Elegant writer calligraphy pen and watercolor on 5 1/2″ x 7″ watercolor paper
Chinese broccoli or Kai-lan has the uncanny ability to stick in my teeth. It seems to have some sort of super-glue to tooth enamel ratio that isn’t the same with other vegetables. I’m enjoying a nice vegetable Thai dish and suddenly I have some stringy green stuff hanging out of my teeth either gagging me or scaring my dining companions. Makes me not want to eat it, but I know it’s good for me.
Even scarier is kale. Kale, the hipster green super food that’s put into everything. Kale smoothies, kale pancakes, kale burgers, kale chips and kale ice-cream. You name it, kale is in it. I never even heard of kale a few years ago. Recently, Mother Jones ran this article about kale being a silent killer. It can purify soil from a heavy metal toxin which goes from the soil into the kale. Good for the soil, bad for us. Uh Oh! What will the artisinal, farm to table, organic, sustainable, free range hipsters do without kale.
Potato chips and chocolate are looking healthier and healthier.
And then there’s this Vox article debunking the Mother Jones article.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t eat kale anymore. It still has tons of nutrients. And my friends Pat and Elaine make a kale salad that’s to die for. Just stay out of my teeth! I’m talking to you Kale and Kai-lan.
The above paintings were drawn with the elegant writer calligraphy pen. I then splashed water on the paper to make some of the images randomly bleed. After that I went back with a wet brush and a paper towel, painting with the wet brush making the elegant writer lines bleed. I would blot areas with the paper towel. When you blot with the paper towel the elegant writer line color sometimes changes from a paynes gray color to pinkish/purplish.
I let that dry and the went back with watercolor and added color to the landscapes. I like the abstract qualities of these small paintings.
Carol King: drawing, painting, complaining 
29 comments
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July 26, 2015 at 9:21 pm
AKLizzy
We love the paintings and aren’t super fans of kale either. Maybe we need your friends’ recipe?
July 28, 2015 at 11:22 pm
Carol King
I think my friends recipe is from a bag sold at costco or whole foods…don’t tell them i told you. 🙂
July 26, 2015 at 9:27 pm
AKLizzy
And as a PS — your very-tall great niece and I are oogling over your past posts/paintings. We are so so impressed by your talent!! Love, your not-so-tall niece
July 28, 2015 at 11:23 pm
Carol King
Dear not so tall niece. I’m glad you and my very tall great niece enjoyed looking at my work. Love, your not so tall aunt. xoxo
July 27, 2015 at 1:45 am
derrickjknight
Fascinating technique
July 28, 2015 at 11:23 pm
Carol King
Thanks Derrick. It’s fun but very unpredictable.
July 27, 2015 at 5:49 am
Rebecca
Ah, these took my breath away! The colours and shapes are wonderful.I have serious picture envy! 🙂 .
July 28, 2015 at 11:24 pm
Carol King
Awww, thanks Rebecca.
July 27, 2015 at 10:13 am
Waseem Bashar
Loving your art style and write ups! Always looking forward to your posts!
July 28, 2015 at 11:24 pm
Carol King
Cool! Thanks Waseem.
July 27, 2015 at 11:01 am
RHCarpenter
I really like both of these – thanks for the tip about the Elegant Writers and why they sometimes bleed to pink 🙂 I like this look a lot and it’s easy and free. Maybe you could paint with kale? I, too, had never heard or it until the latest fad – now if you tell those hipsters you’re serving them collard greens, they’d probably become apoplectic (a new word I’m using because it is soooo cool! ha ha) Have a great week and eat more chocolate.
July 28, 2015 at 11:26 pm
Carol King
hi Rhonda. I think I would rather paint with kale than eat it. I like your work with the elegant writer too. it’f a fun, but messy process. (i always end up with it all over my hands.) Apoplectic is an excellent word, though I doubt the hipsters would get that way over collard greens. Maybe gluten.
July 27, 2015 at 11:22 am
Cathyann Burgess
I like these, too. Looks like you are enjoying process!
July 28, 2015 at 11:26 pm
Carol King
the process is where the fun is.
July 27, 2015 at 10:44 pm
Sadami
Yey, Carol, I’ve fallen love with your work! Cheers, Sadami
July 28, 2015 at 11:27 pm
Carol King
What a lovely compliment Sadami.
July 28, 2015 at 6:02 am
June Malone
Loose paintings (impressionistic?) have always appealed more to me than any other and these are totally appealing! You’ve made the most of the flowing qualities of the markers and the wet-in-wet watercolours enhance the effect well.
Don’t think I’ve ever tried kale but will inspect my teeth carefully if ever I do, now that you’ve made me aware of the pitfalls, haha!
July 28, 2015 at 11:28 pm
Carol King
I think you should try the elegant writer technique. And don’t bother with kale. regular lettuce is just as good. And not as obvious when stuck in teeth.
July 28, 2015 at 7:13 pm
ruthsartwork
I love how you are working foliage with the writer pen. I need to try more of it.
I’m not a big kale eater except at my son’s where they use it a lot. My husband likes it in his smoothies (blech) so no teeth issues there. LOL
July 28, 2015 at 11:29 pm
Carol King
Hi Ruth, It’s really a learning process to get the elegant writer to do what I want. I’ve also learned not to draw the whole thing in with the marker. This way the watercolor can do some of the work. Good for your husband for putting Kale in his smoothies. Better him than me. 🙂
July 29, 2015 at 8:00 am
ruthsartwork
I think I’ve come to that conclusion also based on my two efforts. And I feel the same way about the kale – and his smoothies.
July 28, 2015 at 9:01 pm
lesliepaints
These paintings rock! I love both of them!!!
July 28, 2015 at 11:30 pm
Carol King
Thanks Leslie, your elegant writer paintings rock too. As does the one your granddaughter did. She puts me to shame.
July 29, 2015 at 11:36 am
certainline
Very striking – really nice use of the pen’s qualities.
July 29, 2015 at 12:27 pm
joantav
Super effects with the elegant writer pen! These are great!!! I’ve used it for sketches of people and letting it shade the sketch, but need to try it on landscapes. These could inspire me to give it a try.
July 29, 2015 at 5:14 pm
Kathryn
Carol, these are dreamy!
August 17, 2015 at 3:02 pm
outsideauthority
Beautiful combination of colours
August 21, 2015 at 8:28 am
elenacaravela
I can certainly live without kale;) Got to tell you that I LOVE these paintings. There’s a lyrical freedom to them that really captures me.
August 25, 2015 at 7:18 am
Irina
I love the blogland. Where else could I learn about some mysterious “kale” thing and the global fights around it??
I like very much your creativity and results of these two months when I missed blogging! Please keep painting.