Thngs My Mom Told Me

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When I was a little girl, my mom occasionally told me whoppers...and I believed her! Every once in awhile some of these old stories will filter up and bring back old memories.  I had almost forgotten this one about catching birds.

In an attempt to get me to go outside to play, she told me I could catch birds if I sprinkled salt on their tails. More than once she armed me with a salt shaker and ushered me out to the backyard...Geez I was gullible!

Zygo Limelight

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I found this Christmas cactus at my local market. The label says, "Zygo Limelight." I was so happy to find it. I lost my two beautiful large plants during the ice storm last winter when the power was out for six days. I looked forward to replacing them this season. I'm not sure why, but there have been very few in the market so I'm very glad to have this one!

Persimmons, Cinnamon Sticks and Cranberries

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I've enjoyed painting these Fuyu persimmons. Here they are with cinnamon sticks and cranberries.

Three Persimmons

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These persimmons were in a basket with a sign that said, "Free - Ripe Persimmons...eat like an apple." I've eaten persimmon cookies, but have never tasted a ripe persimmon. Absolutely delicious! Where have they been all my life?

Jenny's Green Teapot

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This teapot belongs to my daughter. It's quite small and sits on a bookshelf in her livingroom. I notice it every time I visit. I thought it would be fun to paint.

Tea and Scones

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The looseness, color, and vibration created by the old Impressionist painters is awe-inspiring. This afternoon I had fun trying to imitate the brushstrokes I think they may have used in some of those paintings.

Pumpkin Libations

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The Christmas season fast approaches and time for this little pumpkin to retire, but not before one last pumpkin painting.

White Acorn Squash

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Here's a little painting of a white acorn squash for "The Gourd Challenge" on Daily Paintworks. We had it for dinner and it was delicious!

Autumn Blessings

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Autumn colors have their own special beauty. Vibrant, yet muted, they don't overwhelm the senses. I love them.  This painting is a larger version of the one posted earlier.

Autumn Colors

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This was painted a couple of weeks ago, just as the cool days began.

Tea Break

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I enjoy using the fracturing process that was developed by Julie Ford Oliver. It  allows me to create a more free and looser painting, but mostly it's just fun to do.

Three Pears

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This is a change from my usual painting style. I love the look of Julie Ford Oliver paintings, so am experimenting with her fracturing method. I tried this many years ago, and then drifted away from it. It's so much fun to paint this way...why haven't I been fracturing all along?!

Sun Dance

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The last dance of summer. So glad I was able to capture them before they were gone.

Little Cinderella

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Well, hello! I've been away from my easel for quite a long time. Just felt a little flat and uninspired, needed to take a break. I've picked up my brushes again and once again am enjoying the painting process.

This is a miniature white pumpkin. The large white pumpkins in the grocery store were labeled "Cinderella", and I thought "Little Cinderella" fit this little painting. I experimented with the panel surface by adding another couple of coats of gesso to the gessoboard panel. There is a bit of gesso on the back of the panel, but it does not affect the painting.

Good Omens

None of these flowers are from our garden, but I take it as a good sign that they are appearing at our local grocery store. It must mean that spring will be here soon.

Promise

I believe tulips might be my favorite flower. It's still a bit early for tulip blooms in my part of the world, but their green foliage is beginning to poke through the brown earth - it won't be long before they appear. These tulip blooms came from my local market. I love them so because they bring a promise of spring.

Lavender Blue

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This morning I read that spring has arrived earlier than ever in much of the country. Here in the Pacific Northwest, however, we still contend with rain, sleet, and cold dreary weather. On the up side, there are some harbingers of spring. Crocuses and tulips are beginning to pop up everywhere, and we're seeing more birds sampling the seeds in the birdfeeder.

The lovely thing about painting is that one can contemplate spring on the canvas at any time. I found these primroses at the local grocery store and thought they looked great in front of a lavender-blue background. They brought springtime to my soul.

Simple Gifts

Thankful for simple pleasures.

Springtime Blooms

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Tulips bring a promise of spring on this cold, dark day.

Bosc Pear

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This is another values study. I'm following artist Paul Foxton's instructions for mixing color. This method employs the use of the New Munsell Student Color Set book as an aid to selecting the appropriate color, value, and chroma. I love this way of painting. It has caused me to slow down and give thought to each brushstroke. Lots of fun!

Two Lemons

TWO LEMONS

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After a long hiatus from painting that lasted from spring through the end of 2016,  I am finally back to painting. In addition to a busy summer that included painting walls and remodeling the kitchen, I also hit a painter's block that knocked me back on my heels. I wanted very much to paint, but felt fearful about picking up a paintbrush and actually applying paint to canvas. I wouldn't even check out the blogs and websites of my favorite painters; something that I normally enjoy. What that was all about, I don't know. It made me feel sad and angry and guilty, and was entirely self-imposed. My husband was supportive and encouraging. His suggestion was to just paint without judgement and without attempting to produce anything. That became my New Year's resolution and I'm happy to say it was enough to get me back on the horse. 

For the next little while I'm going to focus on values as I paint. I've recently been following a first rate blog,  Learning to See, written by artist, Paul Foxton. The blog contains a treasure trove of information on color and value and is well worth a look. 

It feels so nice to be painting again. I wonder what took me so long!

