Monarch on Sunflower

 

It's fun to paint the butterflies circling these sunflowers - even in miniature!  I migrate to these blooms this time each year, and I can't get enough of painting them!  The butterflies,  bees, and hummingbirds love them, and add life to any garden AND painting!  I'm using up some random pieces of watercolor paper on these minis, and it's a great use for them.  When my time is short, Tis size fits my painting window perfectly!  Painting number 4999 in 4999 days. 

Long House Summer

 

It was fun to gather with artist friends for a quick paint at the Overland Park Arboretum!  The Long House is a cool feature in the landscape to paint!  I first spotted the construction on this hill from Monet's Pond, as I painted a sunset quick paint.  I couldn't imagine how the building would enhance the gardens, and could only think of the loss of natural space.  Well, now I see how it anchors the landscape, and has become a wonderful community space.  I love capturing this place in oil, and it is now showing in the gallery space inside that building.  Painting number 4996 in 4996 days. 

Sunflower Song

It was a beautiful evening for painting sunflowers at the Overland Park Arboretum.  These Maximilian sunflowers have been planted in dedication to a member who has enriched the arboretum through the years, and they are putting on a show!  It was a wild and crazy tangle of flowers to try to make sense of, but I gave it my best - and it was fun, too!  I am honored to be among the top 4 with this painting.  This painting is 4996 in 4996 days, and now showing at the Long House gallery on site.  

Bee in the Petunias

 

The bees seem undaunted by the heat as they buzz through the garden - and I'm happy to paint them in miniature!  This paper is buttery soft, and if I press too hard on the nib of my fountain pen, I could damage the surface.  I'm using a little Ocean Blue ink by Robert Oster at the edge, and a bright pink by Diamine to punch the watercolors a bit.  This is the only petunia I planted this year, after many years of not planting them.  I think this bed may be a little too hot, but the beesdon't mind.  Painting number 4994 in 4994 days.  

Swallowtail on the Sunflower

I love this time of year when the butterflies are abundant in the garden!  The sunflowers are blooming and I am painting in miniature on this bright and sunny day.  It's been close to 100 degrees for so many days in a row, that I've fully acclimated to the heat.  I'm completely comfortable in the shade for hours!  Good thing, because this heat wave is expected to last for another week at least!  Painting number 4992 in 4992 days 

Nocturne at the Nelson

 

What fun it was to paint the illuminated Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art from across the reflecting pool - at NIGHT!  LOVE the painting opportunities that arise for the Brush Creek Art Walk!  It was my first time to paint this beauty at night - and also the first time for me to paint the back of this iconic building.  The evening weather had cooled back from nearly 100 degrees, and it was fun to share this space with other artists, and visit along the way.  Painting number 4991 in 4991 days. 

A Stroll through Kauffman Garden

 

The cannas are putting on a show at the Kauffman Memorial Garden, and I am happy to paint it with a few artist friends today!  Taking a break from framing artwork for an upcoming show, I just couldn't resist the chance to paint here again.  I've not seen the cannas blooming here before - and they grabbed my attention immediately. I dreaded seeing the entrance with the stately old trees removed, but found the area charming, with a replanting of my favorite redbud trees in their place.  Flanked by rows of vivid blooms, the space really was much improved.  The music of the fountain had me longing to repair my own.  I didn't realize how much I miss the trickling water.  In this canna bed were white narrow leaf zinnias which looked like daisies, starclusters, and tropical milkweed - three flowers I couldn't identify without Google lens! I LOVE learning something new while out painting something I love!  Painting number 4990 in 4990 days. 

Shuttlecocks on the Lawn

It sure was a windy day for painting on the lawn of the Nelson-Atkins Museum during the Arterie event!  I LOVE capturing these iconic shuttlecocks in paint!  

Vanderslice Hall

 

How could I possibly resist painting this gorgeous historic building?!!  I couldn't!  All those lines and angles called out to me as soon as I checked in, and I KNEW I would paint it.  I didn't even scout the area until it was finished!  We had All Day at the Arterie today, a new painting event on the Kansas City Art Institute campus - and it was super fun!  Check in was at 8am with the final nocturne paint ending at 9:30pm - which is a long day!  Yes, I'm tired, but painting cool new areas is so worth the lack of sleep and food, lol! I'll sleep tonight and eat tomorrow!  Painting number 4988 in 4988 days. 

