Flowers & Shadow

I love smearing paint with a palette knife.

The *WordSpark* for my little painting group this month was "Shadows." As is usually the case, I was completely blank as to what I might paint for the topic.

I was walking through the garden center at Walmart, (the part where it's inside, but open to the sky) when I noticed the most lovely perfect shadows this plant was casting on the concrete.  The plant was on the floor marked down to $4 because nearly every stem was broken. But... some scotch tape to hold the stems upright-ish... some wire to prop the dead-ish ones up... some artistic license to fix it up was all it took!

My companion piece was fun to create.  

• I started with scraps of collage paper in purples. 
• Then I fussy-cut (a term I learned from my quilting friends) the flowers off of a paper party napkin.
• Next I created a "found poem" about shadows from a page of Charlotte's Web. (It's the scene where Charlotte was sending the rat, Templeton, to the fairgrounds to get her a word so she could weave it in her web one last time.)
• A found poem is done by taking a sheet of text and marking out everything you don't need until you end up with words that make up a description/feeling/image/poem of what you do need.

The Cool of the Evening

In the cool of the evening, shadows darkened the air. 

Without saying anything, he started off. 

The shadows came as a welcome relief.

The sky seemed high, and you could hear music.

The man felt refreshed.

Original Oil Painting on 12"x 12" Wrapped Canvas

Click Flowers & Shadow if you'd like to purchase this painting.

Colorful Row of Irises

When do you know you have too many irises? Never!

I just adore a flower that doesn't ask me to do anything for it.  They just come back prettier and thicker every year.

I just Original Palette Knife Oil Painting on 6"x 12" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

Black-eyed Susans in a Vase

I would say that this painting may not be my usual style or doesn't have my usual color palette.  But then I realize that I've done so many crazy-different styles and used so many different mediums through the on-line classes I've signed up for this year, that I don't know what my style even is any more.

2007-2021 - I worked in realistic oil painting pretty much exclusively (although I did do an occasional acrylic).  

2022 - I began trying to figure out how to paint with the palette knife.  

2023 - I've done a little of everything: watercolor, acrylic inks, pen & ink, collage, fabric applique, and so many things with mixed media. I've grown in appreciation for each.

I have to say, though... I think smearing paint with a palette knife is my favorite.  I love the process. I love the end result.  I want to keep looking at it. I want to run my fingers across its surface (once it finally dries). I want to do another.

My Weekly-ish Challenge was "Just Put Them in a Vase." 

Thanks to Wendy of Pieceful Thoughts for letting me use her image as a reference.

 Original Palette Knife Oil Painting on 9"x 12" Wrapped Canvas

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Red Window

 

A little fun with the palette knife!

A little turquoise sneaking in where it doesn't belong!

A little imagination!

That's a pretty good recipe, I think!

Original Palette Knife Oil Painting on 11"x 14" Wrapped Canvas

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Sheila's Centerpiece

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of attending a banquet where my sister was an honoree.  Ouachita Baptist University hosted Stepping Up for Ouachita, a luncheon benefiting scholarships for women.

I was so proud of her and for her.

She serves on a board in their business school and gives a scholarship each year to a girl who is just like she was... an accounting major with no other scholarships and doesn't have straight As. I love those requirements!

Each table had one of these pretty little flower arrangements.  I don't usually... Okay, truth... I never (ever) paint from real life.  But this seemed like the time to give it a try. I think this little painting will be a lasting memory of a special special day.

One more thing... Sheila owns Welcome Home Retreat, a women's crafting retreat for quilters, scrapbookers, painters, or any other crafters.  Click HERE and look around.  You'd love a weekend there! 

Original Oil Painting on 8"x 8" wrapped Canvas

[GIFT]

A Sister's Gift II

I first painted this happy image a couple of years ago.  Sadly for me, I only got to enjoy it on my own wall for the short time it took it to dry. Then it went on to its forever home.

