Orange Pansies

 

I'm planting more pansies and painting them, too!  I can't wait to get all my newest blooms into the ground!  After a morning of planting, weeding and mulching, it seems the chores are longer than my available hours, and it is often a challenge to squeeze in a painting.  On days like this, I choose a small substrate to get my painting fix out quickly.  And just like that, I'm back to gardening, potting up some seedlings and starting a few new seeds, too.  Painting number 5152 in 5152 days. 

Butterfly and Lily

 

This afternoon finds me painting in my flowers - in between the many garden tasks!  I have been told this variety of lily is very old - pre-civil war, in fact. I have them everywhere, and have only seen them in another old property  - the home of Amelia Earhart in Atchison, Kansas.  Very full and vibrant, the butterflies love them - and this cloudless sulphur danced among them today.  With only a tiny painting window, I am painting small today, 3x4, and the texture is very rough.  A bit of a challenge on a small piece, to be sure. The very best part of this size is that I am quickly done!  Painting number 5096 in 5096 days. 

Crossandra and Butterfly

Today was our Monday Morning Watercolorist gathering at Family Tree Nursery in Shawnee. Mom joined me and Michaela and the boys met us there, along with artist friends. We drove through the pouring rain to get there, abs it was totally worth it to paint in their greenhouse as the rain hit the clear roof. There were a few leaks, but we sat strategically at a lovely wooden table in the clear.  After painting this tropical flower from Sri Lanka, we shopped and stopped by Bill and Evelyn's house for a visit. Tonight was an impromptu game night with Michael, Travis, Tiffany, Mom and my brother's family. Another super fun and busy family day!  I brought this beauty home to my own garden, too!  Painting number 5089 in 5089 days. 

Two Zinnias

 

I am painting my indoor zinnias since I didn't come to my easel until after dark!  What started as trimming a few trees on the wooded path through the raspberry patch, turned into a work until dark day.  With no daylight left and no desire to go back or for a nocturne paint, I turned once again to my hydronic garden for floral support!  These blooms just get bigger and bigger, and in fact, I had to take the plant out of my Gardyn and set it up Kratky style in a large mason jar. It was not getting enough water in the small cup of the garden set up.  I chose to plant my collected seed in there, knowing it would be far too large one day.  I love having those blooms in the house! Thank goodness for hydronics! Painting number 3897 in 3897 days, abs day13 of the stradaeasel challenge.  It seems that some of my posts have not been posting recently.  When I get a little time, I'm going to have to go back through and reload the missing ones.  

Trumpet Vine

ink and watercolor on handmade paper

 

I love painting these old fashioned trumpet vines - much more than I like weeding them out of my other flower beds! Grandma had them growing on the cellar, and I can remember her keeping them at bay.  Not realizing how out of hand they could become, I let all things grow outside their boundaries, with reckless abandon!  I thin and transplant when necessary, but I will almost never pull flowers like weeds! As a result these beauties pop up everywhere, and the cellar has a whole side edged with this like a hedge!  The hummingbirds especially love it, and they dart in and out of the blooms constantly. I'm painting small as night approaches, as I am running out of time again.  The days are growing shorter, and I am already missing those extra minutes of daylight!  Painting number 3891 in 3891 days. 

Pumpkin Nocturne Batik

I love exploring watercolor batik.  Every painting is a new experience.  The rice paper is so fragile, and varies greatly between sources, so I push forward carefully.  Using translucent watercolors, the layers add depth, each one rounding the planes of the pumpkin. Hot wax serves to prrserve the masses, allowing deeper color to surround them - which needs to dry without extra brushwork - or the rice will simply dissolve away.  The wrinkling, cracking, adding more color, and ironing the wax away, brings to life something special and unique, that could never be duplicated exactly.  So rewarding, I can't wait to start the process again. Painting number 4385 in 4385 days. 

Mother's Lilies

In late November, I plucked these bulbs from my mother's garden, as we prepared to move her back to Missouri.  They flourish now in my garden growing and multiplying each year as I move them to other spaces.  As I paint, the memories of the move and all that surrounded it come back to me.  Though I am painting, my mind races on, reliving past days in vivid memory.  I'm so thankful to have Mom living close to me now, and happy to make so many new memories together with the family.  But each year as these bloom, I step back in time for a little while.  Painting number 3075 in 3075 days. 

Orange Begonias

 I love sketching the cheerful begonias at Suburban Lawn and Garden!!  This is always a lovely place to come inside and sketch when it's cold outside.  The bright colored blooms are so very appealing in February, so of course I had to paint them.  With a few quick lines and a loose wash of watercolor, I was soon finished with this quick floral impression.  It's so hard to focus when these lovelies keep begging for me to bring them home!  I love growing things almost as much as I love painting!  Painting number 2972 in 2972 days. 

Orange Daylilies

Oh how I love these daylilies!  The very first starts came from Grandma Bessie's garden, and I carefully planted them in my front gardens.  Over the years, I have scavenged them from gravel road ditches and deserted places, giving them new life in my gardens.  Grandma called them tiger lilies, and they grace many historic homes in the midwest.  So, after having the family out - and TWO tiny babies to cuddle - I am painting these happy blooms in ink and watercolor.  I have Robert Oster's Black is Black in my TWSBI fountain pen, and watercolor half pans for the color.  Such a perfect evening for painting!  Painting number 2717 in 2717 days.

Mom's Orange Lilies

A friend of mine posted this 30 day direct watercolor painting challenge a couple of days ago.  I know nothing about this technique except that there is no sketching first.  So, without my beloved ink, I begin this 30 day adventure to see what rewards I can glean from this practice.  Most days I will be painting a normal painting and a challenge one, but probably only posting one here. I am seriously thinking of embellishing this with my normal ink work.  In fact, I may be uploading a revised version real soon!  Lol!  You know I can't resist a challenge, even when I don't know what it is!  Painting number 2701 in 2701 days.

