"Goldfinch in Summer Garden" (oil on linen; 8" x 10")

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I am what you call a lazy gardener.  I don't have the patience or time to trim all the deadheads. As it turns out, that is what good environmentally-minded gardeners do.  Look at the goldfinch in the reference photo below.  It is eating the seeds of the spent coneflower in my tired summer garden!

In case you are wondering why the colors are so different between the picture above and the step-by-step photos below, here is the answer.  I took the final image of the finished painting in natural light and Photoshopped it, whereas the step-by-step photos were taken with my smart phone in my studio under artificial lighting.  The painting looks very close to what you see above.

Reference photo

I just laid down the transparent underpainting.  No opaque colors or whites are used at this stage.

The second step is done.

I edited out the coneflower right below the bird.  It looks better.

I like the circular movement of the flowers.  Time to firm up stems, some flowers, and the goldfinch.  Then I will be done!

"Queen Anne's Lace by the Lake" (oil on linen; 10" x 8") sold

sold

I saw Queen Anne's lace, my favorite wildflower, everywhere I visited during my recent vacation.  Of course, I had to paint it!  Here we go--gentle Queen Anne's Lace blooming by a silvery lake.  How do you like the painting?

"Eiffel Tower Sky" (oil on linen; 14" x 11") sold

sold

Now I have recovered from my back trouble and finished the commissions, I am back to my daily routine of painting whatever I wish to paint.  I start with Paris!  Wouldn't you rather be in Paris, the world's most beautiful city, where even the sky is this exquisite?  The Eiffel Tower is just an icing!

I took some step-by-step pictures for you.  There is no doubt that my style is impressionistic!

I covered the white linen with a transparent underpainting.  The minimal drawing became mostly erased, which is okay.

The fun begins.  I began to lay down opaque paints over the underpainting.

Time to reintroduce some drawing.

The painting is about half way through.  Now I have to make it sing some chant-songs!

About this point, I realized that the painting was really about the harmony of three colors--orange, green, and violet.  With that, I became more purposeful in my choice of colors.

It's almost there. 

From the Illustrated Journal Pages of My Summer Vacation (watercolor, pencil, and pen)

"Anne of Green Gables"

I have always wanted to see Prince Edward Island, the birthplace of Lucy Montgomery, who wrote "Anne of Green Gables".  This year my wish came true as we chose the Canadian Maritimes as our summer vacation destination!  As pictures are worth a thousand words, I will share some of the pages from my illustrated journal.  I spent the happiest hours, sketching on location or in the car.

Yes, in the car during bumpy rides!  I think I strained my back as I tried to balance the sketchbook precariously laid on a thick book on my lap, while holding the watercolor box in my left hand and wielding the brush or pen in my right, with the paper towel constantly sliding down from the slot in the door!  Was it worth all the pain I came back with?  Absolutely!

I always pack my watercolor sketching kit first!  I highly recommend the Strathmore Mixed Media sketchbook; it takes watercolor well.

We saw the fragrant wild rose from Rhode Island all the way to Nova Scotia.

Alas, lupines were past the season; we only saw them in a few places. 

The world's highest tides created Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick.  We visited these "flower pot rocks" during a low tide; we obviously couldn't sea-kayak.  It would have been fun, but one couldn't do everything when one had a place to get to.

The itty bitty harbor at French River in Prince Edward Island

Sandcastle building is a big deal at Prince Edward Island.  I even saw a park ranger doing a demonstration of how to build one at Cavendish Beach.  You need wet sand!

Lots of sand dunes at Prince Edward Island.  It's too bad that the girl with a straw hat is smack in the middle of the spread.

The Best Western at Chocolate Lake, Halifax in Nova Scotia has got to be the most idyllic hotel we've ever stayed at.  The hotel ground is on the lake.  I spent an entire morning sketching, reading, and taking a nap on the lawn that looked out the lake while my husband, coming down with his illness, rested and my daughter read in the room.  Yes, he became so sick that we had to go to an emergency on the following day!

Peggy's Cove Lighthouse in Nova Scotia.  I stopped counting how many lighthouses we saw.  I wanted to bring back a small lighthouse for our lawn, but my husband said it would look ridiculous.  Dang.

Covehead Lighthouse in Prince Edward Island.

 Cabot Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia.  This small sketch simply doesn't describe the world-famous, windswept, panoramic views that greeted us at every stop.

Broad Cove along the Cabot Trail.  While I sketched, my daughter waded in the water and got herself all wet.

Oysters.  I ate seafood for lunch and dinner everyday to my heart's content.

With a dessert after every meal, I gained a few pounds!

Collage of My July Paintings

Collage of My July 2014 Paintings

How do you like the collage of my July paintings?  I am impressed if I may say so, considering I was gone for more than two weeks.  Which is your favorite painting?

"Molly and Ellie" (oil on linen; 11" x 14") sold

sold

"Molly and Ellie" is for Lauren, for whom I have already done three commissions.  Thank you, Lauren, for your trust!  These darling girls are the children of her friend.  I am sure she will be happy to receive such a thoughtful gift.

"Madison at the Beach" (oil on linen; 10" x 8") sold

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"Madison at the Beach" is another painting for Mike.  It is the same dog as yesterday's subject, but she has grown up and is enjoying herself at the beach, romping, splashing.  Oh, what joy it is to be a dog!