I was happy to do so when I was asked to recreate the painting. I'll enjoy it until it's dry then send it along to its new home. 

It's such a happy scene, who knows... Maybe I'll paint a third one some day.

It lives up to its title.  

It's been a gift again and again.

The clothesline bottle decoration was a gift from an aunt for her niece's wedding.

The first painting of it was commissioned by a someone who gifted it to her friend as a remembrance of her 6.sister, that same aunt who first gave it.

The second painting was commissioned by a friend who plans to gift it to her daughter.  

A delightful  full-circle moment was when the person who commissioned the second one found out who'd been the recipient of the first one.  She said, "Oh, she was such a gift to me when I transferred to teach at her school years ago!"

Original Oil Painting on 6"x 12" Wrapped Canvas

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Poppy Field (Palette Knife)

 

I painted some poppies a few months ago, and as I was doing so, I realized that I don't think I'd ever actually seen any poppies growing.  Since then, I have! And, of course, I loved them! 

Our city has beautiful flower beds around The Square. The beds on the corners were filled with pretty red poppies a couple of weeks ago.

There's always so much to see/hear/taste/smell when you visit The Farmers' Market on The Square.  Fresh fruits and vegetables... flowers... someone wanting a signature on his petition... musicians... someone wanting your vote... pets from the animal shelter that need homes... well-behaved dogs (which means we never take ours)... craftsmen and artisans... friends...

I had two favorites today.  One was a kid who called out to me. "Do you want to hear a joke or see a magic trick?"  I said I'd like the joke.  "What to you call an angry teapot?" Tell me. "Steamed!"  Ha ha. Ok. Not sure how much the joke was worth, but his courage to take up a post and ask with a grin was worth a dollar in his hat. 

My other favorite was this band. Who would have ever thought one old guy singing into a megaphone, his buddy on the banjo, and his other buddy on a marching tuba would be so fun to listen to!  I hope their open instrument case was filled with dollar bills by noon.

Original Oil Painting on 11"x 14" Wrapped Canvas
[SOLD]

Easter Lilies (Palette Knife)

Easter lilies, day lilies, tiger lilies, surprise lilies, calla lilies, stargazer lilies, water lilies... I do love a good lily. I love seeing them... growing them... and painting them too.

This one's different.

It's not very colorful... and it's a pretty loose style....

There are several different meanings listed for the Easter lily. One is that it's symbolic of new beginnings.  I like that. I'm kind of at a place of rediscovering, redefining, and reclaiming myself as an artist. 

Maybe this Easter lily will be a new beginning for me.

I love it.

Original Oil Painting on 6"x 12" Wrapped Canvas

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Pansies (Palette Knife)

What better way to start the painting year off than to smear some paint on the canvas with a palette knife!

I've never been a very good new year's resolution maker. Some of my art friends are very systematic with their intentions for the year. Perhaps I should put some thought into mine.  When I was in the classroom, I had a poster on the wall that said, "A Goal Without A Plan Is Just A Wish." With that in mind, we'll see if I can turn these wishes into goals...

• I wish I could draw better.
• I commit to Forty by February. (That's one sketch or drawing each day in January plus the ones I did at the end of December for the drawing class I participated in.)
• I wish I would paint in a more loose style.
• I will use the palette knife for a painting each month.
• I wish I would sell more paintings.
• Maybe this one's still a wish, but I'm off to a good start since this one sold already and the one on the easel is a commission piece.  That's 100% so far in 2022!

Original Oil Painting on 8"x 10" Wrapped Canvas

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Pink Daisies in the Field

It doesn't matter how many paintings that I've done or what the subject is; I still go through through the same patterns of thought

This one will be fun!

I can do this pretty easily

How is this going to work?

This isn't working.

I'm not sure I'll be able to make this work.

This is a disaster.

Should I scrape the whole thing off and start over?

I've been trough this before. I can do this. Just keep going.

Maybe this is going to come together after all.

Ugh, maybe not.

Let me just step back and look from the other side of the room.. 

