Time Away from the Brushes & Easel

It's been a while since I've held a paintbrush and faced a blank canvas.  

I've been busy pat-a-caking with these...

... while waiting for these to arrive! 

Lupine Landscape

Lupines aren't native to my part of the world. Except for seeing them in the children's book Miss Rumphius, I'd never even heard 

of lupines until five years ago when we took a trip to Maine. To say we loved it would be an understatement. Of all the places we've visited, Maine is at the top of the list for places we want to return to. One unexpected treat was seeing lupines... everywhere! I fell in love with them.  It's good that we were on vacation and not in a hurry to get anywhere because we stopped for me to take pictures of them many, many times.

I took photos of lupines with the thought that one day I'd use one as a reference for painting.  Sara's Inspiration Image Freedom was just the motivation I needed to finally paint lupines.  I look forward to the day that we'll feel free to travel once again.  Maybe we'll take a trip back to Maine and enjoy the lupines.

Original Oil Painting on 10"x 20" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

Making Spaghetti Sauce

When you grow the ingredients, the meal always tastes better.

Inspiration comes from the herbs: basil, oregano, and chives.

Fresh ripe-from-the-garden tomatoes are the base.

Chopped onions and maybe some garlic bring out the flavor

Blend the tomatoes then let them rest for a few hours.  The frothy tomato goodness rises to the top, and the tomato water sinks to the bottom. (Keep that water to boil your noodles in.)

Mmmm... Stir it all together...

Save some for winter...

Have some for supper!

Squash Blossom

From mid April until early September, tending the garden is a part of every day. I marvel at every stage.

I have five squash plants. (Honestly, that's probably about four too many!) I planted them this year in the round pots at the front of the garden where they onions had been during late spring. The plants are huge... long thick stems, wide lush leaves, and huge yellow blossoms hidden underneath. 

Of all my vegetables, it would never have occurred to me to put a squash plant on canvas. The description of Sara's Inspiration Image, however, made me notice again how pretty a squash plant can be. Under her beautiful photograph of a butterfly on a purple flower, she wrote, "...catmint is a good companion plant for squash. Apparently it's also a good companion plant for butterflies."

Hmmm... What was missing?  Her picture showed the catmint and the butterfly... but... What about the squash?

Original Oil Painting on 8"x 10" Wrapped Canvas

[GIFT]

Inspiration Collaboration - August 2020

Will you look at these images, choose one, and create art of your own?Click HERE to read the short story behind each one to help you choose.

It's easy to be a part.  

Click HERE for instructions.

We look forward to seeing your quilt... or your photograph... or your drawing... or your art journal entry... or your painting... or your wood carving... or your collage... or...