New Shoes

Last Christmas we gave our granddaughter, Nora, a dress from Paris. We included a sweater, beret, and red patent leather shoes to complete the outfit. She liked the new clothes, but she loved the "gorgeous" red shoes - a girl after my own heart!

Here Comes The Sun

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One little tulip leans toward the light and greets the sunshine.

Pink Azaleas

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Azaleas are in full bloom.

Small Treasures

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Small treasures fill the heart and lift the spirit.

Planting Season

Another scene from our trip to Pleasant Hill. The surrounding fields are newly planted and spring green is beginning to replace the gold/brown colors of winter.

View From Wheeler Road

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Patti McNutt, Victoria Biedron (fellow DPW painters), and I drove down to the Pleasant Hill area this morning to do a little plein air painting. Patti had previously spotted this hillside with the rocky outcropping, and suggested that it would be a good spot to paint - and it was sublime! The day was perfect - good weather, good scenery, good company. Isn't that what it's all about?

Morning Coffee

Morning coffee on a beautiful spring day.

Room Enough For Five

This is the same tulip set up that I used for a previous painting. This time I painted the background in low key rather than high key. It's interesting to see how the mood of the painting changes when the values change.

Hangin' Out

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So many tulips, so little time.

Dancing Tulips

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These tulips seem to dance to a springtime melody only they can hear. While you can't see the dance in motion, if you glance away and then look again, you'll find they've moved ever so slightly to a new pose.

Good Morning

I'm so glad to be able to turn to painting during this election season. I'm able to tune out all the noise and nonsense and enjoy the beauty that is all around.  I think it helps me keep my head on straight!

Cup of Violas

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These violas were just begging to be painted. How could I resist? Mother's Day is coming up - this little oil painting might make a very nice Mother's Day gift for someone's special mom.

Cheers

More roses! They still elude me, but I'm having a lot of fun painting them. I do like to paint flowers. They just seem so cheerful - even on these dark and rainy afternoons. This is a 12x12 inch panel, larger than I'm accustomed to. The larger size makes it a little easier to paint in a loose fashion.

Simple Pleasures

 

This painting is 14x11 inches, larger than what I'm used to doing. I like working on larger canvases, but feel pretty nervous and intimidated while painting.  Perspective and composition are both weak areas for me and I think painting larger reveals that - at least I'm more aware of it.

The answer is to forge ahead and keep painting larger. I'm also going to spend more time practicing these skills. I've decided my homework is to set aside some time each day to work with pencil and paper. There is a wonderful blog, http://www.learning-to-see.co.uk/ that gives valuable information on how to improve. I often glance through it, but haven't taken the time to really dig in and do the work that Paul recommends.

So much to learn, so little time!

Narcissus with Grape Hyacinth

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This morning I ran outside between rain showers to gather these flowers.  Bulb flowers are my favorites.

Swinging Single

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This little gal is hanging out all by herself in the water glass, but she seems pretty jolly. I think she enjoys her own company.

Feeling Good

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Early spring brought sore throats, runny noses, coughs, and upset tummies.  We're all on the road to recovery now and looking forward to feeling good.

Summer Promise

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Still working on my roses. They're beautiful, but killers to try to paint!

Garden Delights

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In the interest of full disclosure, the title of this painting is misleading. These flowers are not from my garden. While we have blooming daffodils, primroses, and daphne, we're still a week or two away from blooming tulips. These little charmers are from my local market. They're still delightful!

Royal Wetlands

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Yesterday we took advantage of a break in the rain, and went to Royal Wetlands to paint. What a gorgeous place for painters and birdwatchers!

Sunshine and Primroses

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The primroses enjoyed basking in today's sunshine. We've had many rainy days this spring. More more rain is predicted, but today was beautifully clear and warm.  We were as delighted as the primroses!

Blue Vase with Roses

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Whew! These roses really kicked my...knickers. It's them or me - game on!

Sweet Thoughts

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A little bit of springtime is sitting on my table.

Golden Gardens Pond

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My painting buddy, Victoria Biedron, and I went over to Golden Gardens on Tuesday afternoon to do a little painting. It was cold, but so, so beautiful. It was a delight to be outside.

With this painting, I tried to repeat the lavender-blue in the sky, the Coburg hills in the distance, and the pond toward the front of the painting. The fields are mostly a golden color, but bits of green are beginning to show through.

Ricketts Road

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This afternoon was perfect for painting outside - brisk and cloudy, but dry. Although much of the landscape still wears winter drab, hints of spring color are beginning to break through.

Primroses

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Primroses are one of the first harbingers of spring. So happy to have this little plant to paint - it makes my heart sing!

Pass Creek

On Monday, my painting buddies, Patti McNutt and Victoria Biedron, and I drove south to the little lumber town of Drain, Oregon to do some plein air painting. We found an ideal spot to paint on the bridge over Pass Creek - the little creek that runs through the town. It's still winter here, but there was a hint of spring in the air. It was a joyful day.

Secret Garden

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We each have a secret garden,

Where no one can intrude -

A haven of rest and quiet

and blessed solitude.

Addie A. Lynch 

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Lunch in Paris

Dang it! I didn't win the lottery. You didn't either? I know...let's console ourselves. We'll take the afternoon off and have lunch in Paris. I know a place...Restaurant Au Vieux Paris D'Arcole. It's just around the corner from Notre Dame, and right next door to Bertie's Cupcakery. There's a table waiting. We'll feel much better!