Wednesday, April 29, 2009

O My Papayas


There is a certain light that I love, when a storm is approaching and the sky turns a dark gray, creating a very dramatic background, while the foreground has a yellow-green cast. It's even better when the wind is whipping, like it was on this day. These are the papaya trees that grew from one giant, sweet papaya that I bought a few years ago. Two of my favorite things: papayas and that yellow-green light against gray skies.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Florida Garden



This bromeliad grows in Valkaria Gardens in East Central Florida. We took the tour by the owner, Dr. Frank Brown, who is in his 90s and going strong. It was fascinating hearing about all the exotic plants, and I felt like I did when I followed my grandmother around her garden as a kid. I can't dig a hole to plant a plant without thinking of her, so this was a very pleasant day for me and I've painted two paintings from the tour already.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

More Plant Life


This little tiny plant sits by my computer. I like the way the afternoon light looks on the leaves. I also enjoy looking out the window at the Salad Table, an ingenious contraption that sits at window height and has a wide variety of lettuce greens growing. No bending, no weeds; what could be better?

Friday, April 10, 2009

Consider the Lilies, How They Grow


Some of my plants look a little worn from the winter, but these lilies have just come up in all their glory in my yard. They grow anywhere and take little care, which is a big plus for me, because when I am gardening, it means I'm not painting. I love to commune with nature and all, but where I live, keeping ahead of the weeds is comparable to keeping ahead of rain forest growth. By the time I finish, there are more where I started.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Lavender Field


I spent a little while doing watercolor, to broaden my knowledge, although oil is my real love. This was one of my efforts. Some things in nature are so amazing that they don't look real when painted, and this subject is one of them. I also gaze at my photos of the colorful pools at Yellowstone and wonder if there is any point in attempting that subject. They look like something from another World. God's colors are much more brilliant than anything Winsor & Newton can come up with.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Passion for Painting

I have been honored to receive this award from Carol Schiff. Carol is a fabulous artist and just gets better and better. She not only has a passion for art, but a generosity of spirit, and it's a pleasure to know her. This beautiful award was created by Kim Ratigan. I'm supposed to pass this along to 7 passionate painters.

To those in my list, you can in turn link to the person who gave you the award, pass it on to 7 other bloggers whose work inspires you, and list 7 things you love; or, if you choose, just ignore the whole thing! It's fun to see this go forward, though.

Carol Schiff
Qiang-Huang
William Hawkins
Tom Brown
Cathleen Rehfeld
Jini James
Derek Gores

Then I'm supposed to list seven things I love. My family comes first, but that goes without saying.

1. The book of Matthew. "Consider the lilies, how they grow..."
2. The beautiful quiet of a forest.
3. The excitement of live theater.
4. A new brush.
5. The feeling of a painting well done.
6. Reading in a hammock. Ahhh....
7. My Mac. Oh, how I love my Mac.