Orange Pansies

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Early this afternoon, our very first granddaughter was born!!  Everyone is well, and we are so happy to welcome this sweet little darling into our family.  Since we can not be at the hospital due to the COVID rules, I have instead found the happiest pansy in the garden to help me celebrate my joy!  This little orange pansy survived last night's freeze and is now my subject du jour in oil!  I can hardly wait to hold this beautiful little baby girl in my arms!!  Painting number 2657 in 2657 days.

Penguin Pair

I spent several days plein air painting at the Kansas City Zoo, really enjoying the opportunity to study the animals.  Especially fun was getting to sketch the Humboldt penguins before and during feeding time.  These two were so sweet, preening each other, standing together the whole time I sketched, only moving when the girls came in with tasty morsels!!  Such a treat to get to paint these darlings.  This painting will be in the "Art of Kindness" Show at the Buttonwood Art Space in February and March.  Painting number 2634 in 2634 days.

Morning at Brooker Creek

Each new painting adventure leads me to parts unknown, each with it's own beauty to translate into paint.  This beautiful spot is the Brooker Creek Preserve, and I am standing on the boardwalk bridge over the known alligator habitat.  I saw many birds, fish jumping, and heard large animal noises from under the bridge - but I never actually saw the gator.  A very peaceful place, it was so relaxing to stand here and paint, soaking up my surroundings.  This painting was my favorite of the three day event - so I entered it for judging, and we could only enter one.  What an honor to win an award on it at the Tarpon Springs Paint and Photo reception last night!  I definitely want to return next year to paint again!  Painting number 2611 in 2611 days.

Blevin Trail

What a joy it is to hike a new trail in the Arizona mountains!  The mountains make a fabulous backdrop to the desert landscape - and the gardener in me LOVES exploring the local cacti in the wild!  The Blevin trail is an beautiful hike through the desert, crossing a couple of washes in this rocky terrain.  There were several horses and riders on these trails - it was fun to see them!  It felt just like stepping into a western movie!  Painting number 2599 in 2599 days.

Superstition Mountain

Superstition Mountain is a stand out in the Arizona landscape - especially in this light!  Taking some time to see the Goldfield ghost town with the family, these mountains are the backdrop for the town.  The weather is perfect - and almost always sunny - which is certainly a welcome treat this time of year!  I think I will be returning to snow and cold - but this February day, I bask in the sun!!  Painting number 2598 in 2598 days.

Grapefruit Tree

The branches of this grapefruit tree are heavy with fruit!  Love how the air is fragrant with fruit!  With gentle winds, this is a pleasant day spent outside, soaking up the sun.  Too soon I will be returning to snow, and I will remember these days as I shiver in the pasture!  Painting number 2597 in 2697 days.

Cactus Clump

The very best thing about spending some time in Arizona in February is the warm weather!  Flowers are in bloom, there's not a cloud in the sky, and 70 degrees is pretty awesome.  I do love painting in the snow - but oh how comfortable it is right here!  This beautiful cactus is at least four feet tall, with spreading arms reaching to the sky. I am missing a favorite India ink pen, and am using a ball point pen in a few places to make do!  Haha!  I am forever pulling out pens and forgetting to get them back in my bags!  Painting number 2594 in 2594 days.

Oranges!

Oh I was so excited when I saw the boxes of oranges lined up by the road in front of one of the houses!  Local residents put their overflow fruit out by the road for others to pick up.  Our oranges are nearly gone from our tree - so I headed by to the house to get a bag.  Only a half mile away, I decided to just grab this box to share with our families.  Far heavier than I realized, I did get it back before my arms gave out.  Ready for a shower after my 2 mile run, I left mom and Evelyn peeling juicy oranges to eat.  When I got out of the shower the looks on their faces were no longer glowing - and I found a plate of very white slices from inside of these "oranges" - and they are tart as grapefruit!  What a disappointment!  So, of course I had to paint them.  Just another plein air/running adventure.  I will taste test the next batch in the field before ever bringing them back!  Painting number 2593 in 2593 days.

Citrus and Palm

As I sit on the tile in my bare feet, sipping hot tea with lemon fresh from the tree, I begin to sketch.  A few slices from the orange just picked, and I begin to add color.  The delightful sunny day is sweet reward for standing in the cold snow just a few days ago.  The light is so strong, the air so dry, I am definitely not in Missouri anymore!  What a joy to greet the morning like this.  All I need is a run and I am ready for the BIG GAME!!!!  GO CHIEFS!!!  Painting number 2592 in 2592 days.

Mesa Palm

Oh how I love the warm, sunny FEBRUARY days of Arizona!  This gorgeous palm sits out back, basking in that strong sunlight.  What a joy to shed boots and coats for this warmer clime!  As the quail dot in and out of the oleander shade, I watch and sketch.  It takes a little observation to shift my color palette from snowy winter to sunny desert - so on this first painting I get acclimated!  Painting number 2591 in 2591 days.

