Talkeetna Cafe, Alaska Landscape Oil Painting on Canvas Panel

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This is an out-of-the-way spot in Alaska, a little town called Talkeetna, which sits at the base of North America's tallest peak, Denali. This cafe was rustic, beautiful, and served delicious food. 

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Koi Pond, 12x12 Oil Painting on Canvas, Wildlife Art

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I am very into painting on black right now. What has inspired me? Ralph's Art Supply had a big sale on black canvases! That is very inspiring. I had forgotten how much fun it is to do a dramatic painting, and I can't wait to do the next one.

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White Hydrangeas, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Panel, Floral Painting

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I had painted this in a different color scheme, and it never appealed to me. Every time I looked at it, something went ick in my head. This was the previous version:

I didn't like the rusty color. I'm just not a rusty person. Creaky, maybe, but not rusty. I decided to give the painting a makeover. I barely touched the flowers themselves, but look how different they appear by changing the colors around them. 

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Bok Tower, 5x7 Oil Painting on Canvas Panel

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Back in the old days in Florida, before Disney came to Orlando, the big attractions were Silver Springs, Cypress Gardens, and this one, Bok Tower. Bok Tower is a National Historic Landmark in Lake Wales, Florida, built on Iron Mountain, a whopping 295 feet above sea level. Pretty high for Florida.

The gardens were built in 1921 by Edward Bok, editor of Ladies Home Journal. The Singing Tower, above, plays carillon bells daily. Frederick Olmstead, architect of Central Park, designed the beautiful landscape.

Anyone visiting Bok Tower should also stop by Spook Hill in Lake Wales, where you can put your car in neutral and roll uphill. Honest. Go try it.

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San Miguel de Allende, 6x8 Oil on Canvas

Casa Gibson, Oil, SOLD

I just returned from a wonderful vacation in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where my sister and I enjoyed a pampered life for a week. We stayed at Casa Gibson, along with eight very accomplished women, including psychologists and diplomats. They were so much fun. We had a great time watching the Oscars together and criticizing all the dresses.

We were in a tower room in the villa. The views of the city were spectacular. We took a drive to Santa Rosa, through countryside that looked as though Clint Eastwood would ride up wearing a serape. Santa Rosa is a tiny little village with a wonderful place that makes Majolica pottery. We shopped and shopped...

My New Favorite Person is Veronica, the cook who provided us delicious meals morning, noon and night. I made it very clear to her that Mi Casa Su Casa.

Veronica and Effie (assistant cook/maid)

White Hydrangeas, 6x8 Oil on Canvas

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These flowers always remind me of my grandmother, who could grow anything. She was completely in sync with nature, unbothered by the snake in the garden. She was surrounded by flowers, birds and butterflies. She was like a heroine in a Disney movie, with beautiful things fluttering around her. I really miss being able to get her advice about how to grow a certain plant. I quoted her so often that when I lived in Bermuda, one of my neighbors asked me, "What does your grandmother say about planting this tree?" I replied, "Don't put a ten-dollar plant in a five-dollar hole."

My friend Qiang Huang had a quotable line on his blog the other day: "There is no shortcut in art. You just have to paint more." To all you Daily Painters: Rock On!

Coconut Palm, 6x6 Oil on Canvas

I can see this palm over our backyard fence. I painted it before in my painting, "Palm Before the Storm." I like to catch it in different light. Yesterday was so blistering hot and sunny and these clouds were building near the ground. They had that "just watch what I'm going to do later" look about them. Sure enough, we had a much-needed good ole frog-strangler in late afternoon, so I was glad I got the palm in  bright sunlight while I had the chance.

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