"Scenic Route"
24x30
oil on canvas
blog collage
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
New work!
I have actually had this one finished for a while, but just now getting around to photographing and posting!
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Ellis-Nicholson Gallery Solo Show Opening this weekend!
"Nooks & Crannies"
36x36, oil on canvas
Charlotte, North Carolina artist Karen Alley opens her first solo show in Charleston with COLORing Outside the Lines. The artist says, "COLORing Outside the Lines has always suggested non-conformity to me, and that is what I am constantly thinking about when designing my paintings. Whether it is an unexpected color, or view, or brushstroke, I always want something to be out of the ordinary - colored outside the lines!"
The landscapes and waterscapes seen in this collection were designed to make the viewer stop, look, and take in the energy they create. That energy can be found in the usage of bold color, the angle of the view, or a random red tree! Alley's deft use of brushwork, along with lots of palette knife and the occasional finger paint serves only to enhance this energy.
Event Dates: 10/1/2014 - 10/31/2014
Reception: 10/3/2014 5-8 pm
Location: Ellis-Nicholson Gallery
Phone Number: 843-772-5353
Address:
1 1/2 Broad Street
Charleston, SC 29401
Website: http://www.ellis-nicholsongallery.com
Monday, August 4, 2014
Huge Summer Studio Sale!
Over 30 pieces included - all sizes.
I've been saying for about two years that I was going to dig deep into my studio to clean and clear everything out. Well I finally got to it...... AND ALL OF THESE PIECES ARE DISCOUNTED AT LEAST 50%! Some are pieces I have had in inventory for a while, others are studies I did for larger paintings, and then there are pieces I did in specialized workshops. All are in perfect condition, I just need room for new ones! Please scroll down to the description to see if it includes a frame. If it does not, and it is a 12x12, 11x14, or smaller I will gladly add a frame for $15, assuming I have one in stock to fit it. Anything larger than that just ask and I will get you a price. If you live in Charlotte and would like to come by and look, contact me and we can work that out. Shipping within the continental USA is 15% of the sales price and all sales are final. Please contact me with any questions!
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
New Spring work!
Lots of new work coming off the easel lately. I continue to enjoy creating my semi-abstract landscapes/seascapes and working in the happy blue/green family - it is FINALLY Spring after all!
"Crystal Clear"
20x20 oil on canvas, $995
"Light of Day"
24x30, oil on canvas, $1440
"In Awe"
40x30, oil on canvas, $2200
"Partly Cloudy"
36x36, oil on canvas, $1950
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Recent works!
January was filled with the "30 Paintings in 30 Days" challenge and February was filled with some fun commissions..........here are a few. Starting another tomorrow. Thank you to all who have entrusted me to capture a special memory for them!
"A Double Promise"
"Kiawah Gold"
"Rachel In The Sand"
"Charleston Sidewalk"
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Valentine's Day is next week!
How about an original piece of art for that special someone on Valentine's Day!? Here are some possibilities:
Thursday, January 30, 2014
#30 of 30!!!
I did it.......30 Paintings in 30 Days!! This has been so much fun once again and I thank all of those who told me how much they looked forward to seeing what I did each day. It really made me want to give you my best! This last one is again a simple little landscape I did with a palette knife, which keeps the feel very loose. Again, two of my favorite color combinations, greens and purples. And thank you once again to all those who purchased one of these daily paintings. I will leave the special pricing up through this weekend for those who would still like the opportunity to look.
#30 of 30
6x6, oil on panel
$100 unframed
©2014KarenAlley
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
#29 of 30!
Day 29.......I always like to take pictures of my paintings outside in the daylight as I think the colors look more true. Today I stood in the SNOW to take this one, and it is 26 degrees outside here in Charlotte! Only got a couple inches of snow, but here in the South, that's huge, literally EVERYTHING shuts down. Painting this little painting today warmed me up just a little. I took this picture on a trip to the Dominican Republic several years ago. I think this is called paddle boarding and I'm pretty certain I would be awful at it, but these guys were having a great time!
#29 of 30
6x6, oil on panel
$100 unframed
©2014KarenAlley
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
#28 of 30!
Day 28........Isn't this an adorable little scene? A friend kindly gave me permission to paint this photo and I was so thrilled to get to test my fear of painting structures again. I am so happy with the way it turned out and the fact that all the buildings were colorful helped me through the design process!
#28 of 30
"San Juan Stroll"
6x6, oil on panel
SOLD
©2014KarenAlley
Monday, January 27, 2014
#27 of 30!
Day 27.....There is nothing like clouds and water to evoke a certain mood! This one could be serene, or ominous, however YOU feel about it, because that's what art is all about, making you feel something. This is actually very similar to one of the largest paintings I have ever done for a client, yet this one is only 4x6!
