Monarch on Hydrangea

 What an amazing day for painting and gardening! I bought this Bobo hydrangea years ago solely because that is what we sometimes call our sweet lab!  Now Beau is 10, and this hydrangea overflows with blooms each year, and I get to capture the magic in paint!  It's so nice to see the monarchs in the garden.  Painting number 5153 in 5153 days.

Butterfly and Hydrangea

 

I remember the days I longed for hydrangea to paint, and now they bloom abundantly and I'm out in the garden painting!  It's all about the little things, after all.  I ripped this paper down to fit a frame I have, so it is an usual size at 4x2.5 inches.  Additionally, I am using new handmade artisan metallic watercolors that I bought from Chubby Mermaid, and they are amazing as they add a little sparkle to the petals and leaves.  I'm going to have fun exploring these beauties! I think this one is destined for Powell Gardens one of these days!  Painting number 5133 in 5133 days. 

Hydrangea Bouquet

 

After a busy day of hosting family birthdays and more, I'm enjoying a little chill time at day's end.  Too dark now to paint in my gardens, I'm painting the hydrangeas on the table, from my garden.  These Little Lime beauties start as a fresh lime green color, then ripen into warm and pink tinged blooms, still with the tiniest of green glimmering.  They grow larger and fuller every year, and are a shining jewel in the garden.  I'm so lucky to get to paint them whenever I want!  Hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day! Painting number 3889 in 3889 days 

Nighttime Hydrangea

 

I'm coming to my easel late tonight after a fun evening with friends - and I'm happy to paint these beauties from the front porch!  These Little Lime hydrangea have really grown into big, gorgeous bushes in the last few years and oh how I appreciate them!  All my life I wanted glorious hydrangea, and I finally have them. And, they are perfect for my pre-1845 farmhouse!  For those late nights when I need close subject matter - they can't be beat!  They are right off the front porch and illuminated by the Edison lights - couldn't be more convenient!  Painting number 3877 in 3877 days. 

Evening Hydrangea

I am coming to my easel late to catch the beauty of this hydrangea at night! Some days, I am simply too busy to paint until nightfall, and this is one of those days.  After getting panels and frames for Colorado ready, I am taking a break to get that painting in.  Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers in the garden, and I'm so happy to see mine thriving!  Love getting to paint these beauties each season!  Day 7 of the #stradaeasel challenge and painting number 4327 in 4327 days. 

Morning Hydrangea

This is a showstopper year for my Little Lime hydrangeas!  The fourth year in the ground, they are now vigorous and abundant - so of course, I have to paint them!  Using my oils, I mark the lights and darks first, squinting down to see the masses.  I want the light and shadow to tell their story as they travel through the painting. I still haven't reloaded my palette, so my more sedimentary paints have thickened on the hot days in my trunk between pops in the freezer - my terra verte, asphaltum, and green under specifically. I like the quick colors on my palette, they are a especially nice quick start for those high summer greens in the landscape. I mix yellows into them, and push them cooler where needed. But they do oxidize more quickly, even with a dot of clove oil on them.  It seems like I'm always running out of paint - lol!  Painting number 3108 in 3108 days - now in to clean my palette! 

Bobo Hydrangea

I originally bought this hydrangea from a local nursery just because of it's name - Bobo!  Our dog's name is Beau, and we often call him Bobo - so I had to have it!  It did not bloom last year, so I must have pruned it a little too late in the spring. So, I am so excited to see it blooming this year!  As I inked the composition, and started on the color, I could hear the distant thunder.  It wasn't long until the rain started, and wow did it rain!  This TWSBI Diamond mini fountain pen is one of my very first, and still in my top two favs!  I probably would have inked a little more, but with increasing rain, I was worried about the paper becoming too saturated and bleeding out! It has happened before!  Painting number 2756 in 2756 days. 

Hydrangea Bee

I had planned to join some fellow watercolorists at the Overland Park Arboretum this morning, but thunderstorms put a damper on those plans at the last minute!  So, as I watch the rain on the front porch, I begin to sketch.  Planted two years ago, this Little Lime hydrangea has grown and filled out beautifully!  The heads are larger this year, and taller, too.  With ink and watercolor I capture them in miniature, only 3x3 inches, as I listen to the patter of the rain.  I love rainy days for painting on the porch, with a mug of hot tea at my side!  Painting number 2748 in 2748 days.

Little Lime Hydrangea

Beaten down by the heavy rain, I cut these gorgeous blooms from the hydrangeas flanking my front porch, lifting them from the ground.  The lime green heads have only started blushing at the petal edges, and I can hardly wait to see their full color emerge.  After a very long day, sketching these beauties is just the art therapy I need.  The simple act of sketching centers my thoughts and focus, allowing me to unwind.  I add a little color, and I'm sure I haven't done the blooms justice, but there is always tomorrow to try again.  Painting number 2038 in 2038 days.

Hydrangea Path Home

Sunrise found me painting  hydrangea, lining a path to this house in the woods. It was cold enough for two jackets, fuzzy socks and my boots, and the light was glorious!  This was exactly whay I wanted to paint this morning.  I first sketched this scene, establishing my values, and jumped right in to paint.  The painting almost painted itself, all I had to do was hold the brush.  Painting number 1659 in 1659 days.

Wild Hydrangea Inked

After a drawing as a painting, I was headed to meet the rest of the Art Mob when I saw this.  I could not resist,  and HAD to pull out pen and paper for a quick sketch!  My water brushpen tip was a little tacky from the sizing on one of my journals, so, the water did not flow as it should. Squeezing out a little on my hand, I was able to make it work!  (A good washing returns the tip to new.)  One of my favorite flowers, I did not know they grow wild in Missouri!  What a fun day this has been - now on to the next event!  Painting number 1626 in 1626 days.

