Stargazer Lily on a Stem

I've always loved stargazer lilies. They are easy to grow. They have a gorgeous bloom. They smell fabulous.  What's not to love!

I'm planning to teach another senior adult oil painting class soon, and this is what we'll work on.  Before I paint in front of a group, I want to be completely prepared so there are no surprises. (Well... there's always something unexpected, but I try to be as prepared as I can.)

Click the video below to watch the process in 1 minute.

Shifting gears a little bit... How about a completely different version!  I've recently become obsessed with "collage quilting." I didn't even know that it was a thing or that there was a name for it.  I first became aware of it when my blog friend LeeAnna showed one that she'd done.

I hesitate to show it because so many of my blog friends are real quilters, and I'm aware that mine is so elementary.  Oh, well; comparison is the thief of joy.  I loved making it and love how it turned out.

Original Oil Painting on 6"x 8"

This one will be available for sale after it gets used as an example in the class.

A Weeping Willow, In Memory

 

What an honor it was to be asked to recreate this willow tree painting.  I first painted one like it a couple of years ago.  (You can see that one HERE.)

I love painting commissioned pieces.  I love knowing why a particular painting is wanted. Every story is different and often surprising. This one took my breath away. 

The message came through my Etsy shop as a simple request. I was asked if I might paint this weeping willow again. The chat went along in the usual way... what size... the cost... when I could get to it and have it finished... All very pleasant.

Once all was agreed upon, I got the next message... "My son passed away last week.  He had a willow tree tattoo and he loved the sun. So it's a fitting symbol of his life." He went on to share the son's young age and his name.

As I said, what a privilege to be asked to paint something so meaningful. Of course, I immediately dropped all other projects and focused on this one. 

Sometimes art is just play.  Sometimes art is emotional. Sometimes art is important. 

When I sent a picture of the finished painting, the reply email contained a photo of the beautiful young man with his weeping willow tattoo, and my own tears spilled.

And, a third time I say, what an honor and privilege to get to paint this weeping willow tree.  I hope that over time my simple brushstrokes of paint on canvas bring a bit of peace and remembrance.

Oil Painting on 12"x 16" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

Strawberries in a Bowl

I started this painting... hmmm... maybe 2 1/2 years ago. I read about my quilting friends having UFOs (which I think stands for UnFinished Object or something like that... They never really say). They seem to have a lot of them. I'm really not too bad at having unfinished painting projects.  I usually start something and finish it before going on to the next one.

My painting partner Julie and I used this little still life when we taught two beginning oil painting classes.  I think you'll notice a pretty obvious clue as to when this class took place.  (I suppose there's no need to blur out faces when you can't see them anyway!)

When we team-teach, we also team-paint.  One will talk about a step in the process while the other paints it, then we switch.  The other talks about the next step while the first works on the painting. We paint quickly and don't particularly finish anything as the purpose is just to model the process. Anyway, we end up with a couple of unfinished paintings (UFOs, I suppose.)

After the classes, I brought one of them home and put it in the art room intending to go back over the whole thing, spruce it up, finish it. 

But... life... terrible ice storms... grandson born... time in the NICU... kept granddaughters... COVID... dad got COVID... time in hospice...  family in town... life stuff, you know... The little painting got under art room stuff and was forgotten.

The other day I read a meme that said something like this, "Statistics show that people who have messy art spaces and too many art supplies tend to live longer lives than those who point it out."

Anyway, after rediscovering it, I gave it new life. 

Original Oil Painting on 8"x 8" Wrapped Canvas

Click Strawberries in a Bowl if you'd like to purchase this little painting.

I Like Thursday 11/23

Thank you to Leeanne of Not Afraid of Color for reminding me to notice things I like. 

I like turning in to my driveway... especially in fall.

I like having a dozen happy hens... and Pete (the rooster).
Don't count too carefully... Just pretend there are only 12.

I like knowing I've been trained in CPR & AED.
Boy, I hope I never need to use either though!

I like discovering mushrooms that popped up overnight.

I like okra blossoms.  They're the prettiest.

I like what happens to the trees in our yard during fall.

I like a sitting outside by the chiminea on a crisp fall evening.

I like living where we never know who will show up in the yard.
(But, I don't like that our neighbor drained his pond
and all these guys are searching for a new home.)

I like what happens to the trees in our yard during fall.
Wait... Did I already say that? Well, it's worth saying again.

LeeAnne's  get-to-know-you writing topics this month:

Would you rather go on a hayride or visit a corn maze? Hayride - 100%. Why? No offense to corn mazes,b but I'm five feet tall... stores aisles, library shelves, crowds... I can never see over the top of anything... My whole life is a corn maze. 