#27 of 30
4x6, oil on panel
$85 unframed
©2104KarenAlley
Sunday, January 26, 2014
#25 and #26 of 30!
#25 and #26.......I have caught back up with these two very different paintings, both have orange hues, one is subtle, the other is in your face! #25 is an image I have painted several times in different sizes. I love the different layers of landscape - the path, the marshland, the water, the forest, and the distant trees. #26 is continuing my series of semi-abstract sunsets. This one pairs the complimentary colors orange and blue that just vibrate off of each other!
#25 of 30
9x12, oil on canvas
$300 unframed
©2014KarenAlley
#26 of 30
8x8, oil on panel
$150 unframed
©2014KarenAlley
Saturday, January 25, 2014
#23 and #24 of 30!
Paintings #23 and #24........and all my non-Clemson friends can just skip to #24! I don't paint structures very often because to be honest, they scare me little. As many of you know though, Clemson Univ. and Clemson football run deep in this family and when I saw this view of "Death Valley" I just loved it and decided to go for it! I really like the way it turned out and maybe it will give me the confidence to try a few more. #24 is a simple little landscape but I think the lavender sky makes it quite interesting.
#23 of 30 (Death Valley)
5x7, oil on panel
NFS
©2014KarenAlley
#24 of 30
6x6 oil on panel
$100 unframed
©2014KarenAlley
Friday, January 24, 2014
#21 and #22 of 30!
January is flying by and we are two-thirds of the way to 30! This beautiful sailboat was in a picture a friend posted on FaceBook and it was just too inviting not to paint it. The second painting is from a group of pictures I took off the balcony of our lake home, which I love because it always feels like I'm up in the trees!
21 of 30
6x6, oil on panel
$100 unframed
©2014KarenAlley
22 of 30
5x7, oil on panel
$100 unframed
©2014KarenAlley
Thursday, January 23, 2014
#19 & #20 of 30!
Paintings #19 & #20.......how about a couple of florals to help remind us of what's around the corner from these frigid temps! These hydrangeas actually existed in my backyard and they were so pretty and varied in color this past Summer. And who does not like tulips, especially in bold colors like the red and purple (2 of my favorite combinations of colors!).
#19 of 30
7x5, oil on panel
$100 unframed
©2014KarenAlley
#20 of 30
7x5, oil on panel
$100 unframed
©2014KarenAlley
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
#17 & #18 of 30!
Catching up after being gone for a few days.......and who does not love Charleston, SC?! Not a more picturesque place on earth in my opinion. Below are two well known Charleston scenes, the row of homes on the Battery, and the ships on the loading docks in the Harbor. "Moonlight in the Harbor" will be available at The Dee Norton Lowcountry Children's Center dinner auction Feb. 6th, 2014 at Fleet Landing in Charleston.
#17 of 30
6x9, oil on canvas
$125 / unframed
©2014KarenAlley
#18 of 30
5x7, oil on panel
NFS
©2014KarenAlley
Thursday, January 16, 2014
A Weekend Break!
You will not see any new posts from me for a few days......I promise to catch back up next week. Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
#16 of 30!
Day sixteen........there is something about water and reflections that mesmerize me. I'll admit, reflections are sometimes very difficult to paint, they either work for me or they don't. In this case I was very happy with the outcome! This one is so perfectly simple, I think it might be one of my new favorites. You will not see any new posts from me for a few days, but I promise to catch up next week..........Enjoy!
#16 of 30
4x6, oil on panel
$85 / unframed
©2014KarenAlley
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
#15 of 30!
Day fifteen......halfway there! This painting is from a picture I took at Yeaman's Hall in Charleston, SC. I thought the layout called for a "different" sized canvas, so this one is still small, but not the norm - 6x12!
#15 of 30
6x12, oil on canvas
$150 / unframed
©2014KarenAlley
#14 of 30!
Day fourteen.......I went though a phase of paintings paths, and I still love to paint them. I think this cool blue/purple palette with the warmer greens thrown in is one of my favorite color schemes. This one at 10x8 is the largest one I've done in the challenge so far.
#14 of 30
10x8, oil on canvas
$175 / unframed
©2014KarenAlley
Monday, January 13, 2014
#13 of 30!
Day Thirteen........Another in my semi-abstract sunset series! I want you to picture being up in an airplane or helicopter and looking out the window at that one frame of land and sea and the topography you might see from above!
#13 of 30
8x8, oil on panel
$125 / unframed
©2014KarenAlley
Sunday, January 12, 2014
#12 of 30!
Day Twelve......this is a simple little landscape and in slightly more subdued colors than you are used to seeing from me (although check out that little pop of bright yellow in the bottom right). The photo used for this one was taken while riding in a golf cart with my boys!
