watercolor Coral Bells
photo of coral bells in May
Its amazing what you can find in your own backyard! When I set out to create 2 paintings a week - or "almost daily paintings", the most difficult barrier I thought would be finding enough subjects. A person can only paint so many still lifes! And did I really want to paint still lifes?
My mentor, Mary Muller, had completed a set of 52 pastels of landscapes. That settled the subject matter - I have hundreds of photographs of landscapes both at home and from vacations = but did I really want to do what had already been done?
The opposite of the big world outside is the smaller world at home. So, I thought, what if I were to only use things I could find in my own back yard? A great idea in the summer when all the flowers are blooming but the greater challenge was to find things to paint in the winter months. I started in January - a winter month.
The first thing I found was that there was so much I had overlooked! And what had at first been another challenge - the small size of the paintings - was perfect for these. Rather than reproducing what I saw, I chose to reflect the movement and color of the objects.
So, this series of paintings are a Microcasm of the small and seemingly inconsequential. Things like grass and leaves and stems and newspaper mulch.
My mentor, Mary Muller, had completed a set of 52 pastels of landscapes. That settled the subject matter - I have hundreds of photographs of landscapes both at home and from vacations = but did I really want to do what had already been done?
The opposite of the big world outside is the smaller world at home. So, I thought, what if I were to only use things I could find in my own back yard? A great idea in the summer when all the flowers are blooming but the greater challenge was to find things to paint in the winter months. I started in January - a winter month.
The first thing I found was that there was so much I had overlooked! And what had at first been another challenge - the small size of the paintings - was perfect for these. Rather than reproducing what I saw, I chose to reflect the movement and color of the objects.
So, this series of paintings are a Microcasm of the small and seemingly inconsequential. Things like grass and leaves and stems and newspaper mulch.
Leavings
8" x 8"
oil on deep edge canvas side detail
During a winter photo shoot I found one red maple leaf caught between leftover twigs and newspaper shreds that I had used beneath my mulch as a weed barrier.
Daily Painting One
oil on deep edge canvas side detail
During a winter photo shoot I found one red maple leaf caught between leftover twigs and newspaper shreds that I had used beneath my mulch as a weed barrier.
Daily Painting One
Hydrangeas and Raspberry Vines
8" x 8"
oil on deep edge canvas
In January, with snow piled beneath the hydrangea bushes, the sun caught the red of my raspberry vines that were wound around them. Their dried flowers contrasted with the snow and the early evening darkness.
Daily Painting Two
oil on deep edge canvas
In January, with snow piled beneath the hydrangea bushes, the sun caught the red of my raspberry vines that were wound around them. Their dried flowers contrasted with the snow and the early evening darkness.
Daily Painting Two
bottom detail
The deep edge of the canvas continues the scope of the painting, creating a three dimensional statement.
Hydrangeas and Raspberries 2
Oil on deep edge canvas
8" x 8"
I enjoyed the hydrangea heads so much as they contrasted with the rosy raspberry vines that I painted them a second time. This time I photographed them during a sunny and warm - for January - day with the sun reflecting off the dried flowers.
Daily Painting Three
January Coneflowers
8" x 8"
Oil on deep edge canvas
One bright morning I found the leftover stalks of a coneflower. I loved the movement of the stalks and the shadows cast in the snow.
Daily Painting Four
Oil on deep edge canvas
One bright morning I found the leftover stalks of a coneflower. I loved the movement of the stalks and the shadows cast in the snow.
Daily Painting Four
coneflowers top detail
The stems and seed heads explode around the sides of the painting.
Burnt Offering
Here was a leaf left over after the snow melted. Beneath the leaf were
were sticks of grass and plant stems. Next to the dull brown and green, the
leaf appeared to be on fire.
Side detail
8" x 8" oil on deep edge canvas
Daily Painting Five
were sticks of grass and plant stems. Next to the dull brown and green, the
leaf appeared to be on fire.
Side detail
8" x 8" oil on deep edge canvas
Daily Painting Five
8" x 8" oil on deep edge canvas
8" x 8"
oil on deep edge canvas