Hmmm.... Niiiice...

Squint. 

Pick up the brush and get back to it.

I think I can make this work. 

This is starting to look good. 

Where should that next brushstroke go?

Guess it's time for a signature.

Good job, Helen.

You can use this narration as you watch this 26 second video of the process.

Original Oil Painting on 8"x 10" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD] 

Poppies (Palette Knife)

I don’t know much about poppies.  I’ve never grown a poppy, and I’m really not sure I’ve ever seen one growing.  I know the poppies in The Wizard of Oz almost put Dorothy to sleep, and I know that opium somehow comes from poppies.  Those aren’t very positive, but I recently learned that poppies are a symbol for remembering fallen soldiers. That’s good to know. 
I do think they’re beautiful flowers, but my favorite kind is spelled a different way… My four (five soon) grandkids are so lucky to have my Ron for their Pop-E.

I do love the way this poppy painting turned out.  I'm going to enjoy it on my wall until someone decides they need it for their own. I painted them in response to Sara's beautiful poppy portrait photograph on November's Inspiration Collaboration.

Original Palette Knife Oil Painting on 8"x 16" Wrapped Canvas

Click Poppies if you'd like to purchase this painting. 

Morning Glory Banister

My friend asked me if I could paint the morning glories on her porch so that she could still have them even after their blooming season is over.

Ummm... Yes, please!  I do love a good porch! And, I do love any opportunity to paint with purple, green, and turquoise!

Original Oil Painting on 8"x 10" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

 

Sentimental Stargazer Lilies (Mini Version)

My blog friend, Nelvia, asked me to be part of an art exchange.  Of course, I wanted to say no thank you because, well, other artists are so good and... they might be disappointed when they received my art and... Pffftt.. All that insecure artist dribble and nonsense rose directly to the top. But, it was Nelvia, so of course I said yes.

I painted a mini version of the very first painting I ever submitted to Inspiration Collaboration. Then I made a postcard and wrote about myself to a stranger. The note and little artwork went into an envelope and off it went to New Jersey.

A few days later I received a lovely note and an incredibly beautiful little piece of art from that same stranger... my new friend, Carole.

I look forward doing this again this summer.

Original Oil Painting on 5"x 7" Canvas Board

[GIFT - Artist Exchange]

White Calla Lilies

When I walked to my sister's front door one day last summer...(It was the summer of 2020, so I'm sure I wore a mask, walked to the front door, dropped something off on the step, didn't touch anything extra, and tried not to breathe... Please, COVID, go away soon!)

Anyway... She always has beautiful flower beds, and on this particular day the calla lilies were so gorgeous that they looked like they couldn't be real. I took a dozen photos thinking that one day I'd paint them.  That day was this week.

It was my first time to paint on a black canvas, and quite frankly, I didn't expect to like it much. The first tricky thing was how to get my drawing to show up.  Here's the trick I used.  I covered the back side of my drawing paper with chalk.  Then I laid it on the canvas and traced over the lines I wanted to show up.  That pencil pressure left the chalk where I wanted it on the black canvas.  Ta-da!

I was surprised at how much I liked painting on the black.  I did have to be careful to choose the more opaque paints (titanium white, chromium oxide green, cadmium yellow, etc.) because the translucent ones didn't pull their weight on covering the black.  I ended up covering all the black canvas with deep greens to bring some life into the flat, dead black of the canvas.

I really do love the final product.  I think this one has a very dramatic feel to it. 

I already have a plan to paint on black again soon.

My weekly art challenge was "On Black."  Kind of nice how that worked out, huh... (It was, after all, my week to choose the topic.)

Original Oil Painting on 8"x 10" Stretched Canvas

[SOLD]

How Do You Say Peony?

Is it PEE-uh-nee?

Or is it pee-OH-nee?

I didn't even know that first one was an option until a few years ago!

Either way, it looks like somebody turned the volume up on this pretty pink peony!

