Goldenrod at Meijer Gardens

I was struck by the fleeting beauty of goldenrod in bloom a couple weeks ago. Today I painted it like a golden tide coming in.

"Goldenrod at Meijer Gardens"

10x8"

oil on panel

$70 (plus $5 shipping)

Savory

My sweet cherub of a baby is suddenly a terrible and unpredictable napper, which means it took three separate days to complete this painting, instead of just one morning session.

I had to contend with the paint drying in patches, a muddied palette, and multiple interruptions. All of that led to a kind of irritated determination that I'm going to call Painting While Pissed. So I kind of see this piece as a lesson in what NOT to do. (See also: keep the cloth one simple color & don't attempt a fussy pattern)

Yay learning!

"Savory"

8x8in

oil on canvas

$75 (+ $5 shipping)

Salad Days

Robin inspired me to paint produce from our garden. I love the intense primary colors.

"Salad Days"
10x8"
oil on panel

Sold

Little Blue Bowl

Here in the UK, eggs don't get washed before they are packaged and sold, which means they can just sit out on the counter instead of taking up space in the fridge. I've come to love seeing them in a bowl or basket -- they're so pretty, they're almost decorative. 

It was surprisingly hard to get the hues just right for these... Much warmer than I thought at first. And it's tricky to reserve the straight white for the tiny highlights, but I love how they pop!

"Little Blue Bowl"

8x8in

oil on canvas

$75

SOLD

One of These Things

It's harder than you might think to arrange a still life with what you've got in your kitchen... But you can't go wrong with complementary colors. And this plum was too pretty to ignore.

"One of These Things"

8x10in

oil on paper

$60 (+ $5 shipping)

Reston in Bloom

We visited Reston, VA, this spring when the cherry trees were in bloom.

"Reston in Bloom"
8x10"
oil on panel
$65 (plus $5 shipping)

Summer Passing

Yesterday, a little girl asked me if I was going to put the sun in my painting. Today I did!

"Summer Passing"
12x9"
oil on panel
$80 (plus $5 shipping)

Sunset Montague

I wanted to capture the rich, vibrant colors of sunset. I used a vertical format in order to get the very dark blue at the bottom of the image and still maintain a gentle, peaceful gradient.

"Sunset Montague"

9x12"

oil on panel

$110 (plus $5 shipping)

Sold

Hummingbird and Trumpet

Painting on the deck at our cabin. The hummingbirds wait for us to come back and fill the feeder.

"Hummingbird abd Trumpet"
10x8"
oil on panel
$50 (plus $5 shipping)

Past Their Prime

Even when they're falling apart, peonies are simply gorgeous. A neighbor gave me these because she was going out of town and didn't want them to go to waste. 

"Past Their Prime"

8x10"

oil on paper

$50 (+ $5 shipping)

SOLD

High Wind

The water was really choppy on this day, with excellent waves. The kids and I did tons of jump-swimming after I finished painting.

The clouds looked like actual brush-strokes on the sky, and, ironically, I didn't quite do them justice with my brushes. But the feeling is there, and I kept it unfussy.

"High Wind"

8x8"

oil on board

$50 (+ $15 shipping)

 

 SOLD

Low Clouds

I think the clouds ended up a little too dense and dark here, but I like the composition and the brushwork in the landscape & water.

"Low Clouds"

8x8"

oil on board

$50

SOLD

Morning Haze

Plein air painting at Lake Michigan in August... Gorgeous clouds and calm water. In this piece I tried to focus on color and composition, and not fuss with details too much. 

"Morning Haze"

8x8" oil on board

$50

Ditch Lilies

"Ditch Lilies"

10x8, Oil on Panel

$50 (plus $5 shipping)

This is my first daily painting after I took up Robin's challenge. I picked a few ditch lilies and set them up outdoors to paint on the deck at our cabin. A delightful way to spend the afternoon.