Butterfly and Hydrangea

 

I remember the days I longed for hydrangea to paint, and now they bloom abundantly and I'm out in the garden painting!  It's all about the little things, after all.  I ripped this paper down to fit a frame I have, so it is an usual size at 4x2.5 inches.  Additionally, I am using new handmade artisan metallic watercolors that I bought from Chubby Mermaid, and they are amazing as they add a little sparkle to the petals and leaves.  I'm going to have fun exploring these beauties! I think this one is destined for Powell Gardens one of these days!  Painting number 5133 in 5133 days. 

Nighttime Hydrangea

 

I'm coming to my easel late tonight after a fun evening with friends - and I'm happy to paint these beauties from the front porch!  These Little Lime hydrangea have really grown into big, gorgeous bushes in the last few years and oh how I appreciate them!  All my life I wanted glorious hydrangea, and I finally have them. And, they are perfect for my pre-1845 farmhouse!  For those late nights when I need close subject matter - they can't be beat!  They are right off the front porch and illuminated by the Edison lights - couldn't be more convenient!  Painting number 3877 in 3877 days. 

Morning Hydrangea

This is a showstopper year for my Little Lime hydrangeas!  The fourth year in the ground, they are now vigorous and abundant - so of course, I have to paint them!  Using my oils, I mark the lights and darks first, squinting down to see the masses.  I want the light and shadow to tell their story as they travel through the painting. I still haven't reloaded my palette, so my more sedimentary paints have thickened on the hot days in my trunk between pops in the freezer - my terra verte, asphaltum, and green under specifically. I like the quick colors on my palette, they are a especially nice quick start for those high summer greens in the landscape. I mix yellows into them, and push them cooler where needed. But they do oxidize more quickly, even with a dot of clove oil on them.  It seems like I'm always running out of paint - lol!  Painting number 3108 in 3108 days - now in to clean my palette! 

Hydrangea Bee

I had planned to join some fellow watercolorists at the Overland Park Arboretum this morning, but thunderstorms put a damper on those plans at the last minute!  So, as I watch the rain on the front porch, I begin to sketch.  Planted two years ago, this Little Lime hydrangea has grown and filled out beautifully!  The heads are larger this year, and taller, too.  With ink and watercolor I capture them in miniature, only 3x3 inches, as I listen to the patter of the rain.  I love rainy days for painting on the porch, with a mug of hot tea at my side!  Painting number 2748 in 2748 days.

Little Lime Hydrangea

Beaten down by the heavy rain, I cut these gorgeous blooms from the hydrangeas flanking my front porch, lifting them from the ground.  The lime green heads have only started blushing at the petal edges, and I can hardly wait to see their full color emerge.  After a very long day, sketching these beauties is just the art therapy I need.  The simple act of sketching centers my thoughts and focus, allowing me to unwind.  I add a little color, and I'm sure I haven't done the blooms justice, but there is always tomorrow to try again.  Painting number 2038 in 2038 days.