Suburban Hydrangea

Plein air is painting on location, from life.  Sometimes, those places are indoors, but always the experience of the day seeps into the painting. These hydrangea were first inked with a Pitt pen, then I washed in the color with my watercolor confection pans.  This is one of my favorite flowers in one of my favorite journals!  The media float over the heavy texture, and water sits on top allowing the paint to mingle and move.  One day soon I will do a flip through video showing all the pages of this journal. I can see so much improvement from the first page to the last.  Painting number 1615 in 1615 days. 

Pink Hydrangea by Lamplight

During our Door County workshop, one of the paint outs was a nocturne, or a night painting class.  We headed over to Fish Creek, as there is abundant nocturne subject matter.  The streets are well lit, with many light sources.  I like to set up where a light pole will illuminate my panel and palette from behind me, as I look out onto my nocturne scene.  So, scouting is key, and location is everything.  I started with a dark tinted panel, and I began by laying in the lights.  Next, it is the middle values followed by the darks.  It is important to always keep my palette layed out in the same manner, because it is very hard to judge color at night.  Values are easy, but it isn't until morning that I find out of my colors are true!  Painting number 1327 in 1327 days :)

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Pink Hydrangea by Lamplight

On the second day of the workshop, we had a very full day!  We began with a sunrise paint at the beautiful Gordon Lodge, just north of Bailey's Harbor.  Watching the artists capture the sunrise, each in their own way, is a wonderful experience.  Heading out to Moonlight Bay, where the temperature climbed and the students melted into the pavement, produced some amazing paintings!  Then, we came together to finish those steamy paintings in the comfort of the shade (after I had almost finished a painting across the street of laundry on the line).  After all this, I thought no one would be up for a nocturne, but lo and behold, several were!  So, we headed to Fish Creek, and I painted this, giving instruction as I went.  It was a perfect night for a nocturne!  So, this was a three painting day!  Painting number 1310 in 1310 days :)

Hydrangea on the Lawn

Hydrangeas on the Lawn
Oil on panel, 6x6

The sweeping expanse of lawn beckoned to me as I painted these hydrangea earlier.  I had to return, to paint the more complete view!  The light and the cool weather made this a thoroughly enjoyable experience, and I think that reflects in the painting.  I can always recall the day in detail, whenever I look back at my plein air paintings.  Each day is a gift, and one I would like to share.  Painting number 1270 in 1270 days :)

Blue Hydrangea

Another long day spent working in the flower beds - until I was chased inside by some invisible little biters in the evening!   Time to take up my brushes and paint!   So, the blue hydrangea is today's focus.  I love these blooms and add a different variety each year.  They do remind me of Door County - where I've seen the largest blooms ever!  I used mainly a brush for this small painting, finishing it off with my catalyst - which I found in my brush holder for my french easel!   So glad it's not lost!   When I took the photo of the painting on the easel, it struck me that this whole scene would make a lovely painting!   Perhaps, I'll tackle it tomorrow!   Painting number 1260 in 1260 days.

Blue Hydrangea
Oil on panel, 7x5
purchase here

Bloomstruck Hydrangea

I bought the most amazing hydrangeas a few days ago, and I finally got them in the ground today.  And then I painted them!  After working in the yard most of the day, it was almost dark when I started painting.  I have been waiting for the golden hour each day to find my subject matter, which leaves me very little time to execute it!  Oh well, I've got to make hay while the sun shines!   This is painting number 1255 in 1255 days.

Bloomstruck Hydrangea
Oil on panel, 6x6
purchase here

Blooming Hydrangea

Blooming Hydrangea
Oil on wood panel, 6x4 - purchase here

Today finds me longing to paint the hydrangea.  Their large blooms are showy - and SO paintable!  With the overcast day, their colors are subdued, more peaceful in their setting.  As this is another very busy day, I have chosen a small wood panel - only 6x4 inches in size.  With palette knife in hand, and start laying in that paint quickly. with the side of the blade.  As I near completion, I then use only the tip of this small pie shaped knife to lay in those individual petals with thick, juicy strokes.  One or two strokes at a time, and then I reload with fresh paint.  Otherwise, the top layer mixes with the bottom layer, creating a mushy mess that is not worthy of those beautiful blooms!  Painting number 912 in 912 days.

Hydrangea in White

Hydrangea in White
Oil wood panel, 6x4
purchase here

I had put in a full day - painting classes, the gym, running Michael to weights and baseball practice, followed by plenty of housework and reorganizing.  I was already ahead by a painting, so I didn't really need to paint today.  As everyone was going to bed, I had the desire to paint!  Ideas floated around in my head, and I knew I would never be able to get to sleep without putting them to panel! So, I painted two.  There is something so still and quiet about working at night.  I can really listen to my inner voice when nothing else competes for that attention.  These large, white hydrangeas are popping out all over town - and they are my focus for today.  Ohhhh - I am loving the sweep and flow of them, as they drift so softly in the breeze.  Painting number 898 in as many days.

In the Hydrangea Garden

In the Hydrangea Garden
Oil on wood panel, 14x11
Lake Quivira Paint Out
purchase here

This lovely garden scene is near the front door of the Lake Quivira clubhouse.  The day was heating up, and there was only one little patch of shade for me to set up my easel, to capture the composition that I wanted.  These are the first blooming hydrangea that I have seen - so of course, I had to paint them!  Painting number 890 in 890 days :)