Calendula Mini

 There is something so rewarding about growing flowers and plants from seeds! I love watching that first little sprout, and the first tiny leaves unfold!  Imagine my joy when that plant grows into this beautiful flower!  I hope to plant these outside, too, where I will paint them in glorious masses!  Painting 4988 in 4988 days. 

413 Market Sketch

There's always time to sketch when the sky lights up!  Mom and I stayed in a sweet Airbnb in Brookfield, and I just HAD to do a quick sketch in my art journal!  It's super fun to create a visual journey through my days in a sketchbook!  I keep several going at a time, one for travel, one in vintage pen and ink only, one for gardening and a few others picked up at random.  All have a blurring of the lines when it comes to theme, as I follow whatever creative muse calls out to me at a given time!  I hope these journals will be fun for my children, their children, and their children to browse through some day!  Painting number 4986 in 4986 days. 

Horse Drawn Wagon

 Mom and I visited Jamesport, and we found plenty of Amish at the local market.  Buggies were parked, awaiting their riders, while others dotted the roads and shops in town.  It wad a lovely day to be out, and fun to share this place with Mom.  She's been wanting to come up here for years!  Painting number 4984 in 4984 days. 

413 Market Street

Mom and I stayed in this sweet vintage house in Brookfield, after a day spent visiting Jamesport.  We shopped the antique stores and I found a few vintage chicken things I had to have!  We had the buffet and Gingerich's Dutch Pantry, and closed down the town before heading out. I stocked up on Amish spices and Mexican vanilla at the local Amish store.  It's the largest Old Order Amish settlement in the state of Missouri.  This house was very comfortable to stay in, even with the quirky, wavy floor from the front door to the back!  Super nice host, too!  Painting number 4983 in 4983 days.  

Phillips Taylor Century Farm

SOLD

 

When I arrived in Marceline, I passed the most amazing field full of hay bales.  Instantly, I wanted to paint some, even though I have some dotting my pastoral landscape at home!  Rather than painting in town, I set off for this farm with the landscape in mind.  After scouting within the perimeter of the fence, i decided to walk out into the field, too see what I could see.  Of course, there was no going back after I saw this beautiful scene. Sometimes I've got to set up way back in the pasture to get the full scene I didn't even know I needed to paint!  I'm so happy and honored this painting was selected for the Magnolia Antiques Purchase Award in Paint Marceline!  The extra effort is always worth it.  Painting number 4982 in 4982 days. 

Garden at the Walt Disney Hometown Museum

SOLD

I'm so happy and honored this painting was selected for the Missouri Regional Bank Purchase Award tonight at the Marceline Paint Out!  I loved painting the garden leading to the old depot, visiting with guests as they entered.  There's a beautiful new clock on the grounds, and the garden has expanded since I was last here. I love seeing the extra additions from one year to the next.  Marceline is shining bright today!  Painting number 4981 in 4981 days. 

Bend in the Creek

 

It's so peaceful to paint along a wooded creek!  The song of the birds and rustling of the leaves blend with the rippling water to create a little magic at water's edge.  I'm so lucky to get to capture it in paint, and revel in the beauty of it all.  Painting number 4980 in 4980 days. 

Sunflowers in August

 

The days are growing short and I missed my outdoor painting window!  It's pretty cushy painting inside with a hot cup of strawberry cheesecake tea, though! I helped Tiffany work her PTO's t shirt booth at Back to School night, and arrived back home for Chicken Time. By the time my work was done, it was dark outside, so I an painting these beauties from my table tonight!  The mosquitoes have returned with our days off rain, and I just didn't feel like battling them!  We have less blooms this year, and I'm not sure if it's the heavy rains or the high heat stretch that has shortened their bright blooms.  I'm happy to have a few to paint despite it all! Painting number 4979 in 4979 days 

Butterfly Bonanza

 

The rudbeckia is putting on a show - and the butterflies have noticed!  Of course, I HAD to paint it!!  These blooms really shine as the garden phlox begins to fade.  Though I bought these at a local nursery, they grow wild in every meadow here and I move some up to the gardens each fall. I think this variety has a slightly different shaped bloom than our locals, the brown center more of a ball with dropping petals.  I think the others are flatter, somehow.  I'll have to check that out tomorrow, because they are also in bloom!  Perhaps I should also paint this in oils to see how different they would look!  Painting number 4978 in 4978 days. 

