil, pastel and mixed media. Some of the crafts for sale include jewelry, cement plant pots, glass jewelry and dishes, cards, wood bowls, reusable bags sewn from last years banners, painted wine glasses and tiles.

 "Gateway To Shuswap"  SOLD

9" x 11" Acrylic

"Leila 2" A Pet Portrait

This is the second time I have painted the really expressive Leila. She sadly has passed on but her family still treasures the loving memories made with her. Click here to see Leila 1.

"Leila 2"

Oil on board 8" x 8" framed in a black shadow box

$100

Sicamous, B.C. Art Walk 2013

 

 

The BC Arts and Culture Week (April 21-27) is the start of the annual Art Walk presented by the Eagle Valley Brush and Palette Club in Sicamous, B.C. The free Art Walk runs from April until September with members paintings in various businesses. There are brochures with maps in each business and you can walk around town and look at the art. The two paintings below are in the Eagle Valley Manor along with 3 others I will post later.

 

It is a fun day to go from place to place, especially if it is not a warm lake day!

 

 

 

 

"Red Amaryllis"

Acrylic 16" x 20"

 

 

"Northern Flicker"

12" x 16" Oil on board

 

www.KarenOliversFineArt.com

Deb's Lily Pads - layered with epoxy

Deb's Lily Pad

12`` x 16` Oil on canvas with half inch black painted sides.

click on picture for a larger view

Yes, you may have seen this one before in another posting. I took a workshop with the FCA and learnt how to apply epoxy to paintings. At first I applied it only to the water but it made the leaves look dull. I let that dry and then coated the whole painting and added a few metallic flecks in the water that catch the light. I absolutely love it, the colours really popped with the epoxy coating. It was too reflective to take a photograph of the final painting. I have it up temporarily in our lunch room at work and it is fun to watch people get right up close to have a better look and touch it.

Newton - A commissioned dog portrait

``Newton`` - NFS (Comissioned)

12`` x 16`` Acrylic on canvas

This dog portrait is a Christmas gift for Shelly`s hubby. Newton was posed at the table during some family fun. He looks like he is in the middle of a serious discussion with you and with a cold drink in paw, ready to hear you out. Painting a dog pretty much all one colour was a fun challenge. I thought the old fashioned yellowy-green pop glass fitted the picture better.

Zebras in Blue, Yellow and Copper

"Zebras in Blue, Yellow and Copper"

30" x 22" Acrylic on Watercolour paper

Framed under glass in a dark brown 33" x 23" frame

click on picture for a larger view

I really had fun with this one. I worked on a full sheet of watercolour paper and used only blue (3), yellow (1) and iridescent copper for paint. It was a challenge to make more colours using only those 5 and with my love of colour, not to add more!

I started this painting by wetting the whole sheet and dropping colours in, letting them mix and mingle. This is what the light stripes on the zebras consist of. I painted the dark stripes with the variety of blues with adding small amounts of the copper. The foreground was done last with all of the colours intermingled. I have now done this painting 3 different ways and 3 different sizes (1/4 sheet, 1/2 sheet and a full sheet of watercolour paper).

I had so much fun with the photograph my friend Joan so graciously let me use, change and add to my satisfy my artist eye.

Paintings for sale can be found on my website.

A la carte - Zebra style

"A la carte - Zebra style"

Acrylic on Watercolour Paper

20" x 14" double matted in a 30 1/2" x 23" green wood frame

click on painting for a larger view

I have wonderful friends that share their photos with me and Joan is always generous with hers. This is based on a photo she took in Africa. I had so much fun doing a smaller painting (previously on blog) that I wanted to do a large half sheet painting.

I painted the background in a similar way to a watercolour wash and was happy with how it turned out. The stripes are done in a "wet in wet" watercolour style as well.  Of course with my love of colour, black and white would not do. It is hard to see in this picture but the dark stripes actually have purple, red, orange, yellow and blue and the light stripes are red, yellow and orange!

I don't think I am done with this image yet, I will have to do another one as my imagination is still having fun with colour choices!

Check for paintings for sale on my website. 

Joan's Zebras

I am so lucky and grateful to have friends who share their travels with me in photographs I can paint and adapt any way I like. The picture below is my take on a photo Joan took when traveling to Africa with her family recently.

Of course the zebra's are black and white, just not in my painting world! I did not change the placement of the zebras, they were perfect just the way they were, however the stripes are not the same. I don't paint usually with black so the dark stripes have blue, red and brown and the light stripes are a mix of red, orange and yellow. Oh this girl, is having way to much fun!!!

"Joan's Zebras"

10 1/2" x 8 1/2" acrylic on watercolour paper

double matted in a dark wood 18" x 14 1/2" frame

Please check out my  website for paintings for sale.

I have a website!!

I am still doing a happy dance!!! My sister Shannon helped me start a website for my art. We did an exchange...while I was sewing a quilt with her sky diving t-shirts, she was working on starting a website for me. I was power sewing and answering her questions (not easy using the right and left side of the brain at the same time). Shannon did a website as part of her Masters degree so she knew what she was doing.

The second best part was the funny things she had put on the website that I did not see until I went in to add pictures & information...under pet portraits, her dog Chi Chi was the star!

Chi Chi

Oil on canvas board 11" x 14" NFS

Under "about the artist" she had listed my family members as "a husband named after a vegetable" (Gord) and 2 kids that would rather fly than bike, walk etc (pilot and flight attendant). Loved all the tid bits I found as I was loading pictures etc. We both enjoy humour (sometimes very easily amused) and can tickle each others funny bone. Love that girl!!

If you get a chance to check it out, go to: www.KarenOliversFineArt.com  Oh yeah, happy dance!

Theo - A Dog Portrait

"Theo" NFS

Acrylic on Board

11" x 13.5" in a silver metal frame
click on picture for a larger view

This precious pet belongs to Nicki. He had just been into some beet juice and was doing his best to not look guilty!!! Life with this dog is not dull!

This is the last of the pet portraits from work - 4 dogs and a bluebird nest was sent to me when I asked for pictures of pets to paint over the summer. Most of my summer was fixing up our summer cabin after a lake flood so I did not get much painting done. I need to paint things that have meaning to me, so while I was painting the pets, I could think of the owners and the stories that were supplied. This portrait of Theo will be happily gifted to Nicki