Have you ever done either one?  Yes, several as a teenager. Do you have stories to tell?  Yes, but maybe I'll not. 😜

Would you rather go apple picking or carve pumpkins at home? Yes, both!
Have you done either or both of these? Yes, I've carved pumpkins, but I've never picked apples at an orchard.  I'd love to! Do you always get pumpkins in the fall? Now, that I have grandkids, I imagine we'll always have some pumpkins to carve. Or grow them yourself? No. I don't have the space required for a pumpkin patch.  I tried growing pumpkins on the hillside once.  The deer enjoyed eating the blossoms very much.  Do you keep the insides for eating?  No. Not a fan of pumpkin. Remember any pumpkins that caught your eye in your area? I think it's fun when a farmer paints the end of a round hay bale to look like a jack-o-lantern.

Would you rather attend a Harvest festival or an Oktoberfest party? I'll choose harvest festival... even though I don't really know what that is.

Would you rather go leaf peeping in New England or see the Thanksgiving Day parade in NYC? I've never heard the phrase "leaf peeping," but I love that!  I choose that!  We have our own fabulous leaves right here in Arkansas, but I'd love to drive through New England in autumn. When my son's band marched in the Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2009, we were there.  We arrived 5 (yes five) hours early to stand on the parade route.  By the time it started the crowds behind us were 5 people deep.  Did I mention I've never been so cold in my whole life?

Would you rather host a cheese and wine night or a cookie decorating party?  Since I don't love cheese and I don't drink wine, I suppose I'd go to the cookie party. Can't go wrong with cookies!!

Pumpkin Pie

One time I tallied my paintings by season and discovered that I had done more with an autumn theme than nearly all the other seasons combined. It's hard not to want to put a golden, orange, and red landscape on canvas.

The older I get, the more I appreciate fall.  I think that during my first 50 years, I was just too busy during fall to notice it... back to school and getting the year going, parent conferences to hold, band practice to get kids to, football games to attend, Fall Harvest events... I'd see a senior adult fall foliage trip in the church bulletin and wonder who would drive around for no reason.  Now I think, "Honey, want to go for a drive to see the leaves?"

Our Creative Companions challenge was "It's Fall, Y'all." I've painted so many autumn landscapes... I've painted pumpkins and gourds and colorful leaves and scarecrows and candy corn... What else says "fall" when you see it? Ahhh... or taste it!

So, first I was off to Wal-Mart to buy a pie and Cool Whip. (No, of course, I didn't bake it!  Who does that really?) Then I asked the neighbor down the road if I could borrow her pumpkin for a couple of hours.  She didn't mention that it was a weird request and said that was fine.

Next, I got my grandson to come with me in his little jeep to carry the big pumpkin home. 

I carefully cut a slice, added a perfect dollop (great word) of whipped cream, and set up the still life. I took a ridiculous number of photos (this way, that way, move the plate, move the pumpkin, blur the back, don't blur, add a fork, take away the fork, reshape the dollop, turn the plate, move the lamp for a better reflection of the pan on the table...)

Finally, Ron could enjoy eating the slice of pie (I'm not a fan.) and I could choose the right photo then put paint and brush to canvas.

For my companion piece, I collected leaves from around the yard and did some leaf stamping. That was fun. How had I gone nearly 60 years without knowing how easy and how much fun leaf stamping could be. I did some more of it with my little pumpkin-hauling partner.

Original Oil Painting on 10"x 10" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

My Garden Harvest (October 1 - that's it for 2023)

Temperatures have been dropping into the 30s, so I decided to call it and bring in all the green tomatoes.  Most of them will ripen on the counter. 

Our garden completely exceeded all expectations this summer. It was both fun to harvest and a lot of work, but our freezer is full. 

I could have a blooper reel of my uncropped photos.  There's a certain yellow family member who wants desperately to "help" me, especially when there are herbs in the day's harvest. Do you see it?

Salsa Recipe

This is a painting that's kind of a repeat for me.  I first painted a version of it about a decade ago and decided to paint it again thinking it might be a good one to do with a class of senior adult beginning painters in the spring. In my mind it was a good choice... simple design... only red and green (alizarin & veridian) make up the "black" background.  Those reds and greens are repeated in the tomatoes and pepper, so limited palette. 

So, I pretended to be a new painter and began. Ummmm.... no... Long story short, I will not be using this with a group of senior adult beginning painters.

The painting shows mostly what you need to make salsa.

My recipe? [Warning: I never measure exact amounts. I do have tortilla chips handy to taste test until it's right.]

