Better Mood

The  day after Christmas can sometimes be a letdown after all the excitement of holiday festivities. This year is a little different. We picked up takeout for Christmas Eve And had an easy delicious crockpot chicken chili for Christmas Dinner. This may be a reason I am in a better mood; not as stressed about all that cooking entails. This painting conveys some smaller delicate blooms guaranteed to make us all in a better mood.

Public Interest

This is a little deviation from my usual floral. If you look closely you will see a hint of flowers in the background. A subject matter with so much green can be a little tricky. Usually the lighting causes a change in the variety of color rather than the plant itself. I see about five different shades of green,although subtle.

Instant Replay

I am finally able to leave the dreaded face down position post eye surgery. I went out to grocery shop in anticipartion of family coming in for the holidays. After a few hours my eyes were a little overwhelmed, like being released from prison! These flowers in vases were a sight for sore eyes! Please forgive the corny humor; it has been a tough week!

Hydrangea Blues

Blue hydrangeas are my favorite of the hydrangea colors. I think it is because blue is not a common color in flowers. Shades of pink, red and yellow are more common. Pair the blue flowers with a blue and white vase and tou have a winner!

Look at Me

This is a 6x6 inch painting with a big personality.My favorite compositions are those that tend to bleed off the page on at least 3 sides. This gives emphasis to the subject matter and has less emphasis on negative space. The two  blooms are different enough from each other to not make attention getting a peoblem.

Whisper

I love bright colors in my paintings but there is something to be said for a quiet painting. I have done atmospheric landscapes but this is a first for a flower painting. I have often seen this kind of look early in the morning. I am trying to be more fearless in trying new things to paint. The worst that could happen is that I would just have to wipe it and start over.

Chance of Love

As I write this , I am recovering from eye surgery to repair a macular hole . It sounds worse than it is and is fixable. The tough thing is that I have to keep my head facedown for a week.I have a tabletop massage thing with a padded holder for my face, a special mirror so I can watch tv and lots of audible books. I can’t paint yet but I have this painting that I finished last week. I like the joyful bucket of flowers that gives a feeling of hope for an exciting future. While I just want to sit upright!

Backyard Table

Summer is good for growing beautiful flowers.This usually involves having a surplus to display in any kind of container that is reachable;from a beautiful crystal vase to a simple mason jar. The beauty is something that is so exciting to me- I can hardly wait to paint the flowersvwhen they are around.

Required Reading

I love painting buckets of flowers . Because they are so elegant it doesn’t really matter  if they are in a beautiful porcelain vase or a rustic container. Often the more rustic the container, the beauty in contrast is more striking. This illustrates how important neutrals are in a painting.

Do What You Can

When painting flowers that are all the same ,it is important to have some way to make them important. I try to vary the lightness and darkness of the blooms and the individual strokes of the petals. Close together blooms suggest a mass of color that is accented by negative spaces in between. Of course this is a post painting analysis; I just had fun while painting!

CENTER OF EVERYTHING

This painting of a basket of flowers may seem more appropriate for summer but is welcome right now in December.It may help warm up this cold month.It is 12 inches by 12 inches on a panel.It is a pleasure always to paint floral scenes; something that I will never tire of.

Classic Lilacs

I really admire those that do realistic paintings that can be mistaken for a photograph. But I found out long ago that painting that way doesn’t fit my style or personality. This painting is made up of loose and impressionistic strokes to give an idea of a vase of lilacs.That is all I need to make me happy.

Growth Opportunity

The paintings in my head often don’t turn out the same when I bring them to life. This is not always a bad thing, though..after I started painting this it reminded me of Miss Havisham’s garden.It us a little wild, a little controlled and a little Victorian.

SUMMER RETURN

Green is a tricky color. The green that comes from a tube of green paint is rarely found in nature. Most artists work to mix a green that is more true to what  we all see outdoors. The best greens are made mixing yellow and blue with a bit of the complement of green—red. The red dulls the color to a more neutral hue.This neutral green makes the beautiful colors of the flowers pop.

Energy

I like the colors in this painting of flowers. The title suits the arrangement because there seems to be a lot of energy happening with all of the colors and shapes interacting with each other. They all seem to be waiting for a party to happen.

Best Bottles

There are often dozens of shapes, values and colors in a glass bottle or jar. They also change depending on the lighting and time of day. It is all a matter of painting just what you see. Adding some beautiful flowers seals the deal.

