Dogwood on 3rd Street

Dogwood on 3rd Street
Oil on panel, 9x12
Washington Paint Out, Augusta Plein Air Art Festival
sold

When I had first pulled into the sweet town of Washington, this house on 3rd Street instantly grabbed my attention!  The dogwood in the side yard of this beautiful, historic house was abundant with blooms, and the picket fence led right into the scene!  I set up on the corner across from the house - in the full sun again, to gain the best perspective of this scene.  The morning light spilled onto the house, foliage and blooms, illuminating them.  I think my favorite time to paint is in the golden hour of early morning, and especially in the spring when blooms prevail.  There is just something so sparkling and new in that early light!  This painting was awarded 2nd place in the Washington Paint Out!  Painting number 1224 in 1224 days.

2nd Place Award

Flowering Pear and Plum

Flowering Pear and Plum
Oil o wood panel, 8x6

This is painting with a secret - it has another painting underneath it! An artist friend wisely told me not to leave any painting behind that is not up to my current standards.  So every once in a while, I will take out an old one, and decide if it is worth saving, or completely recycle the substrate.  The path, middle ground and background are from the previous painting, but fresh color has been added, and the foreground trees have been added.  These trees are from my own yard, and each year when they burst into bloom - I have an irresistible urge to paint them! The plum has wonderfully sweet fruit in the summer!  Painting number 826 in 826 days :)

Bradford Pear in Spring

Bradford Pear in Spring
Oil on canvas, 8x6
purchase here

The Bradford pears are just bursting into bloom in my yard, so today - I just HAD to capture one of them in oils!  I am using a canvas board today, because I didn't have this size in my beloved wood panels.  I really wanted to stick with the 8x6 size (it matched my available painting time).  After 822 painting days, I have gotten pretty good at knowing what size I can finish under a certain time limit).  The bright sunlight bounced off the petals and foliage, and the strong winds tossed branches and grass back and forth.  I have attempted to catch that movement with my palette knife and brush.  Painting number 823 in 823 days.

Robin in the Pear Tree

Robin in the Pear Tree
Oil on wood panel, 10x8
purchase here

The flowering pear outside of my bedroom window is bursting with delicate white blooms!  Spring has really arrived when the robins start looking for nesting spots!  Last year, they nested in the mulberry tree - I hope they will return to the same location!  Today, my chosen blue is prussian - it makes this wonderful warm blue sky. Transparent red oxide is just right for the robin, and my thickest white paint for the palette knife work is the best - if only my radiant white from Gamblin had arrived......it would be perfect for this painting! I think I'll top it off for the brightest highlights on the petals when it does come in.  This painting makes 822 in 822 days :)

Beneath the Flowering Plum

Beneath the Flowering Plum
Oil on panel, 12x9
Washington, Missouri - near the Missouri River

On the day of the Washington Sunrise Paint Out, this was the first scene that grabbed me in the town. Two other artists were already painting it, and as we were late from the 5am broadcast paint-out, I knew there was not enough time to do it justice.  Today, as I waited for Mike to have a procedure in the hospital, I combed through articles about color.  One after the other, I studied the words, gripped by the paintings they referred to.  Arriving home and after getting Mike settled and the housework finished, I went to this reference photo.  I wanted to apply some of the new found knowledge in this landscape.  Wow - what a way to hit home the lessons studied.  This is exactly how this place felt to me on that warm, sunny day - with the colors sparkling in the landscape.  Another day, another painting - this 498th was rewarding, indeed :)

Blush of the Flowering Plum

Blush of the FloweringPlum
Oil on panel, 10x8

My intention for today's work was a charcoal rendering of horses and riders, but when I awoke to find the plum and pears in full, explosive bloom......my intentions changed!  With storms moving in, and the sky creating this wonderfully moody backdrop - I couldn't help but capture a little bit of this glory in oils.  This is a purple leaf plum we planted almost 20 years ago in the side yard, and it has the most delicious grape flavored plums in summer.  I have added a couple colors to my palette that I don't normally use - viridian green for that new spring grass and permanent rose for the pink blush.  This painting makes 467 in as many days.  I think spring may just be my favorite season to paint!

Bloom of the Bradford Pear

Bloom of the Bradford Pear
Oil on canvas, 7x5

Our old Bradford Pear is starting to show it's color today!  With the recent warm days - so many things are springing to life!  Today is a perfect overcast day to accent the beautiful delicate whites of this tree.  It is the only one showing color of all three I have - so in honor of it's beauty - I am memorializing it in oils!  Painting on the dreaded canvas panel - because I am now saving all the "good stuff" for my events - this one is painted small!  It is only 7x5 inches.  I am really feeling the mood of this one, so I will have to paint this one larger to do the tree justice!  Painting number 466 in 466 days - now of to Michael's track meet :)