My love of Irises & Glass......

19" x 27" ~ Watercolor on Paper

Well, it feels so good to have completed this piece. I feel like I could cry, I put so much into them. They are my special children. It took a long time, but was well worth it. I have close-ups of some areas below. My little purple vase is my absolute favorite vase of all time. It almost looks black, but the light picks up the purple. And it has fun playing with the lace reflections. So pretty with it's ruffly edge. The tea cup has a pearlescent luster to it. It was fun doing something like this that I've never done before, trying to achieve that iridescence. The jar of Irises was a challenge, but I knew it would be fine. I love the stems through the glass. This piece needs to find a special home. I know we have economy issues out there, but I am still pretty firm on the price. Email me if you have questions. Click here for purchase information.

The Boys at Lake Michigan

Since I'm not finished with my still life yet, I decided to post some pictures of the boys from a recent outing at Lake Michigan. It's so lovely there. And a wonderful place to just sit and think. Ponder new projects and think about life. I'm not sure why I'm so taken with the water, maybe because it's something that I don't experience on a daily basis and it's such a treat when I do have the time to go. We are so fortunate to live so close to such a beautiful body of water.

I believe I will post the still by Tuesday night and leave it up for sale for 24 hours. It's turning out exactly how I'd pictured it would. It is the perfect representation of my love of Purple Irises. :~)




Brier doing his best beach pose with the required boats in the background! His floater by his side and the big stick in the water that he wanted to bring home, but alas, wouldn't fit in the car.





Thorn, who had just woken up from a nap after a big day of swimming. Swimming is so good for them, and makes them so tired!! All that fresh sea air. He had sand all over his face, my sweet boy.

Pears

11" x 10" ~ Watercolor on Paper

This is a piece that I used in a workshop. A very nice representation of what I do. With the smooth washes of the background and the tight details of the pears.

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I'm still working on the larger still. Will hopefully post it tonight or tomorrow. It's going extremely well, and I've gotten to the point where I'm a little frightened working on it. That Watercolor girl will mess something up. But fear not, it will be wonderful. I do get a bit intimidated by the bigger pieces, probably because of the time investment. It has the huge bouquet of Irises. And my favorite purple vase. Stay tuned. I'm excited!!

Hide & Seek - Part II

4.5" x 9" ~ Watercolor on Paper

Guess who came to visit and partake in the Hide & Seek shenanigans? This is Harriett's sister, Mildred. Unfortunately due to the Pear People gene pool, Mildred has the same bulbous figure as Harriett. And we witness another failed attempt at Hide & Seek as Mildred tries desperately to squeeze into the Ball jar.....alas, it's just not to be.

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Daffodil

5" x 5" ~ Watercolor on Paper

A pretty little baby watercolor. I had this little piece of paper left on the board, so I thought I'd do a little watercolor. I'm working on a larger-full size sheet that will be posted sometime soon. It has a bouquet of Irises from my garden, some beautiful cloth with folds and some glassware. It's going well, fingers crossed.

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Floating Rose

8" x 19" ~ Watercolor on Paper

Something a bit different and a bit larger then normal. I wanted to do an entire Rose, and I found this beauty. I put in a background to "pop" the blossom, and then compliment the leaves. Then I put a drop shadow behind the rose to give it a sense of space. I really like the result, it was really a fun piece to do. The leaves were done in the Victorian style which is reminiscent of the Victorian fabrics I use in my stills. Enjoy.

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Tasty!

8" x 8" ~ Watercolor on Paper

Mr. Butterfly has found a tasty snack! Normally the flowers are the star of the show, today it's Mr. Butterfly. I have fun with all the detail, and using the value of the blacks to emphasize distance, ie the wings. The nearer one is very dark, the farther one is lighter. I've also provided a close-up (below) of all the little antennas that have their own little highlights, because they're shiny! The highlight, antennas and legs were done with a 10/0 brush. :~)

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Pink Rose

8" x 8" ~ Watercolor on Paper

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The Red Hat Club

5" x 12" ~ Watercolor on Paper

More fun with color experimentation. I thought this piece was a lot of fun and looks so cute. The background I went really crazy :~) with yellow into a bit of alizarin. Also alizarin for the cloth under the lace. It just has a brite and cheery look. With the little happy faces, aka pansys. The little portrait I've had for awhile. Who is the woman in the red hat? I guess we'll never know....

