Memories #1

8.5" x 10.5"   watercolor  SOLD

My daughter sent me these tulips during Christmas and they so brightened my day!  I decided that I have enough beautiful photos of arrangements that I must get busy and see if I can paint them all.  Some are from making bouquets at church from my friend Elaines's garden.  We would go pick them on Sat. morning for nearly 8 years.  The pleasure of being with a master gardener in the dewy morning, cutting dozens of tall flowers, and quickly putting them into fresh pails of water is heady. Their fragrances were astonishing!  What a gift!  I savor these amazingly beautiful experiences with a great woman of honor, delight, humor, and care.  

Tulips and Apples in April

14.5" x 14.5"   watercolor and gouach  SOLD

My students and I set up a still life with vase, flowers, small bowl with a handle, some apples and a cloth on a table.  I try to show them how to get the composition right by making several thumbnails of various views and then choose the one we each like best.  Next we layer washes, letting each one dry so that the colors stay bright.  We punch the darks as necessary and let the painting tell us where we need to express some freedom of strokes and splatters.  We step back often from our work making sure that some of the colors marry together .