The Cows Come Home

 

No better way to relax than to paint these beauties during the Golden Hour!  After a long day of hard work, immersing myself so completely here, with only the focus of what is before me, restores me in a way nothing else does.  The experience fills me up, and I can go forth with love and light for the world.  Painting number 4977 in 4977 days. 

Sunflower Cheer

 

What a beautiful day to spend in the garden - among the sunflowers!  A cool front moved in and we're only in the 80s today - so I spent most of the day weeding near the sunflowers.  I planted some rose moss and portulaca to fill in a couple of spots, and have many cosmos volunteers that I'm thinking of transplanting them to other beds.  Could they possibly make full bloom before frost?!! These beauties will quickly fade and then the birds will start pecking out the seed. I'm happy to paint them while I can, they have suffered in our extreme heat.  Painting number 4976 in 4976 days. 

Summer Herefords

 

I'm working on something new for the upcoming Buttonwood show - and herefords are on my easel! Throughout my painting journey, I feel compelled to move in different directions artistically.  Lately, I feel drawn to western themes.  I've always loved cattle, likely due to childhood memories of Grandma Frank's and Great Uncle Richard's herds. Or maybe because we have horses again..... but whatever the reason, I think I'll paint more of these.  It feels like honoring history and the ranchers that work the cattle still.  Painting number 4975 in 4975 days. 

Yellow Sulphur on Zinnia

These are butterfly days indeed, as many fly into the garden to play!  It's such a joy to set down my garden tools and pick up pen and sketchbook for a quick capture of life in my garden!  The zinnias are show stoppers that attract many pollinators, and I choose my favorite here.  Too soon the days are growing short, and I'll miss the long, hot days of summer.  Painting number 4974 in 4974 days. 

Monarch in Ink

 

Sometimes all I need is pen and ink.  There is something so natural about picking up a pen, feeling the contact as I pull out across the paper. I'm using the old techniques here, no water soluble inks, only gradient shading with lines and dots. A sketchbook forgotten with paper much smoother than I use now, still serves well for the old methods.  Like coming home to an old friend, drawing takes me right back to my roots as a little girl, where I spent countless hours creating with endless paper and supplies.  Who knew I would love this forever?  Painting number 4972 in 4972 days. 

Peach Zinnias

 

I love painting the cool zinnias that pop up from saved seed!  LOVE that awesome peach color on those unruly petals!  I save seed over the years, often gathered on trips to special places. These might have come from St. Charles, near the Boone Lick lodging. I also have red ones in the garden, and I hope to paint them soon with butterflies around them!  Painting number 4971 in 4971 days. 

Sunflower Salute

 

I love the process of painting sunflowers!  Each brushstroke describing the turn of a petal is like magic, and the painting slowly unfolds.  Even on these hot days pushing towards 100 degrees, it is a joy to paint in the garden. I'm so thankful for all the grows on this fertile land. Painting number 4970 in 4970 days. 

A Daughter's Love

SOLD

 

I love capturing special memories in paint, and sharing them with others.  This was a special commission of a moment caught in time, to celebrate the special bond of mother and daughter.  I'm honored to have been chosen for such  meaningful work.  Painting number 4969 in 4969 days. 

Garden Nocturne

What a lovely night for a nocturne in the garden, at one of my favorite places - the Main Street Inn in Sainte Genevieve!  After dinner at the Brick House and walking through the town listening to the live music, Mom and I returned to the inn to find live music playing nearby, clearly heard from the garden!  So I grabbed my gear - and Mom - are started sketching.  The band stopped before I hardly got started, and my nocturne light went out.  So, I sketched with the ambient light, only turning this light back on for the photo.  I'll need to put that charging cord in my sketch bag from now on! Painting number 4967 in 4967 days. 

Riot of Roses

 

Beautiful roses are meant to be immortalized in paint - how could I resist painting them?!!  The rich dual coloring on each petal is gorgeous, and so unusual!  Cut bouquets don't last for long, but this painting will live on forever!  Painting number 4966 in 4966 days. 

Bee among Sunflowers

Even on a day so busy I can't sit down, there's time for a quick sketch in the garden!  Today I've painted in one of the many bees that attend each bloom.  The garden is alive with many insects, like a little city humming beneath the petals.  It's fun to watch this tiny world as I sketch, even for the brief time In there between Mom's birthday lunch and packing!  Painting number 4965 in 4965 days. 

