Geranium Love

Geraniums that I received as a gift earlier this year. I brought them inside one day because the evening temperature was not going to be pleasant. The morning sun coming through the window the next morning made them dance.

Painted in oil on an 8x8 inch canvas with 1/2 inch sides painted in turquoise.

Sky Hole Challenge

This weeks DailyPaintWorks challenge is to paint a tree remembering to leave the sky holes. I used the picture they gave and tried to convey the end of summer look to the landscape. I live by the Great Lakes and things are starting to look different. Color is just starting to appear on a few trees, the sky seems a darker blue and the air is not so humid.

Painted in oil on an 8x10 inch flat canvas panel.

Sunflower Encaustic

A mixed media sunflower. Encaustic, paper, oil pastels. A fun little project to jump start creativity. I think we can all say that our creative muse takes a vacation at times. Or, you come up with a brilliant idea and see the same day it's been done. A change.......

Encaustic mixed media painted on a 5x7 inch encaustic board.

Turtles and Pinwheels

Painted for the intimate landscape challenge. Right off my deck in the backyard. A new hydrangea bush planted this spring for a beloved companion who left this world after a 14 year stay in my heart. My turtle sprinkler has been in my garden for many years, brings back many memories.

This painting is in oil on a 6x6 by 3/8 hard canvas board.

Lavender in Encaustic

Experimentation days. I have been playing with encaustic medium this past week. It looked like a lot of fun, messy, and dangerous. I managed one slight burn. I ordered a starter kit, got a temperature controlled fry pan and a heat gun. Lots of mess and noise. After the prime layer of wax cooled, I used oil pastel sticks to paint the lavender, fused it with the heat gun. Watching the color melt into the painting was magical. After the final layer of wax cooled, buff with a soft cloth and it shines. Carving in the wax was to much fun. Endless possibilities.

Next stop, mixed media collage.

Painted in encaustic with oil pastel sticks on a 5x7 inch encaustic panel.

Lilydale II

Another gorgeous house in Lilydale, NY. The colors are true. Purple, green, red and blue gray with the house next door a vibrant yellow. Every single home was unique in character and the flowers were amazing. Seriously thinking about another visit in the fall, the village is magical.

This is painted in oil on a 9x12 flat canvas panel.

Heather

The Heather challenge from DailyPaintWorks.

Painted in oil on an 8x10 flat canvas panel.

Lilydale

A couple months ago, my daughter and I went on a day trip to a small town, not far from where I live. Lilydale, NY. It is a very quaint, sleepy town, in the summertime it becomes a very popular venue. Only certified mediums can live in this community. In the summer the village is gated, but you can still walk around and take in the beauty. My daughter and I visited Lilydale before the season started, it was so peaceful.

Pears and Apples

Leo Tolstoy said, "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."

I decided to switch it up a little on this painting. Working on a larger canvas, I grabbed the largest brush I owned. I also did very little planning and just let it go.

16x20 inch flat canvas panel, painted in oil.

You Say Tomato

I say tomato.

I saw these on the vines at a friends house the other day. They were sitting in a bowl on the counter and the sun was streaming through the window, I had to photograph.

I don't eat tomatoes, the closest I get to them is Prego and Heinz, but I love painting them, it is a challenge getting the translucent look the sunshine gives them.

Painted in oil on a 16x20x3/4 inch canvas.