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Run for your lives

8" x 9" ~ Watercolor on Paper

The Pepper family all fainted at the thought of what was coming. They yelled out "run for your lives" to the Pear People. Fortunately the Pear People made it out alive....they'll be back next week!

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Lavender Iris

8" x 8" ~ Watercolor on Paper

One of my favorites. The Lavender Iris. If only these lovely blossoms lasted forever. But I guess that's what makes them special. They are only around for a fleeting moment......

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Tis the season for swimming - High Dive

8" x 10" ~ Watercolor on Paper

I absolutely loved the gray in the background. My black of choice is Lamp Black and I added just a touch of Cobalt to cut the warmth. This gray is the most neutral gray ever, almost a flannel like texture. I am pleased. The strawberries are pleased too and "pop" from their background. (I believe someone may be attempting a back flip :~)

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So many people have asked about the on-line classes, and I have some what of an update. I am currently working with one person as a kind of one-on-one instructional class. Watercolor Girl gets so overwhelmed so easily that I thought this would be a nice way to get my feet wet (keeping with the water theme). Again, with my Daily Paintings, time is the huge issue. I have to be able to breath now and then too. And I know if I did a group of people I couldn't handle that. So...I will start with one person for a month. It's kind of an all access pass to me. We are going to do one painting, she has decided on a flower which she will choose, and I will let her pick from my selected reference photos. Then we will do a succession of painting sessions along with a video or two. (With the hopes that I can do the video part). In the big picture, if this works, then I will offer this to others. I am always concerned that I will accurately convey my technique, cross country. So, we'll see, I'll keep you informed.

Lily in Glass

8" x 11" ~ Watercolor on Paper

Notice the way the lace is reflected back up into the glass. All the little details of life. Most people don't see those little subtle nuances. But the artist learns to see beyond what's there. Probably the most important thing that I teach in my workshops. Learning to see. Just like anything else, it's a huge part of the painting process that takes time to develop. A little bit of late night wisdom, or maybe I'm just tired. Well, the paintings finished, the popcorn's gone, and it's bedtime......sweet dreams.

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Rose

6" x 6" ~ Watercolor on Paper

This Rose is full of color, and almost, dare I say it, "fall like". Sometimes the leaves have a lot of rust on them, maybe it's some kind of rose disease. (Sorry Mr. Rose, I hope you're okay.) But I did have fun with the leaves on this piece. Experimenting with different colors, hiding in the shadows. The background is very, soft and smooth, just the way I like it. So pleased with the softness. That is my biggest hurdle to get over the wet-in-wet, when I have to relax and let the medium do it's thing. (I've been trying so hard to relax more these days. Relaxation helps with the creative process, I'm told. :~) I recently looked at some older pieces from probably 10 years ago. and the backgrounds weren't so nice...I was happy with them at the time, but.....improvement is always there with practice. Paint lots!!

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Still Life with Oranges

30" x 20" ~ Watercolor on Paper

This is a very nostalgic still life for me.....revisiting my Mom's gently used kitchen utensils. They were her heart and soul. Her life revolved around the kitchen and making sure her family was well fed!! :~) It's who she was. This piece has a lot of color. I went for it. Let's bring out the bold!

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White Tulip

9" x 5" ~ Watercolor on Paper

Thank you to everyone for the kind comments about yesterdays adventures of the Pear People!! They are so much fun to do. I'm trying to experiment a bit, a do a few "different" things. It's always good to try new directions. It keeps you fresh. Hope you like this one.

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Oh Harriett, LOL

9" x 4.5" ~ Watercolor on Paper

Sometimes when I have a still life set up in my studio, I let the Pear People play. Today a game of "Hide-and-Seek" has begun and ended just that fast. Unfortunately Harriett's bulbous frame didn't "Hide" very well inside the ladle. The other girls couldn't stop laughing. "Oh Harriett what are we to do with you" Gert said, ROFL.