It didn't start out this bold.  It's been through a few "I'm finished" moments.

I've always hated... been afraid of... avoided... been challenged with painting what I call "fancy, fluffy flowers" like roses, peonies, carnations, etc. so I turned to a YouTube lesson for some help. (YouTube's a great teacher when you don't have a teacher handy.)  I picked a YouTube artist whose peony painting was beautiful, and her instructions were easy to follow. 

Day 1

I did my best to follow her process, match her strokes, use her colors. At the end of the session, it was a good try. It looked like a peony.

But, it was ugly, and I was frustrated. 

I wiped it off. 

Day 2

I determined to try again.  I followed her, but not as closely.  Somewhere during that time, I began to understand that I was painting one flower, not twenty separate petals. That sounds silly to say, but it changed my mindset. 

I finished the peony!

I was pleased.

Then I stepped back and looked at it.

It had the right shape, but it was cold and lifeless.

Well, that was disappointing...

Day 3

I took a photo to look at it on a screen and get a different perspective, and I decided it was worth saving... my way. 

I brought it to life... and maybe put it on steroids... but I do love this "fancy fluffy flower" now.

This week's art challenge phrase was "Lots of Pink." I certainly did use lots of pink.

Oil Painting on 8"x 10" Wrapped Canvas

Click Bold Pink Peony if you'd like to purchase this painting.

Sunflower Bouquet (Palette Knife)

I was in the mood to play with paint, and this felt like a good image for doing that.  The only materials I used, were  palette knives and a cheap beginner's oil paint set because I wanted to let myself be lavish with the amount of paint I applied each time I laid it down on the canvas.

True, sunflowers aren't exactly in season right now.  That's okay.  I used so much paint, it may be next summer before it's completely dry!  Mmmm.... I can't wait until it does dry so I can run my fingers across the texture of the paint on the canvas.  And, yes, whenever I'm in an art museum, I have to remind myself not to touch!

What fun!  How long did it take? Oh, a little more than one football game. (Go Hogs! Woo Pig Sooie! Well, they lost, but we're loyal anyway.)

It was also fun to revisit a reference photo that I'd painted ten years ago.  

In 2010 I wrote, "A flower is just more beautiful if you put the seed in the ground yourself, watered the sprout, kept the weeds away, and noticed the first bloom."

Very true. I love that.

Original Oil Painting on 9"x 12" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

A Sister's Gift

Sometimes the hardest part of creating a painting done as a memorandum is choosing just the right image... one that reminds... one that causes a happy memory to come to the surface... one that brings a smile.

A dear friend asked me to paint two of this type of painting recently.  I asked her if she'd like to write the post for them. 
Here is the first:

Since the pandemic began months ago, life has seemed more fragile than ever before. Finding a gift for a special family member or friend has become a quest. I "need" to give a gift that will be a lasting symbol of our relationship or a treasured memory. Helen's willingness to listen to each story attached to my photos has provided a way for me to satisfy this need. 

I have a loyal, longtime friend, Rita, who has survived two recent losses of loved ones. I wanted to give her an image to spark a positive memory for each of them. Helen suggested painting an object reflecting a life passion for each. Perfect! 

In March, Rita's sister lost her battle with Covid 19...just as most of us were beginning to pay attention to the warnings. It was a devastating loss for family and friends. For Rita to lose her older sister, traveling companion and friend, not long after George was incomprehensible. I learned that Patti was multi-talented as an artist, a gardener, and a designer of floral arrangements. Helen captured the beauty of this design for Patti's son's wedding perfectly. Another memory painting to be treasured!

It was a pleasure to work with her to make these gifts just right.

Original Oil Painting on 6"x 12" Wrapped Canvas
[SOLD]

Sunflower Shine

At midday, when the sun is high in the sky, the color shimmers off each petal as it reaches upward.  All day long, their faces follow the sun's path across the sky.  I stand quietly at the edge of the garden and watch their silent nods, a show that gives me pause, reflecting on a season well spent.