Swallowtail and Sunflower

We've had some really beautiful swallowtail butterflies in the flowers, and I just had to capture one in paint!  Ink and watercolor is my chosen medium today on this miniature paper.  This is a great size when I only have minutes to get in a sketch.  I hope to paint another black and blue swallowtail that I also saw today - he caught my attention from across the garden!  I've never seen one like it before, but alas, my time is short.  Painting number 4964 in 4964 days. 

Able and His Chicks

What a beautiful evening for "chicken time"!!  These chicks are fast becoming my favorite models, and Able and his girls are on the easel today!  I started this painting with my granddaughter, Quinn, on Sunday - and finished it tonight.  I rarely break up a painting session, but we were in the middle of a family gathering when Quinn asked me to paint.  So, I dropped everything and were went out to paint the chickens.  We stopped when Quinn was finished, so I went back to hosting to finish this later.  The light was perfect tonight, and had me wanting to capture the sunset - too late!  Painting number 4963 in 4963 days. 

Chicken Time

Each evening after dinner, our ritual is to gather with the chickens for treats before putting them in for the night.  The kids join in the fun and my Mom comes over with cooked pasta from her kitchen and romaine lettuce that she has bought just for them!  The older girls know what's coming as soon as we walk up, but the younger girls are just now getting to know the system.  They were so bad about going in at first that I had to leave them in the run, lest they be left out overnight!  Our young rooster has started herding them together, and helping to get them back into the run - and he's still so sweet and gentle with us.  I sure hope that continues!  Who knew we'd grow so attached to these 16 little creatures?  Painting number 4962 in 4962 days. 

Monarch and Sunflowers

 I wait ALL year for the bloom of the sunflowers - and I absolutely love painting the magic of it all!  Butterflies and bees literally swarm these large blooms - and it's all I can do to get them painted as they quickly dart in and out.  These blooms above all are the most cheerful!  I can't help but smile whenever I see them - and especially when I'm painting them!  Painting number 4961 in 4961 days. 

Blue Jersey Giant Sketched

I have a special Chicken Sketchbook, that I am filling with only paintings of my girls - and our one rooster!  This sweet chicken is a Blue Jersey Giant, and a sweetheart with a floppy comb. It lays over a little, giving her extra personality. Once in a while she delays her re-entry to the run by hanging behind the others for those last few bugs in her way in!  Painting number 4960 in 4960 days. 

 

Butterfly on the Hydrangea

Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers in the garden, and truly a joy to paint!  Our recent rains have pulled the big heads down a little, but they still shine in the garden.  I've only a little time for painting today, so I choose a miniature paper in ATC size.  The butterflies serve as icing on the cake of these blooms, and I'm happy to capture the visitors in action!  After a full day of shopping with Mom, and an evening at the Peculiar Winery with the family, I'm ready to spend the weekend outside in the gardens - and squeeze in a painting or two!  Painting number 4959 in 4959 days. 

Phlox and Swallowtail

 

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. 

Blue Jersey Giant

We have "chicken time" every evening, where the girls - and Able - take treats from our hands and get extra greens.  Mom comes by and Kirby and Casper join, too.  The chickens know Mom has her own bucket of goodies, so they run to her when she settles on the glider with her goodies!  I love sketching the fun and it's such a nice way to end the day.  What a blessing these chickens are to all of us.  Painting number 4957 in 4957 days. 

Betsy and Able

Each of my chickens has such a unique personality!  Betsy is one of my sweetest hens, gentle and kind to the others.  She'll sit in my lap contentedly, whether I have treats or not.  A Calico Princess, she has lovely coloring!  Able is a gorgeous Starlight Green Egger rooster, who is still sweet and takes food from my hand so carefully - with a softer touch than any of my hens.  He especially likes taking bites of buns that I hold, when we have some left over from grilling.  I'm so thankful for each of my chickens.  I never dreamed they could add so much to my world.  And of course, I LOVE painting them!  Painting number 4956 in 4956 days. 
 

Today's Cart!

 

Who shops and sketches in an open greenhouse on a 100 degree day?  Me!  Just getting home from Augusta last night, I wasn't sure I'd meet the Monday Morning Watercolorists at Suburban Lawn and Garden this morning.  With the car only half unpacked, I decided not to miss the opportunity!  I was rewarded with more lovely flowers to come home with me, and sketched my shopping cart, too!  Coming home today - large periwinkle basket, rosemary topiary, globe amaranth, young stevia plants and a large begonia for the front porch. I just can't resist a beautiful bloom!  Painting number 4955 in 4955 days. 

