Daily Painting Floral, "Blue Irises"

"Blue Irises"
10X13
Oil on Gessoed Board
Available

This painting is a really great example of why I am not a plein air painter. When I took the photo the wind was blowing, for one thing. For another, this is the end of three sessions of some variable hours each. I'd be dead (and so would the flowers) before I would get this standing outside waiting for the wind to stop blowing. And do you think the sun would even stay in one place..ha ha ha. Just mention the word "chiggers" and I start itching. Leaves and dirt in my paints? Don't think so. (dog hair is the only extraneous material I allow.) Other people around watching me struggle over how much red to put in the blue? Not happening folks!! You'll just have to imagine me with my paint brushes and pulling my hair out over where to put this stem and that flower.
So to all of you plein air folk out there, hats off to you! You've gone where angels fear to tread and really deserve a big glass of red tonight.

Daily Painting Floral, "Irises" In Progress #2

"Irises" In Progress
10X13
Oil on Gessoed Board


I've not had as much time to work on this as I had hoped...was wanting to have it finished today, but you know, sometimes life gets in the way. Do you ever feel like you are running at warp speed and will never catch up with all of the things that need doing? That's a rhetorical question. I know I can't be the only one. So tomorrow is another day, as our dear Scarlett reminds us. Will finish tomorrow if the fates allow.

Daily Painting Floral, Irises In Progress

"Irises," In Progress
10X13
Oil on Gessoed Board

Click the picture to enlarge!

I'm trying something different with this one. I usually draw out the preliminary sketch with a colored pencil. (Most artists are using charcoal, I'm told. I haven't been doing that because I didn't want the black messy charcoal mixing with my paints.) But this time I then went over my sketch in alizarin chrimsom mixed with yellow ochre and a lot of turps. Picked this idea up from another artist whose work I admire and thought I would give it a try. It keeps the sketch in place as you continue to work. We'll see how this goes. Seems like a great idea right now!!

My irises are in full bloom today. They were given to me by dear friend and they reside in the front garden. A couple of years ago I thought I had lost them due to some bug that was eating away at the tubers. Somehow they survived and have come back to make me proud.

Daily Painting Landscape, "Edge of the Marsh"

"Edge of the Marsh"
9X12
Oil on Gessoed Masonite
Available
Contact me!

This is from a photo I took the last time we visited Seabrook. Just as we were leaving I stopped the car and took a picture across the marsh, one last look at Marsh Point where my husband's parents used to live. Their house was like this one, hanging over the edge of the marsh.

Daily Painting Baby's Sign, "Bennett's Guard"

Detail from "Bennett's Guard"





"Bennett's Guard"
10X17.5
Acrylic on Board
NFS
Click to enlarge

Bennett is almost five months old already! This is his emblem. It took a good bit of searching around for the right theme for Bennett. I am not sure why I landed on this, but I found the Royal Beefeater Guard Bear and as soon as I saw it I knew this was it. I love stuffed bears. I still have mine from when I was little. Mine resembles the Velveteen Rabbit with half of his fur rubbed off from my holding him and loving him so much. He resides in the linen closet and every so often I take him out and tell him I love him all over again.

When my children were little we had a wonderful neighbor gentleman named Mr. Cole. We had a lake directly behind our house which was wonderful for wildlife and views and row boating. However, whenever my children were outside I was like a Mad Mother Hen worrying constantly about watching my little ones, afraid someone was going to go plunk into that lake. Mr. Cole noticed this and one day he told me that children have Guardian Angels to watch them when parents can't. No comfort to me....it was a nice thought, but I wasn't about to leave that to chance. Now looking back on it, I think Mr. Cole was the Guardian Angel because, while I was the nervous young mom, he was also watching my children. We really liked Mr. Cole.

I hope our Bennett has a Guardian angel, too...because, as you know, boys will be boys! For now he has a Royal Beefeater Guard to put over his crib!