Weekend Update

I painted something similar to this a while ago but as always it is pretty impossible to duplicate exactly what I had painted before. I do like to paint something more than once. There is always something different that turns up. I think of Monet who painted many views of haystacks in different light. I think he learned something each time; maybe I will too!

Zinnia Balance

I find zinnias especially challenging to paint. For some perverse reason this  makes me want to keep painting them. I think they are so beautiful and pleasing to the eye that I can’t help trying over and over to get the perfect depiction of them. Worth the effort!

Hit PArade

Close ups ups are a favorite point of view of mine to paint.They seem to cut away everything that isn’t important and emphasize what is. In this painting it doesn’t matter what room the geraniums are in or if indoors or outdoors. It is just the viewer and the essence of the flowers.

Get Together

The composition of a painting can be tricky. Sometimes the center of interest is a larger shape than others or can be a color that stands out from the rest of the painting. In this painting I wanted the viewer to travel around the interior of the painting without the eyes leaving the edges. Although rhis painting is small, it is powerful.

If I Had Wings

I guess we all had some kind of childhood fantasy of super powers. Mine was that I imagined I could fly. I pictured myself gliding above the people and housetops. I think that is why I have a yearning to ride in a hot air balloon.Also I have been thrilled lately to warch drone videos that give a birds eye view of the landscape below. I will have to be content for now to create paintings with this unusual point of view.

PEP TALK

Hydrangeas are still a favorite of mine.Combined with an aqua mason jar the set up is perfect. I like the combination of the blue green with the cobalt blue;atried and true analogous color combination of “neighbor” colors.

High Interest

i really love painting these meadow scenes with wildflowers. I have the idea in my head of what I want the painting to look like but I just let it happen as I go along. I have finally found the best  medium for me. I love watercolor but I painstakingly drew the subject matter in pencil then applied the paint hoping I wouldn’t make a mistake. Oils are so much more relaxing. The worst that can happen is that I don’t like what I start and I have to wipe the painting and start over.

Summer Splash

I am back to the Mason jars and flowers!

These flowers look straight out of a summer garden and of course the mason jar is the perfect place to put them. Someone once asked  how do uou pInt glass. I was intimidated when I first tried but I soon realized it is about just painting the different shapes that I see. It all just comes together , especially when I add the white highlights at the end.

Training Day

i like painting flowers in containers like pots and vases but there is also great beauty in the flowers in a natural setting such  as in a field or meadow.the shapes are important because the individual flowers make interesting patterns.

On the Fence

Lately I have been admiring some beautiful abstract paintings online. I am blown away by the beautiful colors and shapes. Often I hear people talking about abstract paintings by saying that a 5 year old could do that. Of course abstracts are really difficult to do.This painting is my attempt to be more abstract. You can still tell it is a fence, maybe after a few more in a series the fence may disappear all together!

Personal Space

I like painting flowers close to a window because of the lighting. These geraniums are set so that the outdoors through the window come across as negative spaces.Natural light is first choice because of the softness.

Stake Your Claim

i have been so excited doing a series of garden and meadow paintings. I guess it is a way of painring landscapes combined with flowers. I can't abandon flowers cold turkey-- which of course I would never do anyway.

Way Down

I painted this and 3 others with similar colors in preparation for a large commission. The person who commissioned the big painting definitely wanted an abstract feel to it. Turned out to be fun to paint just concentrating on the shapes; not worrying about each petal.

Monday Magic

This painting is 36x36 inches and creates a pretty big impact. In this case the impact is more about design and value instead of color.Stretched gallery wrapped canvas makes it ready to hang without an additional frame.

Flower Story

I really loved painting this one.When I started it out it was pleasant enough;a little more pastel. I went to a Margaret Martin workshop in Naples Florida. She told us to always paint interesting subject matter, that if the artist is not moved by it the viewer won't be either.
This painting is pretty much imagination. I had the flowers for reference but took off from there.

See You in September

The weather this past week has been glorious here in Memphis. Low humidity and mild temps has made it possible to go for pleasant walks every evening  while the sun is still out. This painting is  like the scenery I have been seeing backlit by the setting sun. A perfect September sight!

Story Book Blues

This landscape painting reminded me of the old Golden Books we read as children with the golden spines.Something  about the painting seems to be waiting for some book characters to make their way into the scenery. High drama  or the Poky Puppy!