#12 of 30
4x6, oil on panel
$85 / unframed
©2014KarenAlley
Friday, January 10, 2014
#11 of 30!
Day eleven......another "mini" version of a larger painting. "Orange Path", the larger version (38x18), is one of my favorites and can be found hanging at Ellis-Nicholson Gallery in Charleston, SC. If you don't need one quite that large and you need to add some BOLD color to a room, maybe this "mini" version is for you!
#11 of 30
6x4, oil on panel
$85 / unframed
©2014KarenAlley
Thursday, January 9, 2014
#10 of 30!
Day ten.......one third of the way through the challenge! This is another painting done from photos of the sunsets we get on Lake Keowee, SC. I do not exaggerate when I say that these really are the colors that appear over that lake! It's crazy how vibrant, lively, and mesmerizing they are. I hope I was able to capture that in this little 5x7.
#10 of 30
5x7, oil on panel
$100 / unframed
©2014KarenAlley
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
#9 of 30!
Day nine..... Many times I paint a small study of a painting and then make a larger painting if I like the way it turns out. In this case I did a reverse and took a larger painting I created a while back, "Rainbow Forest" and shrunk it down to a 4x6. I always loved the whimsicalness of the colors.
#9 of 30
4x6, oil on panel
$85 / unframed
©2014KarenAlley
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
#8 of 30!
Day eight......I have painted this same barn several times now, as I just love the positioning of the barn behind the little hill, and the fence posts intersecting them both. This time I went bold with the red roof!
#8 of 30
6x6, oil on panel
$100 / unframed
©2014KarenAlley
Monday, January 6, 2014
#7 of 30!
Day seven.... It took me seven paintings, but I finally get to give you one with PURPLE in it. Those of you that know me well know that I love purple and it is one of my favorite colors to paint. All Fall I have been painting a series of semiabstract sunsets and this is a mini version of some larger ones I have been working on. Notice the little sailboats against the horizon line! As I write this post it is fifteen degrees outside my home, and with the wind chill it feels like one! One degree....can't say that I have experienced that much in my lifetime living in the Carolinas. I am thankful I have a nice warm home and a nice warm fireplace to sit in front of! I hope wherever you are you are safe and sound and warm. Picture yourself on the sailboat :)
#7 of 30
5x7, oil on panel
$100 / unframed
©2014KarenAlley
#6 of 30
Day six......It has rained, and rained, and rained here in Charlotte the last few days, so maybe that explains my mood while painting this "stormy sea". As much fun as the beach is in the sunshine, it is still kind of cool to watch a storm roll in from time to time. This photo was taken on a beach trip back in September. And yes.....it rained cats and dogs right after this!
#6 of 30
6x6, oil on panel
$100 / unframed
©2014KarenAlley
Saturday, January 4, 2014
#5 of 30!
Day five.....This little 4x6 painting is probably the smallest one I have worked on in a long time! Small pantings can carry a lot of punch and I love this little path....... Don't forgot, I am offering these daily small paintings at a special price only during the 30 day challenge. They are unframed, but I can add a frame if needed. Many of them (like this one) are on flat panels and can be put in a standard, everyday frame.
#5 of 30
4x6, oil on panel
$85 / unframed
©2014KarenAlley
#4 of 30!
Day four.....how about a sweet little barn sitting in "the middle of nowhere Missouri" as my son, who took the picture while visiting a friend in Missouri calls it. Not sure what it is about barns that attract artists so much, I guess it's just the old character each one exudes. Enjoy!
#4 of 30
6x6, oil on canvas
$100 /unframed
©2014KarenAlley
Friday, January 3, 2014
#3 of 30 (Clemson Roses)!
I don't think I have painted a floral since this challenge last year! I forget how much fun they are. I had taken a picture back in the summer of some beautiful orange roses, which you don't see that often, and found them in my camera when trying to decide what to paint. These are purposely posted today because my CLEMSON tigers are playing in the ORANGE BOWL tonight. So, #3 - "Clemson Roses" are in honor of my team - GO TIGERS!
#3 of 30
CLEMSON ROSES
12x12, oil on panel
$250 / unframed
(frame can be added)
©2014KarenAlley
Thursday, January 2, 2014
#2 of 30!
Hope everyone is off to a great year on this second day of 2014. Here is painting #2, another semiabstract seascape. The inspiration for many for these comes from all the sunset pictures I take at our Lake home in SC. The colors that are created in the sky and water are sometimes unreal and I have to take pictures just to prove how beautiful they really are! If you like COLOR, then you should like this one! Enjoy.....
#2 of 30
5x7, oil on panel
$100 / unframed
©2014KarenAlley
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