Orange Pansies at Night

Here I am again, painting after dark because I wouldn't stop working outside!  Mike was running the brush hog, cutting the path again and clearing out brush from around the largest, oldest tree on the place.  I'm already composing paintings in my head with that tree!  These bright and cheerful pansies are close to the front porch so are conveniently lit for my late night painting!  So tonight I choose ink and watercolor and my favorite TWSBI Diamond fountain pen in lavender is pictured - and I have it loaded with Thunderstorm ink by Robert Oster.  It's bend to violet and turquoise is the perfect compliment for those orange petals!  Love these warm painting nights!  Painting number 2687 in 2687 days.

Orange Pansies

sold

Early this afternoon, our very first granddaughter was born!!  Everyone is well, and we are so happy to welcome this sweet little darling into our family.  Since we can not be at the hospital due to the COVID rules, I have instead found the happiest pansy in the garden to help me celebrate my joy!  This little orange pansy survived last night's freeze and is now my subject du jour in oil!  I can hardly wait to hold this beautiful little baby girl in my arms!!  Painting number 2657 in 2657 days.

Orange Tulips in Vase

A beautiful Easter morning turned windy and cold by late day.  Burning wood down at the pond until the rain really started, we headed for the house and dry clothes.  Once our late lunch was under way, I went out to find these poor tulips beat to the ground.  I brought them in, covered most of the others, and now I can get a little painting in.  The winds are blowing strong and it's going to 25 degrees tonight.  The multiple of spring blooms sure were gorgeous today.  I wonder what will be left after this.  Painting number 2656 in 2656 days.

First Tulips

It seems so early, but my first tulips are up and shining brightly in the sunshine!  Even though this day has been completely full of hard yard work, I just had to take a few minutes to capture this!  The ink around the edge is my new Robert Oster ink - Great Southern Ocean - and wow!  What a cool color and spread it has when wet!  I actually thought I had another color in this pen, and didn't intend to use this, but I did not have time to run into the house, so I just used what I had.  I like the pleasant surprise!  Painting number 2645 in 2645 days.

Daylilies!

Oh my!  These orange daylilies are lighting up the garden, that vivid orange shows so well on the green backdrop!  Not bothered by the heat at all, they stir slightly in the breeze as I paint them.  First the lines with India ink, then I sweep the watercolor into the masses, trying not to lay down too much paint.  This paper is thin, and it can bleed too far when watery.  I like switching up my mediums on a daily basis, it somehow keeps everything fresh.  Now, if I can just remember not to dip my brush in my drinking water!  Painting number 1978 in 1978 days.

watercolor/ink on handmade paper, 2.5x3.5
purchase here

Autumn Begins

I will be having a large solo show, and as I look through my paintings I find myself wanting to revisit some of the older work.  My use of paint has improved so, that many of these large paintings could benefit from a little extra effort.  This is such a painting.  I pulled this older acrylic out, and just started laying in oils as I felt the need.  I'm going to see where this process takes me.  Can I get it to a place where I'm happy with it?   I don't know.  I always start fresh each day with a new panel.  Its totally worth a try, I can always paint a whole new landscape on it's surface of things go awry!  I am going to let this one rest until tomorrow, and see what I think in the light of day.  Painting number 1357 in a 1357 days.

Orange Sail Cover

In the afternoon, this sailboat shined in the harbor.  It was one of three that I had tentatively chosen for the morning's quick paint.  By morning, the light was too different, and the bloom was off the rose, so it was not my choice for the quick paint at Sister Bay.  And yet, I had to paint it.  I couldn't get it out of my mind.  So, here it is, the 1305th painting in 1305 days.

Daylilies in the Garden

These blooms are normally at their best for the fourth of July, but with this extreme heat - they are fading fast!  This bed is in front of the house, and the daylilies are earlier than normal on the south side.  The others spread around the garden, and have only begun to bloom.  I am hoping it will cool back off to normal, and the lilies will share their glory to the end of July.  These beauties came from Grandma Bessie's garden,  and always remind me of times spent with her, working in her flowers.  This painting is number 1267 in a 1267 days.

Daylilies in the Garden
Oil on panel, 6x6
purchase here

Daylily Dance

What a busy day!!  Pilates, running, shopping, painting class, housework, so much weeding(!), and squeezing in a painting - totally filled my day!  I hoped to get another painting in, but I've simply run out of time.  The daylilies are beautiful right now - and they always remind me of my grandmas!  Some of my starts were from Grandma Frank, some from Grandma Bessie, and still others from other friends, and each year when they rise and bloom, I think of them again.  I love how flowers in my garden bring back so many wonderful memories.   Painting number 1264 in 1264 days. 

Daylily Dance
Oil on panel, 7x5
purchase here

Marceline

Marceline
Acrylic on masonite, 6x6

This little darling in another of my daughter’s cats - and she as a beauty!  So curious and active - she loves to climb inside of computer bags, purses and totes!  I chose her for my subject at today’s “paint in” for the Tri-County Art League.  These events are so fun!  Not only is it an opportunity for painting with other artists, it is great to catch up and visit, even sharing our latest tools and techniques as we work!  I am using my limited acrylic palette today, and am painting on gessoed masonite.  When I start a cat like this one, I start by blocking in the background first, until the shape emerges.  By working in this fashion, it makes it very easy to see where adjustments need to be made.  I then start blocking in all color masses, finishing with the face - which is almost the opposite of how I use to approach this painting!  It is amazing how much our techniques change as we progress!  Painting number 1141 in 1141 days.