"Picnic at Pinchot" By Debra Tritt Kreiger

Acrylic Painting on canvas 10"x8"

This painting was started plein air and finished in my studio. The Susquehanna Valley Plein Air painters hosted painting and a picnic at Pinchot Park this year. It was a bit breezy and cool and I was really happy when the sun came out. Sue made some wonderful coffee and we all shared some great food! Artist are also great cooks!

This painting along with others can be seen at the Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters Exhibit at the Mechanicburg Art Center December 10th - January 13. Reception Saturday Dec 10 from 1 to 3pm.

To see more of my work go to www.debkreiger.com or follow my blog at debkreiger.blogspot.com or you can shop in my new store, Deb's Gifts

NED THE BOX TURTLE by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'75/100

'Ned the Box Turtle'
Oil 6 x 6
75/100

Day 75

My grandkids found this adorable box turtle in the woods,

and immediately named him Ned.  When I asked them if

they knew if  'Ned' was a boy or a girl, they weren't sure - so

Grandma did some research on the internet and discovered

that the sex of the box turtle can determined by the color of the

irises of their eyes - males have red irises and females have

golden irises.  So, Ned with the red irisies is a Ned after all!

I want to share something that I found and fell in love with as
soon as I started working with it.  About a month ago, I purchased
 a Paint On Tabletop easel from artist Karin Jurick,
that she and her husband Brett have designed

and built specifically for doing small paintings.  One of the

 things I most like about this easel is that I have no

problems painting clear out to the edges of the canvas - whether

 it be stretched canvas or canvas panel.  I have also found that it is

 perfect for painting in the house - it's compact and very sturdy, and

if I remove the sliding bar (see photo below), I can

 easily work on larger canvases.  I like it so much, and have found

that it is so versatile that I moved the big easel from the house

back up to my regular studio. If you are interested in purchasing

one of these easels, you can go to Karin's website.  If you look

at the photo below, you can see I have already broken mine in - it's

got lots of paint on it already! 

Me painting 'Ned' on my new easel

If you would like to see more of my work,

please visit my website or my blog. If you are

interested in purchasing any of my paintings you see

here on this blog, please contact me.

Claire Beadon Carnell

Member of:

Oil Painters of America

Daily Painters of Pennsylvania

Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters

LEFTOVER BLOSSOMS by Claire Beadon Carnell Plein Air 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'73/100

'Leftover Blossoms'
Oil 5 x 7
73/100

Day 73

I took advantage of the beautiful weather today and did this
little painting of a dried hydrangea blossom that was still
on the bush.  I like to leave the blossoms on during the winter
to add a little interest to the garden.  The green of the pine tree
in the background really made the flowers stand out.

If you would like to see more of my work,

please visit my website or my blog. If you are

interested in purchasing any of my paintings you see

here on this blog, please contact me.

Claire Beadon Carnell

Member of:

Oil Painters of America

Daily Painters of Pennsylvania

Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters

AH, SPRING! by Claire Beadon Carnell Plein Air 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'72/100

'Ah, Spring'
Oil 5 x 7
72/100

Day 72

We've lived in our house for over twenty years, and I will
never forget the first Spring, and our surprize and joy at seeing these
 lovely purple crocus growing all through our lawn.  Each year,
as soon as we get a warm day, they start to pop out all
over, and often in the most unexpected places!
 
I wasn't able to get out with the Susquehanna Valley Plein Air
 Painters yesterday when they went to Wildwood yesterday, so
 I took advantage of the beautiful weather today and went out
into my own back yard to do some plein air painting - so much fun!

If you would like to see more of my work,

please visit my website or my blog. If you are

interested in purchasing any of my paintings you see

here on this blog, please contact me.

Claire Beadon Carnell

Member of:

Oil Painters of America

Daily Painters of Pennsylvania

Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters

GHOSTLY GARDEN VISITOR by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'71/100

'Ghostly Garden Visitor'
Oil 6 x 6
71/100

Day 71

I get a lot of these cabbage moths in my garden during the
summer months, and although I know they wreak havok
on my cabbage heads and other veggies, I  still enjoy their delicate
 and ethereal presence as they flit from plant to plant.  This one decided
that the meadow sage was going to be his lunch du jour.

If you would like to see more of my work,

please visit my website or my blog. If you are

interested in purchasing any of my paintings you see

here on this blog, please contact me.

