NESTING by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'15/100

'Nesting'

Oil 8 X 8

15/100

Day 15

This beautiful mourning dove built a nest in

our pine tree earlier this spring, but the nest

was destroyed by a wind storm. I was so

afraid they would never come back, but weeks

later she and her mate were rebuilding the

nest in the same place.

I have been very careful not to disturb her, but

was lucky enough to get a photograph of her

on the nest. She has since hatched two adorable,

fluffy fledglings.

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

MIRACLES by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'14/100

'Miracles'

Oil 4 X 4

14/100


Day 14

Two years ago, I decided to plant strawberries

in one of the raised beds of my vegetable

garden. The twenty plants did well - our first crop

was not large, but we had some wonderful, sweet

strawberries. I was so looking forward to the

next growing season, when I just knew we

were going to have a bumper crop of berries...

Well, much to my surprize, when I went out

that next year to see how my strawberry plants

were faring, I was shocked to see that all of the

plants were gone...and was even more shocked

to find my husband had pulled all of them out

and had disposed of them because he thought

they were weeds...

But miracles do happen...apparently two of the

plants got tossed into one of the other raised beds

and they took root. Both plants put out

berries, so we might even have enough for some

strawberry shortcake...if I decide to share them

with the culprit...

If youwould like to see to see more of my work,
please visit my website or my blog.
If you are interested in purchasing this painting,
please contact me. Thank you.

SONG OF SPRING by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'13/100

'Song of Spring'

Oil 9 X 12

13/100

Day 13

I got to visit the backyard of Katie College,

and the Stoney Creek Iris Farm yesterday

for this painting. What a visual feast

for the eyes - I've never seen so many different

colors of iris. It was a beautiful, bright and sunny

morning - a perfect plein air day.

It was also nice to have a little painting companion,

a tiny kitten named 'Dizzy'. Her antics were enough

to keep me chuckling all morning. In the picture

below, she is eyeing up a piece of
a plant that was blowing in the breeze...and

getting ready to attack...

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

MY GARDENING SHOES by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'12/100

'My Gardening Shoes'

Oil 6 x 6
12/100

Day 12

The ubiquitous Crocs...they get me around my

garden and no matter how dirty or scruffy they

get, a little water brings them right back.

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

ANNETTE'S GARDEN by Claire Beadon Carnell 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'11/100

'Annette's Garden'
Oil 6 x 12
11/100

Day 11

For this day's painting I got my inspiration

from a garden other than my own.

Annette Braught very generously allowed a

group of plein air painters to set up in her

beautiful garden. The day was overcast

but the flowers were still brilliant.

I was especially attracted to this area of the

yard where the iris daisies, and poppies were

growing together. The poppies were just starting

to come out, and I liked that there was only

one brilliant poppy blossom completely open.

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

FIRST BLUSH 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'10/100

'First Blush'
Oil 6 x 8
10/100

Day 10 (a milestone in my challenge!!!)

This painting is dedicated to my two little
granddaughters, Madeline Claire and
Stephanie Grace, who love all things
pink, and who also have a great fondness
for Tinkerbelle.

I planted this pale pink 'Tinkerbelle' lilac
in my yard this year for them, and also
for myself since I love Tinkerbelle,
and I also love the color pink!

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

JOHNNY JUMP-UPS 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'09/100

'Johnny Jump-Ups'
Oil 5 x 7
09/100

Day 09

These tiny little flowers always put a smile on
my face. Even though I only planted them once about
twelve years ago, they pop up in unexpected places
somewhere different each Spring.

This year I was pleasantly surprized to find a large
mound of them in my front flower bed!

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

RUGOSA ROSEBUDS 100 Paintings in 100 Days Challenge 'Inspirations from a Back Yard'08/100

'Rugosa Rosebuds'
Oil 4 x 4
08/100

Day 08

A quick study of some tiny rugosa rosebuds that
have just started to appear. Don't let these delicate
little blossoms fool you - they come from one of the
sturdiest plants in my entire garden.

Unlike regular roses, they don't have shiny waxy leaves
and their canes are covered with thin sharp spines that would
rival the density of a porcupine! They don't get all of the diseases
and problems of regular roses either, and yet they fill
my yard with gorgeous blooms and a wonderful scent.
My kind of plant!


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

FORTITUDE 100 Paintings in 100 Days 'Inspirations from a Back Yard' Challenge 07/100

'Fortitude'

Oil 6x8

07/100

Day 07

Mother's Day today, and so my challenge painting

is perfect! This wild red columbine sent a seed

flying from the heavens, and it landed in

the crack of an old coal bin that is attached to the

back wall off of my house. I was so thrilled to find

this delicate little plant with all of its bright red blooms,

and was even more intrigued to see where it had

decided to root. Just shows what can happen when you have
a little fortitude.

