Stargazer Lily on a Stem x 7 (OLLI Class Lesson)

Why so many?!?!

Well... 

1 because I wanted to paint it... 

1 to pretend I was a new painter to see if it would be good for a class... 

1 using only the materials the students would have... 

1 to see see how quickly it could be done...

1 the night before  as a practice...

1 as the model example for the first class...

1 as the model example for the second class...

 

Original oil paintings done on 6"x 8" Wrapped Canvas, 6"x 12" Wrapped Canvas, 5"x 7" Canvas Board

Click HERE if you'd like to purchase the 6"x 8 or HEREHERE if you'd like to purchase the 6"x 12". Just contact me if you'd like one of the 5"x7" Canvas Board ones.

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

[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]

Tiger Lilies

If you've followed me for a while, you might be thinking... Really? Another lily?  Well, yes... another lily. I don't know how many I've painted, but I like them all! Click HERE to see a few.

I know, I know there dozens of other kinds of flowers to choose from.  But... I do love a good day lily... or tiger lily... or stargazer lily...  That alone should be enough reason to paint yet another one.

There is another reason I've been practicing orange lilies though.   In a few weeks my painting partner, Julie, and I are going to teach another class for senior citizens, "Oil Painting for Beginners - Floral."  We loved doing it so much the first two times that we decided to do it again. First we did an apple. Then we did a bluebird. Next we'll do a single tiger lily.  I'm just painting a few different examples for them to have as inspiration... different backgrounds, different leaf styles... 

Also I'm doing them to be sure I'm confident enough to teach someone else how to paint one!

Original Oil Painting on 8"x 10" Wrapped Canvas
[SOLD]

Sentimental Stargazer Lilies

Stargazer Lilies will always remind me of my momma.  She had a long row of flowers that she loved... irises, day lilies, tiger lilies... One year I bought her a pot of blooming stargazer lilies for Mother's Day.  After they finished flowering inside, she replanted them into her row, and they bloomed again every year.  We dug those stargazer lilies up when they moved to Northwest Arkansas and replanted them beside the porch where she continued to enjoy their beautiful pink blooms each summer.  

This particular stargazer grew in my own flower bed.

I painted this as part of  January's Inspiration Collaboration.  As soon as I saw Sara's Inspiration Image and read about how this Christmas cactus was a reminder of her mother, I knew exactly what my response painting would be.

Anyone is welcome to join in this creative community... painters, quilters, photographers, potters, poets... Click HERE and have a look. Maybe you'll be inspired to collaborate with us! And click HERE to see the reveal page. Maybe you can add something you've been inspired to create!  I hope you do!

Pounce always "helps" when I
 photograph my paintings.

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

Orange Tiger Lily II

I love orange lilies.  
I love having them in my flower bed and on my painting easel.

 

 

 

I knew that flowers have certain meanings, so I decided to look it up. Google would know what the orange lily symbolizes, right?

According to FTD, the orange lily symbolizes confidence, pride, and wealth. 
According to 10 Flowers You Should Never Give Anyone, the orange lily symbolizes hatred, pride, and disdain.
According to Flower Auora, the orange lily symbolizes respect and honor. 
According to the Flower Expert, the orange lily symbolizes passion.
According to Fresh Flowers, the orange lily symbolizes energy and warmth.
According to Teleflora, the orange lily symbolizes a 30th anniversary.

I quit looking.
I'm pretty sure you can just assign any meaning you want.
So...
According to Helen Eaton, the orange lily symbolizes home, joy, and peaceful times.

Thanks to these two cuties who volunteered to be my practice students.

Original Oil Painting on 8"x 8" Wrapped Canvas
[SOLD]

Two Tiger Lilies

How do you "get back in shape" after time off?

I have done a lot of traveling this summer and just didn't have that much home time.  Since I didn't get to paint much, I felt a little "off" when I finally did sit down in front of a canvas.  I decided to start with something small and comfortable.  I've painted lilies many times before.  These two grew in the flowerbed beside my front porch. I know I've said it before, but I do love lilies.

Click Two Tiger Lilies if you're interested in purchasing this little painting.

A Stunning Pair (Red & Yellow Lilies)

How many kinds of lilies are there in the world?

I love them all... the plain ones, the fancy ones, the usual colors like orange or pink, and the amazing ones like these.

I like using a chunky little canvas so that the painting can continue onto the sides.  I did it for a friend who planned to give it as a gift for master gardener.  These are her lilies. (I wonder if she'll recognize them!) Maybe she'll hang it on her wall, set it on a shelf, or put it on her desk.  I hope she liked it!  

[SOLD]

 

Pink Lilies

What flower makes you smile?


I love every lilies - tiger lilies, day lilies, Easter lilies, calla lilies, spider lilies, and of course, stargazer lilies.  They even smell good - an extra bonus!






If you'd like to purchase note cards with these lovelies click Pink Lilies to link directly to the Etsy listing.

Tiger Lily

This smiling orange face has greeted me whenever I've pulled into my driveway for the last few weeks. June is the month when tiger lilies are in their glory.

I love hardy flowers - those that come back year after year, that manage to survive and be stronger than the weeds, that are able to thrive without much attention. I guess that's why I've always been drawn to lilies. They grow and multiply and never to fail to announce that summer has finally come.

It's a chunky little thing that could be hung on the wall or set on a shelf. The sides have been painted, and the picture wraps around the edges giving it a sort of three-dimensional effect.

In the end, it's a little piece of June that can last all year.  Visit Orange Blast and Orange You Glad You Came.

[SOLD]