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!

Tuliip Time

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This is a do-over of a previous painting. Right now I'm feeling very conflicted and unsettled with my paintings...it seems like the more I paint, the worse things get. I can't seem to figure it out. So frustrating.

Spring's Gift

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Spring has arrived and so have our bees. We installed them in the hive on Saturday. So far, so good. Today I'll be checking to see if the queen has settled in. She arrived in a little cage that is about the size of a finger. We plugged her cage's opening with a gummy bear and then placed the caged queen into the hive. It takes the bees about three days to eat through the gummy bear. This three-day captivity of the queen allows some time for the bees to become acquainted with her and accept her as the queen - otherwise they would kill her! Hopefully all is well today and she is free to begin her work.

Bees are absolutely amazing - I'm so happy to have them in our yard!

Yellow Pot

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The plant in this pot is called "Kalanchoe." It's a succulent and has vibrant red flowers with waxy dark green leaves. It looked so cheery in this yellow pot that I couldn't resist it. My house is beginning to look like a flower shop!

The painting is another attempt at fracturing - the technique developed by Julie Ford Oliver. It's so much fun (and just a little bit scary)!

Daffodils and Narcissus

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The first signs of spring are beginning to show in our part of the Northwest. This photo picked up quite a bit of glare, so I may retake it once the painting is a bit more dry.

In The Mood

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As I was finishing this painting, Glenn Miller's "In The Mood" was playing on Pandora. I'm in the mood for spring!