Christmas Card 2012

I wanted to do a design with this year's Christmas card that celebrated our trip to Italy.  

After Rome we stayed in the Chianti region of Tuscany.  These Chianti bottles were hanging around a doorway of a little shop where we had lunch.  It was a beautiful spring day with the locals passing by on their daily routines.  It still feels surreal that we were there at all but seeing these bottles reminds me of days like that not to mention all the wonderful food and wine we enjoyed.

"Salute!"

Watercolor, 14" x 20"

Carmella Tuliszewski © 2012

I don't know if you can tell but this painting is a little different for me.  

It brought me back to my greeting card design days in that it's executed more loosely and,

 for me, less detail.  And it's really meant to be an illustration and not a fine art piece.

The ribbon, star and most of the leaves are invented rather than working from a reference.

Actually, after the bottles were complete I never looked at the reference again and worked spontaeously.  I am resisting putting viens in all the leaves and trying to be more looose and let the value be the defining force.  

     

Memories of one of many days in Italy.

Buon Natale!

Flower Feast Finally Finished!

This was an amazing project for me and I hope you enjoyed watching my progress over the summer and fall.  

"Snickers"

Watercolor, 12" x 18"

©Carmella Tuliszewski

"Snickers" was the first in this series.  And yes I have since changed the name to something more fun.  As I was painting these lovely little orchids they always seemed to be smiling at me.

"Promenade"

Watercolor,  12" x 18"

©Carmella Tuliszewski

I've kept this up on my board all this time because i just love looking at it.  The colors found in natural things are endlessly fancinating.

"Entwined"

Watercolor, 12" x 18"

©Carmella Tuliszewski

Another name change that I like much better.  I made this glow even more by darkening the blue background a bit and touching a little orange in the shadows.

"Sparkle"

Watercolor,  12" x 18"

©Carmella Tuliszewski

I reworked this some also to give the flowers more star quality.

"Tuscan Suns"

Watercolor,  12" x 18"

©Carmella Tuliszewski

The first work from my trip to Italy this year.  Really looking forward to devling more into the "Italy" paintings as it will be a challenge for me.  Less flowers and more people, architecture and street scenes. 

"Torches"

Watercolor, 12" x 18"

©Carmella Tuliszewski

This is the one with which I really had my best moments.

I really hate to part with any of these!  But the paintings are piling up and it's time to share.

So, my ESTY shop is up and running if you care to take a look.  The link is at the top left of this site.
Am I crazy to open a shop for selling art in this economy? Maybe.
I am taking a very conservative business approach to this by keeping the prices on originals as fair as possible and offering  affordable Giclee reproductions.  I found a printing shop close to home that does just beautiful work and whom I can rely on.

I will move onto my christmas card for this year next and then to Italy!
So please stop by again.

Tuscan Suns Complete

I love the color in this and it is a good piece to end my series on.  Next I will go over all six pieces, make corrections and enhancements and finish setting up my ESTY shop.  

I have found a great little shop to print Giclee prints and will offer a few prints of my work in my shop.

I will take a very conservative business approach to this as we all know the market is very tight these days.  I will be back with all six together and I would love to know which top two you think I should have printed.  Till next time, thanks for viewing!

"Tuscan Suns"

Watercolor,  12" x 18"

©Carmella Tuliszewski