Egret Painting, 8x10

This is a small egret painting of the same bird I painted back amongst the mangroves. I wonder how big an egret's egg is, compared to a chicken's egg. Have you seen what passes for a large egg in the grocery stores these days? Where do they get these things? Bantams? When I was young and financially challenged I used to buy cracked eggs from a little stand. Imagine that. Nowadays cracked eggs mean you will probably get salmonella, but those eggs were so fresh, I guess that’s why no one got sick. And they had two yolks. Every egg was double-yolked. Yes, double the cholesterol! Little did we know that the incredible, edible egg yolk would become the food eaten only by those who scoff at danger. Let me see you make a deviled egg without them.

The Teal Pond, 16 x 20

I know the color of the water doesn't look real, but for some reason it really is a teal color, I know not why. This is a pond on a horse farm belonging to a lovely family in Ocala. Spring had just sprung, so the trees were an unreal color also, so the painting comes with the caveat: I didn't make up these colors.

I Have a Little Shadow

My muse was apparently on vacation this week, so I was left to run errands and work in my yard, which is now abundant with papayas, all sorts of flowers, beans, tomatoes, white eggplant, peppers, and a salad table. The salad table is waist-high, on wheels, 54" x 30", and we are harvesting all different kinds of salad greens from it, with (very important) no bending. Love it. All this gardening always reminds me of my grandmother Chloe (nicknamed Chulie). She was a master gardener, and I can't dig a hole in the dirt without thinking of her. This painting came from my archives (circa 2005) and is a watercolor of my granddaughter Rachel Chloe, who was named after Chulie. We were waiting for my flight at the Montgomery airport and she became fascinated with her shadow. She was very young, and is now a beautiful 17-year-old.

Egret in Mangroves

This one is 20 x 24 and it made my brain hurt. It's very complex and easy to lose my place. I love the subject, though. Mangroves are an integral part of the ecosystem here, and they are anchors of the shoreline as well as host to all manner of living things.
Yesterday my Peeps and I (ladies of the Pieces of 8) installed an exhibit of our paintings at the Melbourne Airport. The exhibit is enhanced by the sculpture of Joe Thompson, who makes art from skate wheels, forks, pliers and other found objects.
Mother's Day was lots of fun, and involved a nice surprise from my daughters: two giant blue planters. We all have that "Gotta Garden" thing we inherited from my grandmother, and I can't wait to get started planting those big pots with gorgeous flowers.

Jungle Garden

This garden is a place of peace and serenity. It's so nice to look at when I am sick of hearing the news, with many headlines beginning with the word "Gunman." I am so tired of Gunman. He is wreaking havoc and causing bloodshed. And 24-hour news wants us to know about every horror on earth. They have to fill that time with something. The garden represents the good things God gives us; growth, renewal, beauty, and peace. It's such a pleasure to paint it.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.