View from I 240-Watercolor on 300 # Arches cold press approx 15″ x 22″
Why are emojis so damn small? People text me with emojis all the time and I have no idea what they are sending. I need to know if someone is sending me a picture of a dog, a monkey, or a martini?
TEXTER: Want to come over? I’m doing the laundry *martini emoji*
ME: Nah, I’ll pass (thinking “that sounds really boring.”)
However, If there were martinis involved with said laundry, I might rush right over to help!
I was pondering this emoji issue last week when comedian and talk show host Stephen Colbert discussed this same problem. He couldn’t distinguish between the “crying” emoji and the “laughing so hard you are crying” emoji. He accidentally sent the latter when a friend’s pet died which caused some problems. I’m just gonna stick to the old fashioned colon dash parenthesis : -) face so as not to screw things up.
I’m also working on a new Mac computer after years of working on PCs. Insert very frustrated emoji face here.
And I’m still getting used to this new place. Sometimes I feel like this:
Green Acres But I never lived on Park Avenue with a penthouse view.
Insert sad emoji here.
The above painting is a view of one of the buildings in Asheville glimpsed while driving by on Interstate 240.
Carol King: drawing, painting, complaining 
54 comments
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March 2, 2016 at 7:21 pm
Sharon Mann
Hi Carol, you have me laughing! Your painting is beautiful. Signing off with a happy face emoji.
March 4, 2016 at 10:46 am
Carol King
Thanks Sharon. Glad you enjoyed the post and painting. Insert smiling emoji here.
March 2, 2016 at 7:38 pm
Jennifer Jackson
Hey Carol!
Been thinking of you, how’s the southern life? You’re painting and it sounds like you have friends to drink and do laundry with so that encouraging, right? 🙂
I have a new apartment (long story short–I’m single and happy) and I want one of your pieces to put on my wall. . .still deciding between the water tower ones–I love that you paint water towers.
I hope all is well in your neck of the woods.
Jennifer
March 4, 2016 at 10:59 am
Carol King
Hi Jennifer, great to hear from you. I’ll email you.
March 2, 2016 at 7:48 pm
jotsfromasmallapt
Lovely. So lovely. Turn the view of your acreage into your watercolour magic. Not too long ago you painted the underside of a massive steel structure into something more than ordinary. Remember? More please…….
March 4, 2016 at 11:00 am
Carol King
Hi Raye, Yes U remember steel structures. I’m looking for some down here. Not quite the same though.
March 4, 2016 at 1:46 pm
jotsfromasmallapt
Keep looking. Is their an industrial part of town? Old buildings? New architecture? There have to be some patterns that strike your fancy. Find them, Sweet-Tea! Keep me posted……..
March 2, 2016 at 8:56 pm
Mary Schwalm
You must explore the fun and beauty of BitMoji!
March 4, 2016 at 11:00 am
Carol King
Ha! When I see you, you can show me
March 2, 2016 at 9:21 pm
Felecia
It’s rough making a transition. I don’t know if you’re a gardner, but I am and there’s a rule about gardens and (I think) people who were deeply rooted and have been transplanted. First year–sleeping, second year-creeping, third year-leaping. In my experience it takes at least three years before you really begin to love your new home and feel “rooted”. Love your paintings, they are so inspiring. Be kind, gentle and patient with yourself as you make this big move. Water yourself often, whatever that looks like for you–massages, visits back to “home”, chocolate and take care.
March 4, 2016 at 11:01 am
Carol King
Hi Felecia, Great advice. In fact, might be the best advice ever. I think this well help me a lot and I will give it the requisite time. And thank you for your kind comments on my paintings. I appreciate them.
March 2, 2016 at 11:49 pm
Mary
Love the painting Carol! So funny those emoji – I’ve no idea how to get them or what they mean.
March 4, 2016 at 11:51 am
Carol King
Hi Mary, Thanks for your comment. Re: emoji, maybe it’s just better to say “I’m smiling” from your comment?
March 3, 2016 at 2:19 am
Stu-ttg-art
Carol, I’m with Felicia on this. Early days. … if it helps, I can take you on holiday trips with me more often … hihihi … glad you enjoyed Lanzarote … I would have stayed longer, if someone had asked me to
March 4, 2016 at 11:55 am
Carol King
Yes, early days. Lanzarote…I wouldn’t mind visiting there now. But at least I got to visit with you (via your blog)
March 3, 2016 at 3:13 am
Michael Richards (certainline)
Smiley face!
