Blue Purple Pansy ACEO Original Painting Floral Art

"Purple Pansy" ACEO, ATC Original Painting

3.5 x 2.5" acrylic on watercolor paper

A few pansies remain in my garden among the autumn leaves. I find them happy little flowers in their colorful arrays. It's fun to watch for the little birds "hiding" in and among them as they pick up the leftovers from the feeders.

I used a couple of blues, a purple, a red purple and a yellow for this small painting. This was my play with colors before beginning a larger painting of similar flowers. Do you like it?

You can purchase my ACEO paintings in my Etsy store KJoannRussell .

River Valley Landscape ACEO, ATC Original Small Painting

"River Valley"

2.5 x 3.5" acrylic on watercolor paper (ACEO)

As usual, I just played with a few colors until a composition presented itself. This is a composite of the mountains around here with a river going through the valley. It isn't a realistic painting of the famous Rogue River that flows through the town of Grants Pass, OR on its way to the Pacific Ocean, but I like this small landscape result.

Be sure to click on the image for a larger photo of the ACEO.

Pink Tulips Garden Flowers ACEO, ATC by K. Joann Russell

"Pink Tulips" ACEO

3.5 x 2.5" Acrylic on watercolor paper

This small painting was so much fun to do! I wanted to try a few select colors, a couple of reds and a couple of blues plus a lime green. The 140# watercolor paper provided a great texture for the white to show in places to give the painting a sparkle.

For those not acquainted with the term ACEO, it stands for "Art Cards, Editions and Originals". They originated with Art Trading Cards (ATC) among artists. The dimensions are the same as other trading cards. They are very popular currently.

Purchasing an ACEO is an economical way to collect original art. Some people have large collections of these. There are special display cases for them as well as other accessories. I like to see them framed in a group matting. Little colorful gems that are one of a kind!

Be sure to click on the image of the painting for a larger view that will show brush strokes and color nuances. Enjoy!

Original Rural Landscape Painting with Horses

"Oregon Pastures #2"
8 x 10" oil on canvas, gallery wrap

The greens in this small painting were so much fun. Lots of variations from only a few colors of oil paints. Horses pastured on small acreages are quite typical of southern Oregon.

An earlier painting with a similar composition I painted in watercolor on paper. The effects are quite different. You can view both on my website, K. Joann Russell

To read more about this painting Click here

Southern Oregon Valley Sketch for Landscape Paintings

"Southern Oregon Valley Sketch"

5 x 8" acrylic/ink on paper

Five minutes of playing with four colors plus white! The result seemed to be a composite sketch of the landscape elements around this part of Oregon...the mountains, forests, orchards and vineyards, the open lands, rivers and the changing cloud formations. The ink lines give more definition to the color shapes.

It is a month since my last post. Wow! Has it been that long? At times I've been tempted to use this blog to chronicle my adventures learning about a new town and its people, but I've resisted and kept the blog specific to art. I guess I need to do more super fast sketches.

To read my comments about my comings and goings, I suggest reading my tweets on twitter. @KJoannRussell

First Sunflower Painting from New Studio

"One Bright Sunflower"
12 x 9" watercolor on watercolor paper

Here's the first completed painting from my new location in Grants Pass, Oregon. I so enjoy the bright blue skies and I haven't tired of viewing the evergreen covered mountains surrounding this valley. I think the bright light influenced how I painted this watercolor.

After finishing the painting today, what a comedy to find and set up the camera tripod in a new lighting area. The funniest part was the hunt for my inventory sheets so that I could correctly number and label this watercolor. I had put them in a secure place during the packing prior to the move. Yes, I finally found them tucked in with the other precious files of decor prints.

Click here to purchase this colorful painting.

K. Joann Russell Joins Grants Pass, Oregon Art Scene

The sun still shines in this mountain valley along the Rogue River with blue skies rather than a background of gray. I can't get over the warmth even after a brief rain shower. More temperatures in the 90's forecast for the rest of this week.

Each day I'm meeting new people in this lovely area where a notable artists' community impacts the cultural scene. Today I visited a few galleries and the art museum. I'm getting tempted to display in galleries again. And I joined the local social networking site, The Grants Pass Art Scene. It's fun getting connected locally after being on the web almost exclusively for the last several years.

Yes, I've been painting amid the endless details of relocation. A sunflower watercolor that has "bugged" me for some time is actually evolving to a nice finish.