Garden Joy

This is a version of a painting I did earlier that had colors that were more spring and summer like.I changed it to colors that were more colors that are found in autumn.I love the snapshot of flowers whatever the color.

Select Blue

Always a favorite, these blue hydrangeas are enhanced by the beautiful aqua pottery planter. I am remembering that the color of the original planter was an ugly mud color so I took the option of changing the color. I love aqua and blue together; they are such good neighbors!

Queen Anne's Lace

Apparently I have become obsessed with painting meadows. Especially those with flowers in them.I love the transitions of green from yellow green to blue green, even adding gray to some of the greens to make the colors more neutral. The bright flowers add a pop to the scene.

Stand for Something

I love buckets of flowers. Buckets are so plain and utilitarian. Farming and milking cows comes to mind. I am glad they have a use as a container of beauty.

Peonies Please

This is a small 6x6 oil painting that was done some months ago and I misplaced it! I finally found it and am glad to post it. I am not the most organized of artists but usually can find everything when I need it but I realize I do need an organizer . Probably won't happen , although I do have a few friends who are qualified!

Cottage Garden

This painting is the third in the garden series(30x40). This was a delight in painting negative spaces; one of my favorite things to do. I started with the flowers and ended with the green leaves and stems.I love the change from blue green to yellow green in the foliage.

Wildflowers

This painting is another that is currently in the show at Botanic Gardens for the month of August.I have arenewed interest in painting this type of garden paintings. It is a chance to paint very intuitively;a pure pleasure.

Treat Me Well

Lighting makes a big difference in a painting. One of my favorite lighting sources is back lighting. It seems to create a glow in the paintiing when the shadow is in the front of the objects and the light peeks out from behind. It makes for built in drama.

FRESH START

I recently painted some larger (30x40) wildflower paintings for a show. I enjoyed doing those but my greatest pleasure is focusing in on a close up view. I like the negative spaces and the way the shapes relate to each other in a small format. Love my job!

Ms.Larsen at the Botanic Garden

Ms. Ellen Larsen is a friend of ours that we met through delivering Meals on Wheels.She is a delightful , sharp and witty lady. She doesn't drive anymore because of an eye problem. She was unable to come to my art opening reception so we took her to see it on Wednesday. We had a good time and a lovely lunch at the restaurant at the Botanic Garden.

Matchless

I tend to paint a lot of white flowers. I think that is because of the contrast the color brings into the painting. It can't help but be dramatic. Garden scenes are my favorite; the compositionworks out always because of the shapes and colors seem to always have a harmonious relationship.

Red Poppies

The theme of my art show at the Botanic Garden was Garden- Indoor/ Outdoor. I painted several garden style paintings. This one is 30 x 40 inches and is an impression of a wildflower garden. It was fun to paint; I just intuitively arranged the flowers on the canvas, connecting them with a muted green background.

Cool Summer

There are warm whites and there are cool whites.These are definitely cool; with a touch of blue in the white. The purples are a little warm for balance, although being cool is in style!

Intercontinental Love

Sometimes there are things that you can only see in one part of the world . Fortunately tulips are found in many countries. Carolus Clusius is one of those responsible  for the spread of tulip bulbs.He planted tulips at the Vienna Imperial Botanical Gardens

in 1573, He did a lot of research and major work on tulips and made note of the variations in color. Tulips originated in Turkey then imported into Holland.Clusius' book helped make them popular.
However they started I am glad they made it here!

What's Going On?

A useful tool I have found for painting is an app that turns photos into a value study. The colors are depicted as varying shades of gray with black and white. It helps you decidevif there is enough contrast in your photo or sketch BEFORE you paint or to check your painting AFTER finishing  to see if there is enough contrast.

Crunch Time

i am getting ready for my solo show at Memphis Botanic Garden.I will hang the show on Tuesday of next week. Final preparations include adding wire to the back of the paintings and often applying a coat of Gamvar; a type of varnish. It is too late to have an inspired idea for one more painting because it wouldn't be dry in time. It will be good; just glad when it is on the walls.

HAPPY PLACE

There are a million ways to approach painting hydrangeas.I have seen some beautful super realism renderings with every petal and water droplet shown. I admire that kind of art but tend toward the impressionist tradition.There is no right or wrong way to make art. It has to come from the heart.