Chickadees on the Feeder

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The birds are busy around the feeders on this snowy January morning - and this green enamelware one is lovely against the snow!  A Mother's Day gift from my youngest daughter, this is my first painting to include it!  Because of the shape of the belly of the feeder, only the little birds can partake of it's bounty.  While the larger birds attend the other feeders, this one swarms with chickadees and nuthatch.  I am using one of my newest palettes from Watercolor Confections - the Terrain.  The choice seems at first unlikely for a snowy day, but I chose it for the perfect color of green for the bird.  I then made the other colors work, although that meant mixing the right browns and grays for the birds.  I like this palette and think it will be especially good for the summer landscape.  Painting number 2572 in 2572 days.

Autumn at Dad's Shed

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Today finds me painting the shed Dad built, with those beautiful autumn colors shining.  Using my oils, I am squeezing this I painting window in between packing and hauling boxes to the basement.  It is bittersweet to think I won't have many more days to paint here.  But, it will be so nice to have mom back in Missouri where we have so much family.  Painting number 2504 in 2504 days. 

Fairfield Courthouse

SOLDHeading into town with every intention of checking in early and turning in work, the morning light on the courthouse had me pulling over the car!  Before I knew it, I was sketching this out in ink, and soon adding in the watercolor.  I stood at my car and worked, visiting with onlookers as they passed.  I even set my watercolor half pans on top of my trunk, as if it were my desk!  I can paint anywhere, it's all about the process.  This painting now has a home at the Victorian on Main.  Painting number 2485 in 2485 days.

Brazen Inked

SOLDAfter delicious street tacos at the Night Market from the Brazen booth, the light drizzle turned into rain.  Looking for a shelter from which to use my ink, I chose the wide overhang at tree front of their restaurant.  I loved all that perspective, with all lines leading into the scene.  As I worked my lines on the 100% cotton rag paper, I could feel the texture changing under my pen.  The paper was absorbing so much moisture from the air, the ink was beginning to spread on it's own!  Finishing as quickly as I could, I tucked the painting in my bag, shielding it from the rain.  Once it was safe in my car - a much drier environment, I could relax.  I waited until I returned to my host home to safely frame this one.  Another time, I did not react so quickly. That painting bled into one black blob!  Thank goodness I learned from that mistake!  Painting number 2484 in 2484 days.

Good Morning Dubuque

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What a beautiful morning for plein air painting on Main Street!  Crisp and cool with the golden light spreading across the street, I started sketching out my composition with paint.  I've been using a Grey Matters round brush for this, and it is holding up well! I bet I've used it on 200 paintings, and still that brush holds its form.  I am going to get more of these!  Perhaps the  best part is that light does not reflect off that brush while outside painting.  Nothing worse than being blinded by the light bouncing off that metal!  Painting number 2481 in 2481 days.

Hollyhock in Copper

Today, I am trying this new metal working on a floral subject - my hollyhocks!  These beauties are one of the largest varieties I have seen outside of Door County, in fact I may have gotten my seed up there!  I like to bring little starts and seeds back to my garden from my travels.  I still think the strong lines of architecture are more suited to the metal, but who knows?  There are so many subjects to explore - and I have yet to try the nickel!  I think I'm really going to like that, too!  Never enough time for all I want to do, it seems!  Painting number 2469 in 2469 days

Beau in Copper!

I LOVE experimenting with all things art!  There is something very satisfying in working metal from both sides to achieve the desired results.  The more I work the masses, the more pliable the metal becomes, and the more definition I can achieve.  This metal working is so new to me that I am still trying exploring the methods and tools.  Almost anything can be used to push that metal, a dull pencil, rounded brush handles, even plastic sculpting tools - nothing too sharp or that metal will pierce!  This "little" darling is our Beau, who is forever bringing treasures in from the pasture.  His latest gift?  A young opossum - playing opossum on the front porch!  I had to make him drop it before coming inside!  Painting number 2464 in 2464 days.

Trixie Inked

I had a request recently for a painting which had already sold, but I did have the pre-sketch.  In fact, I had been so busy at the time, that I never posted it anywhere.  So, thinking this little darling should see the light of day, I am sharing this post.  I used a different paper here, one I had picked up at a local art store and found the ink moved a little more fluidly that on my preferred paper.  It does have a nice, heavy thickness to it, which I love. My fountain pen of the day is a TWSBI Eco in a limited edition yellow, filled with my favorite black ink.  I'm running low on that very ink and am waiting for it to come in.  I sure go through the ink!  Painting number 2463 in 2463 days.

Bazbeaux in Metal

I've just started working metal in the plein air environment, and I have yet to find my favorite tools. I keep sticking them here and there while I'm working, and then can't find the one I need when I need it!  I can see I need a brush carrier just for these small tools.  I had quite a few people stopping to watch me work - especially on something so different from oils.  It was super fun even if it took me quite a while! Painting number 2453 in 2453 days.

Neet Covered Bridge

I had to return for one more covered bridge painting in Parke County before heading back to KC, and this was my muse for the morning!  Neet Bridge was built in 1904, and is still a gorgeous covered bridge. I met the owner of this bridge at the Carmel Art Fair, and decided to paint his Neet Bridge this morning.  It took a little longer to find it than on Friday, but once ready I jumped in with both feet!  The weather was perfect, a little breeze, and my spot in the shade was very comfortable.  Such a great painting day!  Painting number 2451 in 2451 days.