March 4, 2016 at 11:56 am
Carol King
🙂
March 3, 2016 at 4:21 am
sjqzoom
Well it is good to see you are still painting in all of the change. A big change into serene surroundings is still a big change – I also like Felecia’s approach. Plant wisdom! (o:
March 4, 2016 at 11:57 am
Carol King
Hey Stephen, Thanks for your visit. A big change indeed which I’m not sure I’ll adjust to, especially after seeing bears on last night’s dog walk.
I like Felecia’s approach as well.
March 3, 2016 at 6:41 am
Nicola McLean
Beautiful painting. It almost looks like pastels. I agree about the emojis. My phone makes them look like little alien faces which I don’t like and often instead of writing a sentence on my Instagram sometimes people just leave a string if emojis and I’ve no idea what they’re saying-it could be a compliment or it could be an insult. I just say thank you regardless!
March 4, 2016 at 11:59 am
Carol King
Always good to just say thank you I suppose. Thanks for your comment about the painting. It started out as an all gray painting. I then added color. That may explain why it looks a little like pastels.
March 3, 2016 at 8:01 am
Bonnie Luria
I vote for The Carol King Book of Improved Emoji’s- Readers Digest understood the changing demographic by introducing ” Large Print ” editions. Why not your versions? And LARGE! I see a theme here.
They would all be as beautiful as this painting and likely sarcastically funny too.
It’s ok to be sad. It doesn’t last.
But talent and humor do.
XO
March 4, 2016 at 12:00 pm
Carol King
haha, we need Reader’s Digest “LARGE PRINT” emojis for our demographic. Thanks for your comment about the painting.
March 3, 2016 at 8:12 am
Rebecca
Glorious sunlight in your pic. 😉
March 4, 2016 at 12:00 pm
Carol King
Thanks Rebecca. I really wanted to get the light on those grasses in the foreground.
March 3, 2016 at 8:32 am
memadtwo
I just shun emojis altogether. Words are fine with me!
I also agree with everyone above about moving and time, having experienced it many many times both growing up and as an adult. And although I loved your city scenes, your landscapes are just as beautiful. (K)
March 4, 2016 at 12:01 pm
Carol King
Aw, Thanks K. I am going to work on some city scenes of Downtown Asheville one of these days.
March 3, 2016 at 11:46 am
outsideauthority
You’ve made the building really intriguing. Great picture. I limit myself to smileys only too. I couldn’t underatand why people were writing about seasoning cubes in texts for ages -oxo oxo
March 4, 2016 at 12:02 pm
Carol King
I can use smileys. Sometimes I just put in a string of emojis for no reason and let the other person worry about what it means. (It usually means nothing.)
March 3, 2016 at 3:24 pm
elenacaravela
Gosh, this is gorgeous, Carol!
March 4, 2016 at 12:02 pm
Carol King
thanks so much Elena. I appreciate your comment.
March 3, 2016 at 6:16 pm
candy7
Wow, Carol! I love the painting. And, of course, you made me laugh. I love Stephen Colbert, but now that he’s on so late, I can’t stay up to watch him. However, we’ve discovered that reruns of Johnny Carson are on early enough for us to stay awake.
I believe that Felicia is right – give yourself time.
Since I’m out here in the Wild, Wild West, I’ll sign off with an imaginary whiskey emoji. (Don’t worry, you don’t have to drink it.) We can have margaritas instead:)
March 4, 2016 at 12:03 pm
Carol King
haha candy. whiskey emoji! I bet the hipsters in Brooklyn that are all drinking whiskey now would like that. Often I can’t stay up to watch Stephen, but I do DVR him.
March 3, 2016 at 6:34 pm
RHCarpenter
Oh, we are all just too past this emoji emotive junk – pretty soon we’ll all just carry around cards with pictures on them and you’ll see a couple out having a coffee just flashing cards, not saying a word! I like this painting – no emoji necessary for that! Sorry about Green Acres…I know it has to be a big change that is going to take time – and let’s face it, you may always be a NYC girl!
March 4, 2016 at 12:05 pm
Carol King
I laughed at the image of people conversing with flash cards! It may come to that. I think I will always be a NYC girl. I don’t think that will change.
