'Fourth of July Zinnias'

"Fourth of July Zinnias"
12X9
Oil on Gessoboard
Available
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Zinnias always seem old fashioned to me. I don't know why. They are common and not terribly formal like Irises or Peonies or Lilies, but they are the brightest light in the garden in the summer. In fact, if Mother Nature created fireworks I'd say these are the flowers that suit the purpose! They create a wonderful riot of colors in the garden! I couldn't get the seeds in the ground this year to the disastrous shape of my front flower garden, so, alas, these are borrowed from my daughter's garden.

It took me more than one day to do this one. So much going on here that I am lucky if I can paint for more than an hour without crazy interruptions. Also, I am having a disagreement with this gessoboard. It doesn't like to hold the paint without quite a bit of trouble. The finish effect is good in that it shows the brush strokes, but it starts out with a lot of slipping and sliding that gives me fits. Patience wins in the end, but it takes longer to do than linen or a rougher surface.

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July celebrating freedom.....even the freedom to make fools of ourselves. A great price has been paid for that freedom and I hope it remains in the forefront of everyone's mind this year as the election nears. I, for one, plan only to vote for those who will promote freedom and not vote for those who would steal it from us through more and enhanced big government programs. That is what was on my mind this 4th of July....as I was painting away on the zinnias.