Claire Beadon Carnell

Member of:

Oil Painters of America

Daily Painters of Pennsylvania

Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters

PANSY by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'69/100

'Pansy'

Oil  4 x 4

69/100

Day 69


We're having a beautiful day here, lots of sunshine and blue skies.
You could almost fool yourself into thinking it is early Spring
until you walk outside and feel the temperatures!  No doubt
about it, it's definitely Winter here in PA.  Thought it would be
nice to paint this little sunlit pansy to brighten the day.  Something
to continue the illusion that it's a little bit warmer outside than
it really is...


If you would like to see more of my work,
please visit my website or my blog. If you are
interested in purchasing any of my paintings you see
here on this blog, please contact me.

HEMLOCK BERRIES by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'68/100

'Hemlock Berries'
Oil  4 x 4
68/100

Day 68



I have to admit, when I was little I was very attracted
to pretty berries and beans...and not in a healthy way.
When I lived in California, my best friend (and next-door
neighbor) and I would get together and eat those very beautiful
(and equally poisonous) pink and white castor beans.  My friend
would be taken to the hospital to have her stomach pumped,
but my mother would just make me drink salt water...

So... you would have thought that when
we moved to Pennsylvania I would have been somewhat wiser...
well, it only took one more time with the dreaded salt water, and I never
touched these stunning ruby berries again!

If you would like to see more of my work,
please visit my website or my blog. If you are
interested in purchasing any of my paintings you see
here on this blog, please contact me.

HOMAGE TO THE HETZI HOLLY by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'67/100

'Homage to the Hetzi Holly'
Oil  5 x 7
67/100

Day 67


This ia a simple study of a sprig of Japanese
Hetzi Holly that grows at the back corner of my
house. I planted this bush over 18 years ago,
and this is the first year that it produced berries.
Now, I do realize that this most likely happened because
someone in the area planted a male of this
species, but that does not take away the thrill
I got when I noticed all of these wonderful
bluish-black berries covering this holly!

Can't wait to see some snow on them * * *

If you would like to see more of my work,
please visit my website or my blog. If you are
interested in purchasing any of my paintings you see
here on this blog, please contact me.

FLURRIES ON THE RIDGE Plein Air Painting by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'66/100

'Flurries on the Ridge'
Oil  6 x 8
66/100

Day 66

What a surprise to wake up one morning to the sight of
snow flurries coming in over the mountain ridge.  The
flurries provided the perfect atmosphere for painting 
this weathered old pine tree, which looked as if had already
withstood many a storm. 

If you would like to see more of my work,
please visit my website or my blog. If you are
interested in purchasing any of my paintings you see
here on this blog, please contact me.

THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING Plein Air Painting by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'65/100

'The Day After Thanksgiving'
Oil  9 x 12
65/100

Day 65

Thanksgiving day was pretty cold, raw, and rainy here
in Pennsylvania (a perfect day to stay in, eat yummy food
and nap!)  The day after, the wind kicked up and blew the
clouds away, leaving behind a pale light that bathed the
woods.

I have been refining my palette to get cleaner, fresher
color, and working to push the feeling of light in my work.
I was happy with what happened with this little
plein air.  What do you think?

If you would like to see more of my work,
please visit my website or my blog. If you are
interested in purchasing any of my paintings you see
here on this blog, please contact me.

SWEET YELLOW PEPPERS by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'64/100

'Sweet Yellow Peppers'
Oil  5 x 7
64/100

Day 64

Thanks to my friends Carolyn and Fred Baldwin,
these sweet yellow peppers that they gave to me
have made it onto canvas.  This was one of those
paintings that pretty much painted itself - I started it
and suddenly realized I was putting on the final
highlights!  I love when that happens...when I start to
paint and the rest of the world disappears.

If you would like to see more of my work,
please visit my website or my blog. If you are
interested in purchasing any of my paintings you see
here on this blog, please contact me.

RED LEAF by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'62/100

'Red Leaf'
Oil  6 x 6
62/100

Day 62

The leaves are really coming to their color peak here
in Pennsylvania right now.  It seems that everywhere
I go I am picking up the ones that fascinate me because
of their color and/or shape.  This one really caught my
attention because of the shades of red, and those curling
leaves.
If you would like to see more of my work,
please visit my website or my blog. If you are
interested in purchasing any of my paintings you see
here on this blog, please contact me.

WINGED GOURD WINGED GOURD 2 by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'54/100 and 55/100

'Winged Gourd'
Oil 6 x 8
54/100

'Winged Gourd 2'
Oil 6 x 8
55/100

Day 54 and Day 55


Gourds amaze me - you plant the seeds and you never
truly know what you are going to get - so it is such a nice
surprize to find in the garden. These are both from the
winged gourd family, and yet they have their own distinct
'personalities'. I thought the first one was a bit devilish,
and quite perfect for Halloween!

