Bird Nest With Three Blue Eggs

"Let's paint with pink!" she said as we got started, and I'm so glad she did.

I love it when my niece texts to ask if we can paint together.  Painting is brand new to her, and it's fun to watch her work through the frustrations then reach success.   

I think that painting together lends itself to relationship building.  Because we're each facing our canvas rather than each other and because our eyes and hands are occupied, it's a good set up for real conversation.  

She begins her first year of teaching soon... lucky students!

Original Oil Painting on 6"x 6" Canvas Board.

[SOLD]

Hmmmmm.....

I think this is the hummingbird version of "a kid in a candy shop!"  She's probably thinking... "Hmmmmm... They all look so good!  Hmmmm... Where do I begin? Hmmmmm... Maybe I'll just cruise around... Hmmmmm..."

I love to read.
I love to read excellent literature... trashy novels... children's books... and blogs. I love to discover a blog that feels real... like the the author is just talking in his/her own voice without concern for who is/isn't reading it. Usually it's one that doesn't have sponsors or hundreds of followers; it's just someone writing about whatever it is they're passionate about.  Whenever I stumble across one like that, I like to go all the way back to the beginning of it and read it through. It's like a novel (only better).  It's the oddest thing to do that because a blog is written in present tense, so it feels like it's happening now even though it might have been written 6 years ago.  It's funny how invested I find myself becoming in this stranger's life. Occasionally I can't help myself and leave a comment (even though my present is the author's past... let that sink in a minute...) then worry the author wonders what this random stranger is doing in his/her past.

I discovered one of these blogs during Christmas break. (It's always in a really random way that this happens... long story short... I'm fascinated by high and low tides.  I learned that Nova Scotia has the highest tides in the world. Visiting there was added to my bucket list. The author of this blog is from there.) After reading a few posts of SharleyStudio, I knew I wanted to start at the beginning; I think the first post was done in 2007. It became my winter reading choice.  
Then one day in late January I got to the post written on July 19, 2012 and stopped. All of Sara's photographs are wonderful, but the hummingbirds and those spiky pink flowers on this post and a few more on the post on August 1, 2012, just captured my heart.

I gathered the courage to ask permission to use one as a reference for a painting, and Sara graciously said yes.

So...
I'm often asked, "Where do you get your ideas for paintings?"  
Well, sometimes an image just finds me.

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

Gaillardia

Little surprises are all around in the summer.

To purchase this little painting, click the following link.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/50103358/gaillardia-original-oil-painting-on-4x8