Releasing Negativity

As a plein air artist, I've long wondered if I could possibly make watercolor batik work in the field. This weekend, I discovered that I could!  I ordered a tiny travel iron for wax removal and withmy tiny crockpot for melting wax, all I needed was an outlet.  It was super fun to participate in multiple classes - and paint in the other ones!  I love exploring new methods in painting AND yoga!  What a fun weekend!  Now Showing at Halcyon Spa in Augusta, Missouri!  Painting number 4954 in 4954 days. 

Yoga Bliss Festival

The very best part of a yoga retreat weekend is the total immersion in all things yoga.  This year, I've been drawn to the deep restorative and sound bath classes, so I've filled my schedule with them plus a little Myo Yin Yan.  Each is a special shared experience that lingers long after the session ends. I'm looking forward to all tomorrow's classes have to offer. Now Showing at the Yoga Bliss Festival at Harmonie Verein in Augusta, where you can come take a class and leave restored! Painting number 4952 in 4952 days. 

Paradise Restaurant

It's fun to get to paint the cool summer places at the Lake of the Ozarks!  This place is called Paradise Restaurant, and it's bright and cheerful.  I'm delivering it and two others to the area soon!  Painting number 4951 in 4951 days. 

Lakeside Dreaming

The boats leading to the pavilion are iconic at Lakeside, and I couldn't resist painting them as Mom and I sat on a bench, waiting for the sunset.  The Canadian wildfires have blown smoke our way, and the air is actually hazardous.  It was so thick in Genoa, we could not see the other side of a crop field as we drove through.  The sky only pinked up before fading to dark, so there wasn't much color to capture.  The peace and tranquility here are truly therapeutic.  Painting number 4950 in 4950 days. 

Along the Garden Path

 

Known as the most beautiful stroll along the water, Lake Erie is but a backdrop for these glorious daylilies!  Larger than my hand, these bold  blooms rise above the foliage in abundance.  I've never seen them glow like this, so of course, I HAD to paint them!  I had so much fun talking with everyone as they walked by, and I'm happy this painting found a new home here, too!  Painting number  4949 in 4949 days. 

Morning on W. Second

 

I love painting downtown Lakeside, where most of the traffic is bicycles and gold carts.  Everyone is so nice, and we visit about all things Lakeside.  Often, couples will walk by a few times to see my progress as I work.  What a great place to visit AND paint!  I'm so happy this painting has found a new home in Kentucky!  Painting number 4948 in 4948 days. 

Path to the Pier

I love painting the vintage charm of this lovely  pavilion in Lakeside on Lake Erie!  It's entry to the pier is iconic to this area, and a beautiful landmark from the water.  Mom and I sure have enjoyed our stay here!  Painting number 4947 in 4947 days. 

Path to Hotel Lakeside

 

It's so much fun to stay and paint at the Historic Hotel Lakeside on Lake Erie!  Come see this and more tomorrow at the Wet Paint Sale near the pavilion at 1:30! ♥️🎨

#hotellakeside #lakesideohio #lakesidechautauqua #pleinairpainting #artistlife

Rush Hour on Walnut

 

I LOVE returning to charming Lakeside to paint! I look forward to this weekend event all year, it's like stepping back in time for a few days.  A great place for families, many return to the same summer cottage for generations.  The Wet Paint Sale Sunday 1:30 to 3:30, outside the hotel near the pavilion on Lake Erie.  It's always cool here by the water.  Painting number 4945 in 4945 days. 

Marblehead Lighthouse

Today, Mom and I visited a place we used to visit with Dad, and I sketched as we listened to the crashing of the waves.  We would visit this place each year with the family, kids jumping from rock to rock, as we looked for Cedar Point on the horizon.  I could spend hours listening to the surf, it is so deeply relaxing.  The breeze blows cool off the water, and the air is very smokey from the Canadian wildfires.  I'm looking forward to painting along Lake Erie the next few days, and sharing some time with Mom in a place she loves. Painting number 4944 in 4944 days. 

Trail Through the Trees

 

It's so peaceful to sketch this trail through a canopy of trees.  Though the weather is in the 90s, this path is cool in full shade, with a lovely breeze cutting through.  Our time is short, and this may be my last time on this trail until next year.  I wonder if everyone connects to places like I do, as if they are living, breathing things.  It's hard to leave, and I feel this way about many special locations.  It's as if I bond with each place.  What a lovely place to spend some time unwinding!  Painting number 4944 in 4944 days.