Happy Mother's Day!

We are so thankful for our mothers

and everything they did for us. This year, my

husband and I lost his mom, leaving us both

'motherless children', but we were so blessed to have

both of our mothers for such a long time. We are also

incredibly blessed to have my daughter, her husband and their

three beautiful children. They came to visit today and

our home was instantly filled with hugs, kisses, laughter,

and lots of good food. What could be better?

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

BACHELOR BUMBLEBEE 100 Paintings in 100 Days 'Inspirations from a Back Yard' Challenge 06/100

'Bachelor Bumblebee'
Oil 6 x 8 06/100

Day 06

The bachelor buttons had a cute little visitor
today!

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

APPLE BLOSSOMS 100 Paintings in 100 Days 'Inspirations from a Back Yard' Challenge 05/100

'Apple Blossoms'
Oil 6 x 6 05/100

Day 05

These blossoms are from a dwarf yellow delicious

apple tree that we have growing at the edge of our

vegetable garden. I love that it is just one more

thing that helps to bring our endangered honey

bees to our yard!

I am still learning the fine art of fruit tree

growing, and I am always looking for organic ways

to use that will help produce healthy, happy,

edible fruit.

If you have any suggestions or advice, please feel

free to contact me.

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

BACHELOR BUTTON (Mountain Bluet) 100 Paintings in 100 Days 'Inspirations from a Back Yard' Challenge 04/100

'Bachelor Button (Mountain Bluet)'
Oil 5 x 7 04/100

Day 04! Another flower from my gardens.
These bachelor buttons grow profusely in my
back flower bed. They are one of the first
perennials to bloom, and if I am good about
dead-heading them they bloom through the
summer months. Of course they are blue, and
therefore one of my favorites.

If you would like to see more of my work,
please visit my website.
If you are interested in purchasing this painting,
please contact me. Thank you.

TINY TREASURES (Lily of the Valley) 100 Paintings in 100 Days 'Inspirations from a Back Yard' Challenge 03/100

'Tiny Treasures (Lily of the Valley in Antique Bottle)'
Oil 5 x 7 stretched canvas

Day 03/100, and this is my painting!
These tiny little flowers fit so perfectly into
this tiny little bottle!

If you would like to see more of my work,
please visit my website. Thank you.

If you are interested in puchasing this painting, you
can do so through PayPal.
Price: $100 USD plus $10 USD s/h

ENTRANCE TO ALLENBERRY PLAYHOUSE

'Entrance to Allenberry Playhouse'

Oil 14 x 18

I finished this painting today after starting it almost

a year ago. It was so close to being done, but I had

put it aside and forgotten about it.

Allenberry Playhouse is a renowned local theater

that is set in the countryside of Boiling Springs, PA.

Driving onto the property one day,

I came in through the main entrance and liked the

dappled sunlight of the scene, the

nice balance of cool and warm colors, and there was

just enough humidity on that summer day that

it added a nice soft haziness to everything.

If you would like to see more of my work, please

visit my website. Thank you.

BLEEDING HEARTS 100 Paintings in 100 Days 'Inspirations from a Back Yard' Challenge 02/100

'Bleeding Hearts' 02/100

6 x 6 Oil on panel

When we moved from California to Pennsylvania

when I was six years old, this was one of the

first flowers I remember seeing in my grandmother's garden.

Of course I was completely entranced - who could

believe that a flower could actually grow in the

shape of a heart, and be such a beautiful shade of

pink!

As an adult, I have always grown them wherever

I could have a garden and I still get the same

amount of pleasure seeing those little pink hearts

as I did when I was six.

If you would like to see more of my work, please

visit my website. Thank you.

Buy this painting on PayPalPrice: $100 USD plus $10 USD s/h

POOF! 100 Paintings in 100 Days 'Inspirations from a Back Yard' Challenge 01/100

'Poof!' 01/100
Oil 6 x 8 on stretched canvas

With the sudden onset of very warm weather we are having
today, the dandelions are exploding into seed all over our
lawn. Thought this would be a great way to start my
100 paintings in 100 Days Challenge/Inspirations from
a Back Yard, because I know many of you are most likely
seeing the same thing in your own back yard!

I have to say sitting on Day 01 of my challenge is a bit
intimidating when I think of how many other paintings there
are to do, but then that is exactly what makes it
fun too!

Thanks for following the challenge!!!!

If you would like to see more of my work, please visit
my website.

Buy this painting on PayPalPrice: $100 USD plus $10 USD s/h