"Bluebells Heaven" (oil on linen; 12" x 12") sold

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On Monday, I took a drive to the River Bend Park in Great Falls, VA.  I have been there many years ago on my daughter's school field trip as a chaperon.  Yes, it was pretty.  The children had lots of fun, among other things, with archery practice.  Then I forgot all about the place.

Lately I have this unquenchable hankering for romantic landscapes.  So I asked around where I could find bluebell fields.  An artist friend of mine suggested the park.  Oh my!  The entire park grounds seemed to be covered with Virginia bluebells.  Fields after fields by the Potomac River and into the woods.  It was breathtaking and peaceful at the same time.

The only way I could describe my joy at finding myself in such a beautiful place was to drop dabs of thick paints--pointillism.  "Bluebells Heaven" was painted in utter bliss.  I hope you feel my joy when you look at the painting.

Virginia bluebells

"Bountiful Hydrangea" (watercolor on Yupo; 10" x 8") sold

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Hydrangea has got to be the most bountiful plant ever.  One small pot of hydrangea will grow to be a huge bush laden with beautiful flower heads!  I wasn't sure whether I could paint such a complex, tight subject on the "uncontrollable" Yupo.

After I put down the initial washes of the blue flowers, warm shadows in the foreground, and cool darks in the background, however, I could envision the sunny hydrangea bed coming to life.  I proceeded to develop the leaves and flowers.  If you step way back, the painting reads even better.  I am proud of myself for pulling off "Bountiful Hydrangea"!

"Pansy Posy" (watercolor on paper; 6" x 6") sold

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I knew that, after I drew in the pansies, vase, and shadows, I had a small, but fabulous, painting in the making.  Honestly, I didn't think much of it when I was taking pictures of the still life.  Yes, I work from photos for my watercolor florals.  It's better for my sanity that way!  And, as you may have noticed, most flowers that I have painted so far are not blooming yet.  Old pictures came to the rescue.  When you have a serious spring fever, you can't wait for the flowers, can you?

If you want to win a painting from my "Spring Fever" series at the end of the month, please sign in to follow my blog.  Thanks!

"Pink Tulips in Spring Garden" (oil on linen; 10" x 12") sold

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Reference photo

Last Sunday I worked in my garden for six hours, weeding evil wild strawberries.  The mild winter has done wonders for this relatively tolerable weed, turning it into the 10-inch-tall, garden-chocking, monster!  I did take a few breaks, though, to drink water and take pictures of flowers in my garden.  The above photo was my favorite. 

"Tulips and Creeping Phlox" was painted on Monday, because I couldn't wait, despite the general fatigue and bad aches in the neck and lower back.  A couple of hours into painting, I no longer felt any fatigue.  Perhaps, it was the pain killer.  Or, I would like to think, the magic of art.  The mauve tulips are the stars of the show.  But without the chorus line of the blue creeping phlox, would they have worked as well? 

By the way, the creeping phlox is the talk of my neighborhood.  Three years ago, I transplanted a small clump, which was barely hanging on, chocked under yews, azaleas, and vinca vines, to the current open location under a mature crepe myrtle.  Neighbors stop to ask us what it is, then compliment us on its beauty.  My husband and I garden because we love flowers.  But it's not just we, but the entire neighborhood, who get to enjoy them.  I don't volunteer at Green Spring Gardens Park, which is not far from where we live.  Nevertheless, I contribute to the community in my own way and am proud of it.

"Bumble Bee in a Blue Garden" (oil on linen; 10" x 8") sold

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Reference photo

This painting was a challenge to pull off.  It was hard to contrast the bumble bee enough against the busy background and, at the same time, keep it blended into the same busy background!  I like the complementary vibrations of blue violets and yellows throughout the painting and want the viewer to translate viscerally the visual confusion into the buzzing sound of the bee.  Does it make any sense?

"Down the Path" (oil on linen, 8" x 10") sold

sold

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  We wished for a white Christmas, but it didn't happen in northern Virginia.  Just a little dusting. 

Today I am sharing an old work--one of my first plein air paintings.  It was painted last year at River Farm in Alexandria in early autumn, when the leaves hadn't yet begun to change colors.  I have always be attracted to paths.  If there aren't any, I sometimes invent one as a way of inviting the viewer into the painting.  In this scene, two pathways join and lead you far into the woods.  One wonders what will await you when you get there.

"Agapanthus and Yellow Wall" (oil on linen, 5" x 4") sold

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This is a wall of a motel in Eureka, CA--painted in bold yellow.  Then the management had had the ground landscaped in a complementary color scheme with blue flowers.  Their color sense was impeccable.  I love California!