Monique Carr Art

Tipton Haynes Historic Site, Oil on Panel, 9"X12" When I paint en plein air, I have a feeling of contentment and appreciation of the beauty that surrounds me. I want to be content with what I have. I learned lately that contentment is a gift we give to others! Let’s remember that God’s greatest gift is the gift of life itself. The son of God, Jesus, gave His life for us. That is the Gift!! But death on the cross was not the end. Indeed…this greatest of all Gifts, Eternal Life! Imagine that! From my heart to yours, I wish you all a Joyous Easter Season. Monique XXX

Glow on the Shore ,  Oil on Canvas, 30" X 24" As we approach Thanksgiving Day, I want to focus on gratitude and appreciation. So I thank my wonderful husband and ALL of YOU! Your interest, support and encouragement have meant more than you know and has kept me going and going. I wish you all a Thanksgiving season filled with gratitude and joy! The Bible says,  “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever”.   1 Chronicles 16:34 Love, Monique XX Plein Air painting at the French Broad River, Asheville NC

The Long Chair, oil on panel, 8"x6" Plein Air Painting, July 2014, France I almost relinquished to mail my application for an art show simply because of a lack of confidence. My husband encouraged me to send my proposal, and I’m glad I did. I’m excited to announce that I will have my first solo show April 23-June 6, 2015. It will be at the Arts Depot in Abingdon VA. My goal is to produce 25-30 new works to exhibit. The theme of the show will be ‘The French Connection’. It will feature oil paintings from my travels to France and Quebec. Between now and then, it will be an opportunity for me to grow, redefine myself, and step outside of the box. Scary huh! The Bible Says ' When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. ' - Psalm 56:3 Hugs, Monique XXX

Yes, indeed! Mary had a little Lamb. Thanks to God (and of course Mary) to have given us the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ so we can celebrate Christmas. Christmas has its own way of stirring up a bunch of feelings. This season brings a lot of emotions. I'm torn between the joy of seeing loved ones and the sorrow of grieving relatives with declining health and those that have left us. Just like Christmas marks the birth of Jesus Christ, Christ marks the birth of our new beginnings. This is a good time for me to reflect, re-ground, and renew my life. This year, lets celebrate and praise the one who is the reason for Christmas. Jesus the Lamb of God who died on the cross for our sins. He saved us so we can have eternal life. Wishing you all peace, love, new beginnings and a Merry Christmas. Monique XX I want to share with you how I proceeded to do the painting 'Precious Lamb'.  See below: Step 1: After drawing the lamb, I filled out the entire can...

Le Coin Fleuri , oil on museum quality panel, 12" X 12" $395 As I was walking on this quaint little street in Etretat, Normandy, the light and colors of this scene caught my eyes as well as the shadow of the sign 'Le Havre'. Do you see it?  Excuses! Excuses! I almost made an excuse for not going to the gym this morning, it was rainy and I could not find my umbrella. Lame huh! I kicked my behind and went anyway. Later on, I wanted to write a blog but I kept telling myself, “I don’t know what to write, I'm just too tired”. Then I found this quote by an anonymous person “Losers find excuses, winners find solutions.” Ouch! That quote shook me up so…enough with the excuses; let’s write a blog. Whoa! November already! Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I surely have many reasons to be thankful this year. But most of all, I want to use this blog to thank YOU for your encouragements in my art especially during these times of hardship and self-dou...

Fear of failure is what keeps me stuck in the mud. Does that sound familiar? Artist Jack White wrote “Fear is the roadblock preventing us from reaching our full potential. Success is locked in our ability to refuse to allow fear to destroy our future. “ And famous hockey player, Wayne Gretsky said " You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take'.
  I'm working on getting rid of my fears by trying new things and praying about it. Every time I go paint outdoor, I step out of my comfort zone. Last Monday, I ventured with a group of artists to a beautiful site called Natural Tunnel State Park located in Virginia. We rode the chairlift down and back up. Some artists painted the river, some painted the tunnel but I chose to paint the bridge. The back light shinning throughout the railings attracted me. I am sharing some pictures with you so you can have a glimpse of this wonderful and challenging plein air painting adventure.  The Bible says: So do...

Are you distracted and can’t focus on anything? Lost your vision? A good childhood friend that I haven't seen in years and recently found on Facebook shared with me about a motorcycle accident she had a couple years ago. She almost lost her life, her left hand was hanging by a thread and could have been in a wheel chair for the rest of her life. Thank God, she survived! She is walking and her hand was saved. Miracle! Not to mention that five years ago, she lost her husband to colon cancer. Oh boy, you talk about big trials in life!  She told me how depressed she was, but with the help and love of others, she decided it was time to re-focus. Her new positive attitude changed her life. She said in French “Je vis au max” which means, “I live to the max”. What an amazing testimony and encouragement to me. The Bible says: "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith ...