Florida Road, 8x6 Oil on Canvas Panel, Landscape

Buy on Etsy

When I was a kid we used to walk down roads like this: white sand meandering through woods. This road goes through a garden and it has that bright hot look from the Florida sun. This is a signed original, 6x8, painted on archival canvas, signed and ready to frame.

If all goes well, I am preparing for my show tonight (I scheduled this post in advance). If you live anywhere near Middleburg, Virginia, please stop by. 

Friday, April 22, 6 - 8 pm

The Parish House

Emmanuel Episcopal Church

105 E. Washington St

Middleburg, VA

Carmen

Azores Hydrangeas, 10x8 Original OIl Landscape

$125, Click to Buy

I lived on Terceira Island in the Azores for a few years, and I loved all the flowers there. Best of all were the blue hydrangeas growing on the sides of the road. Things grew so well there that there was a house that had a tree growing on the clay tile roof. It rained all winter and the climate was mild, so gardens were quite lush.

I saved some aster seeds one year (or so I thought) and the yardman planted them all around the house for me. Turned out they were lettuce seeds, so I had a nice edible border around the house and the yardman never stopped laughing about it. 

Carmen

Raindrops on Roses, 8x6 Oil on Canvas

$89, Click to Purchase

Just saw "Sound of Music" on TV and while I was painting my rose, These Are a Few of My Favorite Things was running through my head...raindrops on roses...etc. This is worse than the day "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead' got stuck in there. You wouldn't want to see that painting.

We had a great Pieces of 8 Holiday Sale last Saturday. It was very festive and a good time was had by all. Thanks to all who stopped by and made it such a wonderful day!

Poppy Shadow, 6x6 Oil Painting on Canvas

PURCHASE

I wanted the sidewalk hot and the shadow cool in this poppy painting. It occurs to me that I have not painted a still life in a long time, but I'll get my chance next February at the Qiang Huang Workshop here in Melbourne. Maybe I should brush up a bit; however, I have been to so many beautiful places that I've been inspired to paint outdoor scenes lately. Qiang is a fantastic teacher--his method is well thought-out, and he is kind and patient.

Anyone interested in the workshop may contact me at hbeecher@earthink.net. The dates are Feb 22-24, 2014.

Humble Sunflower, 7x5, Oil on Canvas Board

PURCHASE

I can't grow a vegetable to save my life, but flowers are another story. My yard is in bloom, and I really should record that in paint. You won't see any paintings of my pathetic bean plants that won't even produce one serving. Can't complain about my lettuce, though. I guess anyone can grow lettuce. Here are some of my flowers:

Bougainvillea

Bromeliad

Weird Alien Flower

Girl in the Butterfly Garden, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Panel

How much fun is a butterfly garden? This one had every color of butterfly, including green. The girl's pose really struck me, it is so typical of a young girl.

PURCHASE

The dreaded political ad season is upon us and I am disgusted already. I would like to refer politicians (especially those who claim to be saintly) to Proverbs 6:16-19:

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:

haughty eyes,

a lying tongue,

hands that shed innocent blood,

a heart that devises wicked schemes,

feet that are quick to rush into evil,

a false witness who pours out lies

and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

Perky Poppies, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Board

I have so many wonderful things to paint, I guess I will soon get off the poppy kick. I haven't tried them as collages yet, though. Hm. That might be interesting.

PURCHASE

Christmas Palm, 12x12 Oil on Canvas

Christmas Palms are so beautiful. I see a lot of them in public landscapes, but there are never any berries. I guess they are considered too messy and get trimmed off. In Elbow Cay in the Bahamas I saw a lot of them left on the trees and it gave such a lovely touch to the landscape. What other palms have such a striking fruit?

SOLD

Cosmos, 16x12 Watercolor

I don't do many watercolors, but I take them with me when traveling. When I saw resident artist Judith Kinsman painting in the garden at Hidden Pond Resort in Maine, I hurried there with my watercolors to paint the beautiful Cosmos flowers. People told me I would see fall colors in Maine, but instead I saw sunbathers and lush flowers. It was a joy to meet Judith and paint with her. Artists are really nice people. They aren't all like Picasso.

PURCHASE
$62

Outside My Window, 5x7

This is going into the Daily Paintworks Challenge called "Outside My Window." I actually see our pool, then this scene, then just over the fence I can see a tree with mangoes hanging all over it in the neighbors' yard. I am coveting my neighbors' mangoes. I admit it. They aren't close enough to hang over my fence, either. They just hang there, silhouetted against the sky...sigh.

My husband is having radiation for a skin cancer (non-malignant) on his face, and the preparatory work was done yesterday. It was claustrophobic torture for him. While he was having this bad experience, I was in the waiting room. I was sitting there minding my own business and a massage therapist walked up and said she volunteers there, and that patients as well as family members all benefit from massage, and would I like a massage? Would I! It was great! My husband came out and told me about his trauma, and I had to say, "Guess what I've been doing...?"

BUY

Bok Tower, 5x7

When I was a kid, every drugstore had a rack of Bok Tower and Cypress Gardens brochures and post cards. They were the sum total of tourism in Central Florida. When Disney came it all changed, and now Cypress Gardens is becoming Legoland. Bok Tower remains, serene and beautiful. It sits atop Iron Mountain (in Tennessee it would be a mere bump). We actually have hills in Central Florida, so comparatively, Bok Tower is on a pretty high one. This would be a nice spot for my painting group to do some plein air painting.

BUY