• Tomatoes
• blend in the blender, skins and all.
• heat in the microwave for a minute... wait, watch... the frothy tomatoey goodness rises to the top, and the tomato water sinks to the bottom... suck that water out with a turkey baster and freeze it to use in the next soup you make... use the thick top layer for your salsa
• Onions
• chopped - fine or chunky, whatever you like
• white, yellow, or purple
• Jalapenos
• chopped
• seeds in or out, up to you - or leave out completely if you like it mild
• Bell Peppers
• chopped in large chunks - so someone who hates them (me) can pick them out
• Garlic
• out of a jar or fresh cloves - whichever you want
• Salt / Onion Salt / Pepper
• as much as you need to make it taste just right
• Lime or Cilantro 
• if either of those suits you

If you've ever been to my house, this little painting might look familiar.  A much, much bigger version that I did several years ago hangs in my dining room.

My weekly-ish painting challenge was "In a Row."  Although the jalapenos are a bit out of line, these veggies are pretty much in a row.

Original Oil Painting on 6"x 12" Wrapped Canvas

Click Salsa Recipe if you'd like to purchase this little painting.

I Like Thursday 10/23

 Thank you to Leeanne of Not Afraid of Color for reminding me to notice things I like. 

I like that I have completely finished this art journal!
There's a completed project on every page!
And there's a brand new one ready to begin.

I like watching these young hens. 

I like (actually love) candy corn!
But, I never eat the white parts.

I like the view from the upstairs window... 
A dozen (okay... 16) chickens in the grass...
a tired-but-still-producing garden...
my red benches... our winding drive...

I like (and am annoyed by) our squirrels.
On one hand, they're so cute. Balance that with the other hand,
they eat hickory nuts and throw the sharp shells on our deck, they sneak in to eat the chicken's food, they make our birdfeeders their own, they pick tomatoes and take one bite... I could go on and on...

I like Twinkle.
She's the friendliest and most patient to wait for a treat.

I like starting the day with Wordle & Quordle.
I usually win, sometimes I get extra lucky.

I like filling my gardening basket.
It's not every day any more, but that's okay.

LeeAnne's  writing topics this month are about herbs & spices:

Your most used spices or herbs... what do you seem to use over and over? Did you grow up with these or start using them as adults?  My mom used salt, pepper, and onion salt... maybe some paprika on the tops of deviled eggs.  I honestly can't remember any other herbs or spices in our house.
How do you store spices and herbs? jars they come in, special holders, etc. My spices stay in the little jars they come in.  My spice rack is a little box type thing with three drawers. I pull out a drawer and it drops down to show me the little jars.
Do you grow any? how do you do it? pots, inside or out side? all year or in summer. Do you dry them for use later?  I started growing herbs in pots in recent years.  I'd never done it or never cooked with fresh herbs, but I've learned that I like it. I grow chives, basil, purple basil, Green oregano, Italian oregano, and rosemary.

What is an unusual herb or spice that you love now that you've tried it? How do you use it?  I suppose It's not unusual to most, but I'd never smelled, cooked, with or eaten rosemary until last year.  Yum!  How did I miss that for nearly  60 years?
What ethnic foods do you like? I'm pretty much an all-American eater.  I do like Mexican food.  I like Italian okay. 
Do you get take out, eat at a special place,  or have you learned to make a version at home?  We do have our favorite places for take-out or to dine-in occasionally. I have my own home version of lots of things.  I'd say I most enjoy making soups, chilis, and stews.  I find it a pleasure to chop and stir and simmer and sample.

My Garden Harvest (September 16-30)

All Tangled Up

I gave the cat the box of yarn and got my camera ready.  The cat, who wants to get into everything I have, was wary... He probably sensed that I wanted him to play in the yarn, get all tangled up... So he sat and looked at it for a long time. Finally, I took out a ball and rolled it around.  He watched it roll then decided he needed a bath so started licking his paw. Really, Buff... Are you kidding me? 

He did finally decide to play.

When I got out the embroidery thread to make the companion piece, he was very much interested in getting a paw on that.

She bought a triangle bangle.

She liked that it dangled and jangled.

 It would hang from the collar of kitty.

He fought the triangle bangle!
He hated the dangle and jangle! 

She angled her brow and cooed and kissed.

He arched his back and spat and hissed! 

She finally took pity and wrangled poor kitty.

The bangle was tangled, his feelings were mangled,

But she really did like the spangly bangle.

With a twist of her wrist, the cat was dismissed.

Though tangled and mangled, she couldn't resist.

She looked in the mirror and thought it was pretty.

Then stroked the neck of collarless kitty.

Our challenge for Creative Companions this week was "Tangled."

Original Oil Painting on 6"x 8" Wrapped Canvas.

Click Kitty & Yarn if you'd like to purchase this piece.

My Garden Harvest (September 1-15)