If I wasn't committed to making these twelve pieces available to you before Christmas, I would definitely be keeping this one for myself. I was in love with this market stand of flowers when I saw it, and I am still in love with every bit of it even in a painting. I took the photograph for this painting in a little, beautiful...
Today is third day of my painting series. I'm feeling so grateful for the response so far!! This painting of the oak trees was one that I absolutely was itching to paint. That seems to be the case with every painting in this series. I love that morning light and messy dew-dropped grass. I wanted to be right there frolicking in it as...
Day two of my twelve days of painting was wonderful to work on. I'm not sure what the sudden draw to watercolors for me has been, but there's is an iridescent, over-all lighted touch to the finished paintings that I am simply adoring. I did a study from life of these pomegranates (if you follow me on Instagram you may have seen it!), but...
The first painting for the 12 days of Paintings and Christmas means so much to me. It's of the most beautiful iris flower farm near my home where I grew up. Every year they have a "paint out" where artists flood their farm and gardens to paint the scenery. I would go there and participate, and it was always so magical. I started...
There are so many post I am preparing to post soon. Everything from still life paintings, landscapes and plein air studies from my trip to AUSTRALIA!!! But until then, what could be a better time than now?! Because it’s time for a GIVEAWAY! Win this original watercolor/gouache painting, 6x6in., by yours truly. I haven’t done a giveaway for nearly two years, and I’m...
My husband Alex arrange a camping trip for us about a month ago. It was all just a bit of a dream looking back; unlike any camp experience I have had before. Our little camp spot turned out to be a great little grassy (unreal) area for our tent. We hung hammocks and cooked our food with a Jet Boil, and just relaxed the...
I know that it is technically Autumn as of today, but these peonies are nothing but midsummer in my mind. When I took the photo reference for them a couple of years ago, in the middle of summer, it was while I was staying at my sister's home a few states away. She had the most gorgeous vase of these flowers grown in...
I've probably said this way too much already, but having lots of natural light in my studio has inspired me to paint so much more. Believe me, I would paint 24hrs a day if the sun were up that long, but having a bright studio is as close as I can get to extending my daylight hours so I'll take it! It's incredibly...
My kitty, Mr. Kitty Bleu, is the best studio buddy. He named himself just by being his mischievous self and dipping his white paws in the blue paint on my palette. Such a stinker! He's learning how to be a good studio cat now though, and since the move he has LOVED the new studio; mostly because he loves looking out the many...
About eight years ago, for a show I was in (The 50-50 Show, if you've followed me for a while,) I took a bunch of photographs for the portraits I would paint. Well, I came across that file of photos the other day and just fell in love with this little smirk all over again. I had painted her portrait before, but I...
First of all, that entire title Farmers Market Peonies sounds completely cliché to me, but sometime you just have to keep it simple. And Farmers Market Peonies is exactly what this post is all about! I went to my first Chicago Farmer's Market today with some friends. It was exceeded all expectations! I planned to not buy anything (hehe, right,) but we caught the...
I love putting these inspirations posts together! It's an open journal of sorts, and although "gatherings" usually happen daily, it's good for me to really sit and think–what has really been my inspiration lately? If you missed the first post, or don't really know what this post is all about, go have a quick read of the first paragraph (or all of it)...
This last weekend I was able to teach and paint with a couple of my sweet Chicago friends (we actually met in college, but are now all married and live in Chicago.) We had such a great time! At least I did; I can't speak for them necessarily. ;) We worked on the same composition of flowers together so that I could walk...
