Quiet Summer Resting Place

Because I'm the artist, I get to decide...  

I didn't paint any ants or spiders or other creepy-crawlies. I certainly painted no snakes, nor are there any hiding behind the rocks. Yes, I did paint a bit of poison ivy, but there are no thorn bushes or burrs anywhere in sight.  You can't see them, but I'm sure there are butterflies and frogs and probably lizards with blue tails. There's also plenty of birdsong and cicada noise in the air.  It's about 76 degrees with a very light wind. 

If this scene looks at all familiar...

... it's a smaller version of what's going on behind my house.

Yeah... I know... It looks like I have hardly done a thing in a month. 

I will now list my excuses for that...

* The garden keeps me busy in July.  (That's a good thing!)

* I've been working on other projects. (Good things too!)

* It's hot!  It is not 76 degrees in the real world.

* It's muggy!  The humidity is just ugh.

I will get back to it!  Soon!

If I stand under that window and look behind me, this is what I see. That's the reference for both this painting and the mural. 

No need to look for the stream.  That would be a bad place for a stream as it would flow directly into our back door. Remember that I have and artistic license, and I'm not afraid to use it.

A pretty healthy crop of poison ivy grows up there where I had to stand to take the photo of the mural.  I really should get up there and clean that out... (*See list of excuses above.)

Original Oil Painting on 12"x 24" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

Just Down the Road

Just down the road, just around the bend...
     You'll see my veggie garden and my 12 little hens.

Just down the road, just past the hill...
     You'll see purple irises and yellow daffodils.

You can watch the squirrels and cardinals in my favorite dogwood tree
     or sit on my red benches and visit there with me.

Just down the road, my yard will be your view.
     Come right on over!  I'll be waiting there for you.

I painted this in response to Sara's Inspiration Image for February's Inspiration Collaboration.  Her photograph shows what she sees when she goes for a walk outside her house, and she asks, "Where do you live?" 
There are so many specific things I love about my backyard.  How could I choose one to paint that would represent it all?  
As I was coming back from taking my little dog on a walk, I knew when I got right here, what I'd paint.  
It made me think of the part of Mary Poppins (the book) when they all jump into a sidewalk picture because there's so much more to the painting... You just can't see it because it's behind the trees.
There are so many things to see if you go a little further... just down the road.

Original Oil Painting on 12"x 16" Wrapped Canvas
[SOLD]

Red Cottage in Fall III

Nope. 
It's not a repeat post... 
...just a new version... a rerun of a good one!
The last Red Cottage in Fall was for my school's fall festival silent auction.  My principal said up front that she wanted it and planned to bid to win, but one of my students out bid her. 


It was a pretty stress-free painting, so I did another.   
Surprise!

Usually I get to enjoy my paintings for a time while they wait to be bought. Sadly, I didn't get to hold on to either one of these and I really liked them. Hmmmm... maybe one more?? :)

Original Oil Painting - 8"x 10"
[GIFT]
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Peek-a-boo Pine Trees

How do you do it?

I get asked that question pretty often.  It seems like, "I just paint what I see" isn't enough of an answer.  And neither is "I just put the colors and shapes where they go" isn't enough either.  


Sometimes I take pictures that show every step of the process.  I like watching the image form then come to life.

I say this with love... most paintings are like most kids... they have to go through their ugly stages.

Original Oil Painting on 12"x 16" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

Stream in Autumn

What's just around the bend in the stream?


Maybe that's why I'm drawn to paintings of streams, rivers, roads, paths, and trails.   I think that the real story is just out of sight.


This painting draws me in both through its subject and through its texture.  I like to touch this one - run my fingertips across it.  I used more paint than I usually do, and I like the actual feel of the rocks, the water, and the trees.  I even like the swirls in the brush strokes of the sky.


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

:) Flora & Fauna

Hand in Hand

It's easy to imagine a fairy tale...

Once upon a time two little princesses in shining white dresses went down the path behind their castle. The birds were singing, and the squirrels and rabbits scampered about as they stepped into the forest. They were planning to collect a basket of berries and flowers - a surprise for the queen's birthday...

You make up the rest - just as long as they all live happily ever after.

This painting has had the honor of being  featured in several Etsy treasuries (collections of art and vintage items) Together is a Great Place to Be and Just the Two of Us celebrates a special bond between friends.  Childhood Dreaming and Let's Go Picnic! are two others.    Happy Birthday Mama reminds us to appreciate time with loved ones. Click  Arkansas Artists  to enjoy the treasury celebrating artists from my state. Or, click Friends for a collection to make you smile.  It was also a part of a sweet treasury that went along with my "fairy tale" idea. And, Journey... will remind you to enjoy the trip.  Enjoy a valentine treasury called Love Is in the Air.  There's one more that features the deep rich color of the background.  It's called Get'n Me Some Green. 


The original hangs on their granddad's wall, but giclees are available for purchase.
8"x 8"
12" x 12"
8" x  8" print