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Tulips

18" x 7" ~ Watercolor on Paper

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Pears & Leaves

16" x 7" ~ Watercolor on Paper

Hello everyone!! Well, here are a couple of pears fresh off the tree. My passion for the dark and dramatic comes through here. I am very pleased with it.

I have made the time to go through my blog comments and respond to questions. Sorry for not being more prompt, but alas, I've been painting lots! And shooting lots.

Has everyone noticed my counter on my blog. I put it on there on April 1, and yesterday, 65 days later, I had my 10,000th visitor. How cool is that. From 102 countries. I am so honored by all of the people who come to visit and to see what I paint. Thank you!! There will be a special prize for the 1,000,000th visitor. :~)

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Tulips & Sugar Bowl

10.5" x 8.5" ~ Watercolor on Paper

My favorite part of this piece is the gold handles on the sugar bowl. They look so shiny gold, with just regular colors. I love the lowest Tulip on the left too. It has a delicate look, kind of papery, thin. I like the dark drama and being able (hopefully) to achieve the porcelain look to the creamer. I have to do shipping and a commission tomorrow. I'm also behind on replying to all of the kind people who have left comments on my blog. Not to worry, I'll catch up soon. (fingers crossed) So I'll be back in a couple.

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The Daisy Sisters, Delores & Darlene

9" x 6" ~ Watercolor on Paper

A fresh little watercolor. Daisy's always have that fresh, crisp look. I'll tell you about my trip to Fernwood tomorrow. :~)

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Hollyhock

7" x 10" ~ Watercolor on Paper

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T. Tucker Boulevard Adoption Center

As I was driving around shooting photos on Saturday, I came across the T. Tucker Boulevard Adoption Center. Look at all the lovely dogs that are up for adoption......not really. This is our little play group that Brier and Thorn attend on a regular basis. From left is my Thorn (German Shepherd), Tucker ( Corgi, and who the Boulevard was named after), my Brier in back (German Shepherd) and Noelle in front (Cattle Dog). The boys and their little (literally) friends. Guess who runs the show here? That's right, T. Tucker. He keeps the boys in line. I think having the boulevard named after him has gone to his head....:~)

I'm shooting today at Fernwood Botanical Gardens. I have a Hollyhock in progress, hopefully I'll post it tonight. Have a great Sunday!!

The Petunia Parade

16" x 9" ~ Watercolor on Paper

Coming to a town near you.....The Petunia Parade. The play of light and shadow is always fun with the white flowers. And Petunias especially because they're ruffly. Enjoy.

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Speckle Face

8" x 7.5" ~ Watercolor on Paper

A distant cousin to Freckle Face....probably not. But I love the sun on this watercolor. On the front petal, the cool shadow from the stamens. I love the strong shadows. It really makes the piece so sunlit!! It's a little summer jewel.

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Callas in Love

8" x 12" ~ Watercolor on Paper

I usually do these Callas every wedding season. As a nice gift to commemorate the wedding couple. The Callas being the perfect wedding flower. The blue "glowing" background is such a nice compliment to the yellow in the delicate blossoms.

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Magnolia

7" x 6" ~ Watercolor on Paper

The Magnolia of many colors. So many artists achieve such a cool look by using so many different colors in their pieces. So I thought I'd play a bit with this one. Incorporating some Yellow Ochre & Gamboge along with the pinks and cobalts.

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Hybiscus II

9" x 7" ~ Watercolor on Paper

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Cousins

13" x 6" ~ Watercolor on Paper

The Pear People are on holiday, so taking their place today are the Pepper People, a distant (very distant) cousin. The Pepper People never anticipated the strength of the Midwestern Sun. They may have to break out the Aloe. :~(

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Me and My Pink Friends

7.5" x 12" ~ Watercolor on Paper

This piece I have done in workshops many times. It's a very nice instructional piece because it lends itself to a variety of techniques. The background is soft, so I work wet-in-wet. The flowers themselves are an example of realism, lots of detail, some dry brush. Then there are the cones/seed pods, I have a few tricks on how to easily handle these rows of seeds. This is a nice companion piece to the Coneflower & Butterfly from yesterday.

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