Moody Blues

"Moody Blues"

5" x 7"

Stretched Canvas

I was feeling like I wanted to paint something with a little drama or feeling to it.  I know, I know, a candle doesn't seem very dramatic all by itself, but this candle photo I found on my favorite photos-for-artists site had a mood about it.  I wish I could credit the photographer, but her name was not on the site. At any rate, it wasn't the Zen-like painting session I thought it would be--it was a relatively difficult painting.  Who would have thought something so simple would be so troublesome.  I thought the flame would be the worst part, but trying to show the glow through the actual candle body was a real bear! Hopefully, I managed it well enough.  I think I might be able to evaluate it better after I step away from it for a day or two!

Nesting Instinct

"Nesting Instinct"

10" x10"

Stretched Canvas

Fall is my nesting time.  The kids go off to school and I finally have a chance to put right everything in the house that got "put wrong" all summer!  I find great peace in the sudden solitude (although in a few days I will be missing their sweet voices and messy ways -- okay, maybe not the messy ways...) and I love to see everything in it's place finally.  Maybe a little latent OCD?  Sure, but why fight a good thing...heh,heh!  More importantly, I got my studio in total zen condition, so I am ready to crank on the paintings.  Too bad it is maybe too much of a tabula rasa -- like a big, blank white canvas, a clean studio can be a little daunting!  Here we go....

The Onion that Doesn't Make You Cry

"Almost Bloomin' Onion"

5" x 7"

Stretched Canvas

Onions -- I love 'em!  Fried and in sauces, soups and stews (but never raw, except the red ones!).  The only problem is the tears when you are slicing one up.  Oh yes, I know all the tricks (cut in a certain direction, hold your breath and, my personal favorite, the onion goggles), but they never seem to work for me (what a surprise).  This is the ONLY onion that hasn't made me cry yet -- although I am fairly certain it wouldn't taste very good in a stew!

Fall Down

"Acorn"

5" x 7"

Stretched Canvas

Still in a fall funk.  I say "funk" because we still have temps over 100, and they are predicting it to last into September.  So, while I wish it were a leaf-changing, hoodie-wearing time of year in reality, I will have to settle for a painting to remind me of what could, or SHOULD, be!  I painted this little picture from a photo in the Morguefile -- a great resource of free photos that all artists should know about!  The nut is still on the tree, and, from the green look of the leaves, he is probably having the same kind of fall as I am -- green, hot and very un-fall-like!

Orange Ya Glad?

 "Orange Ya Glad"

6" x 6" 

Stretched Canvas

This one was fun!  I love using saturated colors like these -- they are so rich and yummy.  It is unusual to see them altogether in one place -- usually there is a dull background highlighted with pops of color.  This one seems to work, though.  The orange looks so juicy you can almost smell it!

Fall Rose

 8" x 8" Stretched Canvas

1 1/2" deep sides

This is a companion to my earlier pink rose close-up.  I really enjoy the repetitive folds, they are quite relaxing to paint!  I have a bazillion rose pictures that I took when Jim and I went to Portland, OR for a week this summer.  The International Rose Test Garden is there and free to the public -- acres and acres of gorgeous blooms in every hue, size and scent.  I actually took more pictures than the camera could handle and needed a second memory card!  It is kind of daunting when you have so many pictures to choose from, and then, of course, I need to be in the "mood" to paint roses or they don't work out they way I want them too.  Good thing I am a woman as well as an artist and to changing my mind is just a part of my nature.  That way no one can blame me for procrastinating on my rose paintings!

Epiphany!

"The Epiphany"

8" x 10"

Artist's Gesso Board

I painted this abstract piece on a day when I was feeling inspired about painting on gesso boards! They have such a wonderfully smooth surface and the paint seems to have a mind of its own when the brush hits the surface. I suppose I could control it more, but then...why? We all have to be so controlled in life -- isn't it nice to let go once in awhile? Try it, and see!