Photo by Sara Harley

I was inspired by both the image and the writing from this month's Inspiration Collaboration image.  Sara wrote, "Late in the day, when the sun is lower in the sky, the light bounces off our small outdoor fish pond and into our home. For a short time, the glow dances across our living room ceiling in shimmering aerial ballet. I sit quietly in my chair and watch the silent performance, a shape shifting show that gives me pause, reflections and afterglow of a day well spent."

Original Palette Knife Oil Painting on 10"x 10" Wrapped Canvas.

[SOLD]

Daisy

He loves me...
     He loves me not...
He loves me...
     He loves me not...
He loves me!

Daisies are such happy flowers.

Until this one, I'd only painted one other daisy.  It was the fourth painting I ever did.  Although it was only my third lesson and way back in March of 2007, I have a clear memory of it.  We were to learn about seeing the color in black and in white. My teacher gave me a calendar page with a big white daisy on it. "Look at all the beautiful colors in that flower!"  Oh, dear... something was wrong.  I only saw a white flower.  She said, "Yes, it is white, but look closely and notice the purples and yellows and reds and browns and blues!"  Wait, did I get the wrong picture? Mine's just a white daisy!  She said that her goal was to help us to see the world differently, to notice the subtle variations in the colors of nature. Clouds weren't just white. Trees weren't just green. Water wasn't just blue. I tried. I tried to pretend I saw more than just white. 
The background was black... wasn't it?  "Yes, it's black.  But black has no life, so we won't open the tube of black paint." Oh, dear... Should I quit now? Will I ever "see the world differently" like she wanted me to?
Yes.
Yes, Over time and through practice, I would learn to see the world differently, through artist eyes.

Photo by Sara Harley

Sara's Inspiration Image for July's Inspiration Collaboration gave me the idea to give painting a daisy another try.  And, yes, it was much easier to "see the color" in the white flower on a black back ground.

You can see my painting along with several other works of art inspired by A Touch of Sunshine.


Original Oil Painting on 5"x 7" Wrapped Canvas.
[SOLD]

Purple Iris, the Silver Lining

I love irises. 
They bring the purple into spring every April.

Here are a few of mine that bring such joy each year. They are beautiful and I love them, but they don't really have a story.  The one in the painting has a story worth telling.

We moved into our new home the week of September 11, 2001. (Yeah, that September 11...) It was a busy time.  The country was reeling from the events of the week, the school year had just begun, and we were setting up our forever home.
A friend told me she was thinning her iris bed and asked if I'd like to have some for our new yard.  Um... YES!  Like I would ever turn that offer down!
Like I said, it was a busy time of getting settled, and building a flower bed wasn't high on the list of priorities.  But we had this great little hillside just down the drive. (I painted this little hillside earlier this year.)  I could just imagine this hillside covered with irises, so I poked the bulbs into the ground all over the hillside and waited... The next spring their light green flags were tall and beautiful... but not a single flower.  That's okay, it takes a year for them to get really grounded, so I waited... another year... and another... and another... Lots of green flags... zero flowers... ever...
Now, friends, look at the painting of the hillside, what do you see?  
Lots of trees... too much shade... not enough sun for irises to bloom... ever...

Fast forward... 8 years... 
Every one who has who lived in Northwest Arkansas for a long time will remember the winter of 2009... the ice storm of the century... branches breaking through the night with gunshot-like cracks, treetops splintered, no power for 8 days... devastation everywhere... 

So much clean up...  a mission team from a Baptist church in another county, men we didn't know, just showed up with their chainsaws... just came to help... so humbling...

Then the weather warmed... spring arrived... April came... and... 
     Surprise...
          Surprise...
               Surprise...
The irises on the hillside bloomed for the first time ever!
How could that be?
All those toppled trees and broken limbs... let the sunshine in...

...a silver lining... 

Do you have a "silver lining" story?  Share!!

Original Oil Painting on 8"x 10" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]