These are the current paintings that are for sale. Carol Jo Smidt has been working mostly in oils the past few months. She has several paintings that are in different stages of completion at this time.
"The Pink Poodle"
I started this painting last spring (2009). I did not plan on the dog being pink but it became pink by "accident". I went back to it to finish it in November and decided to make it very whimsical by adding the grinning cat, the blue bird guarding its house, and the mouse cautiously looking out from its home.
"Racing Home"
The model for my equine paintings is my gray horse, Maggie. Many times when she out in the pasture, she'll have egrets following her to eat the insects that she stirs up. Some times the birds will fly after her when I call her home. This bird is not an egret, but an heron. Egrets fly with their necks straight out. I like the curved neck much better.
"A New Day"
I started this painting last year, but it was going nowhere. I picked it up last month (Oct. 2009) to change the direction of the concept to a more spiritual one. I love combining vibrate colors with a story.
"Buster"
Buster was a farm dog that belonged to my family as a child. He was a black and white collie-type dog. I used a background of my sofa and throw pillow. The small image does not do justice to this life-size painting. It is one of my favorites!
"In The Garden"
I snapped a photo of this dachshund last year at a festival. He seemed overwhelmed with the crowd. I painted him in a more peaceful setting. The flowers are from my garden and the cat is from a sketch book dated 1980. Ideas come from many sources.
"The Coffee Shop"
This started out as a realistic painting, but the painting wanted to head into another direction. It is always best to go where the painting wants to go. This is a very nice painting. A collector will enjoy looking at the color nuances that are throughout this painting.
"The Pale Horse"
Again, Maggie, was the inspiration for this painting. It started out being my brother's barn, but I didn't like it. I painted over it and Maggie quickly emerged. This is a simple subject with tons of character.
"Old Friends"
I painted this in 1976. The Quarter Horse is the popular type during that time: very muscular, shortened tail and roached mane. I re-painted it this year to give it a simple background. The jewel in this painting is the little dog.
"Mother & Child"
Again, Maggie was the model for this small painting. Nothing like the hindquarters of a horse. Color and line are the theme of this painting. It is fresh with vibrate colors to delight the eyes.
"Carolina Wren"
I began a "painting a day" in between larger paintings. They are good for color studies, compositions and solving other painting issues. "Carolina Wren" is hanging on my library's wall. It is just right for small spaces or combined in a grouping of art.