March 3, 2016 at 9:25 pm
joantav
Maybe if people spoke to each other we wouldn’t need so many emojis. Sorry you feel like it is Green Acres out there…you just miss the crush of rush hour on the subway and trying to walk on a crowded NYC sidewalk and feeling like a salmon trying to swim upstream. LOL Beautiful scene!!! Love the grasses in the foreground!
March 4, 2016 at 12:07 pm
Carol King
Well I DON’T miss being squashed on the subway during rush hour, that’s for sure. I do miss my friends and all the activities I could walk to and not have to drive. But there are nice things about here.
Thanks for your comment on the painting. I hope to see you one of these days at the NYC Urban sketchers.
March 4, 2016 at 6:44 pm
Padmaja
Lovely work Carol!
Whenever I feel low, which I have been doing lately after losing my father, I need some boost to my energy level and your posts always does that without fail, thank you for that 🙂 🙂 🙂
March 11, 2016 at 1:16 pm
Carol King
Glad I could help Padmaja. Thanks for visiting. I’m thinking about you.
March 4, 2016 at 8:49 pm
lesliepaints
Ha! I think I’ll just stick with the basic smile, myself. You are so funny!
Absolutely beautiful painting. The light glows in this, Carol!
March 11, 2016 at 1:17 pm
Carol King
many thanks Leslie. I am trying to focus more on light in my paintings.
March 5, 2016 at 12:49 pm
June Malone
To my eye there’s a whole lot going on in this painting and you’ve managed to make it look easy. Well done Miss Versatile Personified! This couldn’t be more different from the industrial girders and water towers of NYC. I love the (awesome) clouds, the trees, the fields, the building and the grasses – all bathed in a lovely light. Lovely! The composition and colours look just so great. I could go on but you’d start snoring.
And as usual, you’ve left me with a huge grin accross my face. If you adapt to your new surroundings half as well as you have with your paintbrush then you have nothing to worry about.
March 11, 2016 at 1:18 pm
Carol King
Adaption comes slowly but I’m working on it. Thank you for all your kind words June. Glad you liked the painting. And I would never start snoring while you were talking. 🙂
March 5, 2016 at 7:48 pm
ruthsartwork
Lovely rural landscape, Carol, It makes me wonder just what the building is used for. The cupola on top is intriguing. As far as emojis go, I can’t even figure out where to find them, much less use one. I still have a flip phone, so it isn’t very urgent. And a lot of things are too small for my eyes lately. LOL
March 11, 2016 at 1:19 pm
Carol King
The building is a Baptist church. It’s interesting that the painting is so rural looking yet Interstate 240 has cars rushing by just outside the frame.
March 5, 2016 at 11:26 pm
Lifesastitch
Thinking of you today while I’m taking a watercolour workshop with Jean Haines in Vancouver. The person sitting to my left flew in from near Asheville and to my right was a woman who flew in from Hartford, CT. Next time, maybe it will be you 😉 Wouldn’t that be fun?
March 11, 2016 at 1:21 pm
Carol King
Hey Li, Can’t wait to hear about your Jean Haines experience. I took a workshop with her once. It was fun, but I can’t say I remember much from the class. We should co-ordinate our next workshops. 🙂
March 15, 2016 at 12:53 pm
Barry Coombs
Hi Carol, Nice painting, as usual. I stay clear of emojis, etc. Does the colon dash parenthesis : -) qualify as old fashioned? I must be older than I realized!
March 17, 2016 at 9:14 pm
Carol King
Hey Barry, Thanks for your comment. We are both old-fashioned I guess.
March 15, 2016 at 5:43 pm
2bcreativeblog
Terrific painting! I love emojis but some are difficult to understand for me too. 🙂
March 17, 2016 at 9:13 pm
Carol King
thanks for your visit. and your comment. 😉
March 17, 2016 at 5:46 pm
cathy
Retirement seems to agree with your painting. I love all of the paintings that i have missed over these past months.
The pastel is great and i love this post a lively landscape. All are great, the figure drawing.
Congratulations on your move. i hope you love it there. NC is certainly a beautiful state.
I have been posting on FB and instagram under sofia’s daughter. It is just easier when using my phone and ipad.
March 17, 2016 at 5:57 pm
Carol King
Hi Cathy. Thanks for visiting. And for letting me know you’re on Instagram. I’ll follow you there.
Carol
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April 22, 2016 at 11:31 pm
OrganicIsBeautiful
Beautiful ☺☺