I love painting the world that surrounds me, even in miniature when my painting window is tiny. These little moments stolen in the garden are my reprieve from the weeding and constant cleaning that comes with many flowers. Each is a beauty to behold, and the insects that cling to them are so very interesting, too. As the butterflies dance, they won top billing over the tiny snail on a leaf. Perhaps he'll appear in a later sketch! Painting number 4958 in 4958 days.
I've long admired gorgeous hydrangea, and now I'm painting my own! I planted this Bobo hydrangea, because it was a nickname we had for our sweet lab, Beau. It's now bigger than I am and full of blooms, and the pollinators have noticed! It's fun to paint this beauty when once I only dreamed of having them on the lawn. Painting number 4937 in 4937 days.
Some days, it is nearly dark before I get to my easel. It feels so good to finally squeeze in that painting! I only have a few of these plants this year, but the red is definitely a favorite! They all seem a little slower this year to take off, but they are finally showing some color now. I found a few more starts in the garden today, and an already looking for their special spots! Now is better sign off before I fall asleep - it's been a very, very busy day. Painting number 4935 in 4935 days.
Painting zinnias always reminds me of Grandma Bessie! She introduced me to these beauties the first season I helped her in the garden, all those years ago. I remember the giant red zinnias the most, as we dropped seed into a long, shallow row in front of her irises. I helped prepare the area, with her guidance, and she would often have something to eat in the kitchen when we were finished. Sometimes, I'd fun to Sonic for tenderloin sandwiches - a favorite for her and Jewel. What memories return each year with the flowers. Painting number 4934 in 4934 days.
Impressions of my garden phlox are on the easel as the light fades in the garden. The fragrance is heady at night, rich in the air on the front porch. We had a lovely Baby Sprinkle for Michaela and Robin today at Hannah's, and it was amazing. Rebekah came up with a delicious Fairy Tale themed menu with special mocktails, as all the girls made the day special. It was a lovely reprieve from the Big 250 year Independence Day celebration yesterday. I'm so thankful the girls carried the load today because I was beat after the week's preparations, cooking and cleaning. Best family ever! Painting number 4933 in 4933 days.
The rudbekia is blooming and the bees are buzzing! I love how these blooms have spread all over the fields, and they are lush in this year of heavy rain. We're headed to Raymore's Independence Celebration, and enjoying it with Mom, Danny, Jacob, and Michaela's family, too. Painting number 4932 in 4932 days.
On these very busy days, it's refreshing to squeeze in a tiny painting in the garden! I've worked outside most of the day, the heat hardly bothering me with the overcast sky. After finally getting a hammock hung out by the chicken coop, Kirby and I enjoyed it as we looked through the large oak canopy to the sky beyond. I couldn't stop smiling as another small dream was realized. I think we're really going to love this wooded space by the chickens. Painting number 4930 in 4930 days.
Painting generational flowers in the garden brings back so many memories! Five generations have now enjoyed these blooms on this land, and I'm the only one to paint them yet! With many budding young artists in the family, I'll need to gather them together for a paint out among them, and tell them about their Grandma Bessie! Painting number 4930 in 4930 days.
The Rose of Sharon is blooming, and I can't resist capturing it's beauty with a quick sketch! The only color I remember from childhood, the two parent plants of this one spread out beneath two large trees on the front lawn. My brother and I used to climb between them, stepping across the propane tank as a bridge. A white picnic table sat under the branches in the shade, where we gathered with family. As these reseed abundantly, I have moved many of them to other parts of the property, where they now bloom, too. This beauty is behind an old shed, in a secluded part of my garden. Who knew I would sow the seeds of my childhood on this ancestral land - and then paint them? Painting number 4928 in 4928 days.
The garden phlox are blooming and the air is heavy with their fragrance! One of my favorite flowers in the garden, these beauties smell almost of lilacs. Vigorous plants, they spread readily and grow in sun and shade. When dead headed or in years of heavy rain, they can bloom into the fall. My first plants came from Grandma Bessie's home in Raymore, where she shared them after a day spent tidying her flower beds. I've shared them and planted them all over the property. So now, I get to paint their beauty and enjoy their fragrance every summer! Painting number 4923 in 4923 days.
My volunteer cosmos is starting to bloom - and the bees are thrilled! I'm transplanting them into many beds to add their cheerful color everywhere! With their light, fern like leaves, the blooms almost float in the foreground. I hope they will fill in to sunny and shady beds alike, for an effortless bloom time that nearly goes till frost! Painting number 4922 in 4922 days.
How fun it is to explore summer flowers with watercolor - and to share the process with young artists! These radiant red blooms remind me Grandma Bessie, and of driving to the local nursery to buy these beauties for planting. I would pick them up and plant them for her, in her layer years. Occasionally, i bring a few home to plant, and they always remind me of her. Now Showing at Gallery Zeke in Steelville, Missouri.
It was a wonderful day to celebrate the fathers in our family together! The phlox are just starting to bloom, so a quick paint was in order before the day became too busy. Working in miniature, this is ATC sized, which is perfect for a day when all the family is coming over! I only wish my own dad was still here to celebrate with us. Painting number 4919 in 4919 days.
My days are very full, with to-do lists much longer than the hours, but, there is always time for a miniature painting in my garden. The endless weeding brings all blooms to focus as I work, and the bees and butterflies appreciate my efforts. Between grandkids, cooking and cleaning, it is a tiny place to recharge within the day. A special bonus today - Rebekah and Travis made chili for us all tonight! What a treat! Painting number 4917 in 4917 days.
I love painting the yellow flag iris when they erupt in bloom!! The way they sweep through the lawn is magical - and it all started with a small clump that I ordered from a seed catalog years ago. Great in wet areas, I've seen them planted underwater in the elephant exhibit at the zoo! I've shared them with friends and family, and they are great to sop up extra water in low lying areas. Their rhizomes are so dense they need to be cut through to divide. Their shiny large seeds drop liberally - and those readily grow new plants, too. I've put a few down by the pond, and they should be blooming now, too. I love painting the magic that stems from a tiny clump so many years ago! Painting number 4892 in 4892 days.
I wait all year for the chance to paint the peonies of my garden. This season seems extra short to get these beauties painted, with multiple storms abs heavy rain to weigh them down. These are the original variety that my grandmother planted, abs I've moved it to multiple beds around the yard, and it never disappoints! The bees were buzzing and the big black ants were climbing, and the smell was heavenly indeed! Painting number 4891 in 4891 days.
In a day full of gardening, I just had to paint the prettiest lilies in the beds today! I moved these from Mom's home in Ohio when she moved back to Missouri. I remember digging the bulbs from the front corner of their brick Victorian home, as we were preparing to move Mom to the house she found near us. It was a bittersweet time of loss and heartache, and the grueling task of packing up 35 years to return so close to where she grew up. Putting them in a large pot with soil, they made the journey to my place, Mom's childhood home, to spread gloriously in several beds. I think of those times every year when they bloom, knowing they are one of Mom's favorite flowers from a place she loved. Painting number 4890 in 4890 days.
Oh how I love painting Grandmother's peonies - and their fragrance is heavenly!! I've moved them to multiple locations around the yard, and each bloom reminds me of Grandma Frank. I remember cutting them with Grandma to bring into the house, and the bouquet would scent the whole room. Casper asked to cut one for Michaela for Mother's Day, and he and Kirby both presented a lovely big bloom for her! Maybe they'll remember me when they see these blooms each year. Painting number 4880 in 4880 days.