If you would like to see more of my work,
please visit my website or my blog. If you are
interested in purchasing any of my paintings you see
here on this blog, please contact me.

AND DOWN WILL COME BABY by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'53/100

'And Down Will Come Baby'
Oil 6 x 6
53/100

Day 53



Another little bit of whimsey that was born from the discovery
of a delicate little bird's nest (thanks to my grandson, Jake).
The main body of the nest is built from fragile plant stems, complete
with tiny dried leaves. The interior of the nest is so finely lined with
horsehair - it is swirled into the inner walls with such finesse and beauty!
Add into this nest a 3" china doll baby I have had for years...then have this
nest floating down from the sky...and the familiar lullaby starts working
its way into my head as I paint...

If you would like to see more of my work,
please visit my website or my blog. If you are
interested in purchasing any of my paintings you see
here on this blog, please contact me.

ONE LAST HURRAH by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'52/100

'One Last Hurrah'
Oil 6 x 8
52/100

Day 52


I thought that my tomatoes were pretty much done for
the season, but when I went out this past weekend I found
a few more, along with this heirloom beauty. Loving tomatoes
as much as I do, there is a bit of sadness knowing that the season is
finishing up...but I am looking into the indoor hydoponic gardens
to see what we can get growing in the cold months!

If you would like to see more of my work,
please visit my website or my blog. If you are
interested in purchasing any of my paintings you see
here on this blog, please contact me.

CHESTNUT OAK ACORNS by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'51/100

'Chestnut Oak Acorns'
Oil 4 x 4
51/100

Day 51

I have seen these acorns at Kings Gap State Park, and
also right in the front yard of our cabin in the woods.
They were green for so long, and then all at once they
turned a beautiful chestnut brown. What is really interesting
is that the caps are almost as thin as porcelain, yet can
fall from the trees and remain intact. Nature will never
fail to impress and astound me...

If you would like to see more of my work,
please visit my website or my blog. If you are
interested in purchasing any of my paintings you see
here on this blog, please contact me.

IN PRAISE OF ORANGE by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'50/100

'In Praise of Orange'
Oil 6 x 8
50/100

Day 50

I have to admit, that of all of the colors in the spectrum,
orange is my least favorite...except when it comes to flowers.
Orange flowers have such a happy dispositon, and they look
great in any spot in the garden, especially if they are paired with
blue or purple. I can't imagine NOT having orange in my garden,
but you definitely won't find it on the walls of my home!

This particular zinnia is from the Kings Gap State Park
flower garden. There was a mass of zinnias begging to be
painted, along with all of the butterflies and bees that were
stopping by them to get some lunch. Think you'll be seeing more
of them... :)


If you would like to see more of my work,
please visit my website or my blog. If you are
interested in purchasing any of my paintings you see
here on this blog, please contact me.

TINY TOADSTOOLS by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'49/100

'Tiny Toadstools'
Oil 6 x 8
49/100

Day 49

These little toadstools were hiding under the base
of the meadow sage. As the heat of the day increased,
the caps of the toadstools expanded. I just know that
there have to be some garden fairies hiding in there
somewhere...

If you would like to see more of my work,
please visit my website or my blog. If you are
interested in purchasing any of my paintings you see
here on this blog, please contact me.

YELLOW BUTTERFLY BUSH by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'48/100

'Yellow Butterfly Bush
Oil   6 x 6
48/100

Day 48

I was over at my daughter's house this morning
to see my grandson off to his first day of second grade,
and as I was leaving I snitched a few sprigs from her
yellow butterfly bush.    The blooms are really starting to fade, and
I've been wanting to paint it all summer because of the
buttery color of the blossoms.  I just hope that she can give me a
baby from it next spring so that I can have some in my own garden!

If you would like to see more of my work,
please visit my website or my blog. If you are
interested in purchasing any of my paintings you see
here on this blog, please contact me.

SUNNY DAY by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'47/100

'Sunny Day'
Oil   11 x 14
47/100


Day 47

Members of our plein air group (Susquehanna Valley
Plein Air Painters) have spent the last two days
painting the sunflower fields of Ashcombe's Garden
Center. In addition to the beautiful sunflowers,
there were butterflies, bees and goldfinches and even a baby
bunny rabbit that squealed when one of our painters
walked a little too close to where he was hiding.

If you would like to see more of my work,
please visit my website or my blog. If you are
interested in purchasing any of my paintings you see
here on this blog, please contact me.