"Iris Beauty" (watercolor; 6" x 6")

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A purple iris glowing in the sun is a beautiful sight!

"Peony Glory" (watercolor; 8" x 8") sold

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I said in an earlier post that I vary my approach to painting watercolors.  With "Peony Glory", I pretty much finished the flower and buds before moving onto the negative space.  There is no one perfect way of starting and finishing a painting.  "Be flexible and have fun" is my motto!

About half way through the painting.

"Red Poppy Love" (watercolor; 5" x 7") sold

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Here is the last of the red Oriental poppy triptych.  It look like this together. Fabulous, if I may say so!

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"Red Poppy Glory" (watercolor; 5" x 7") sold

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An old collector of mine who bought "Oriental Red Poppy" commissioned me to paint two more of these poppy paintings so that she could display them together.  What an awesome idea!  And I get to paint a mini series!  Thank you, Kierstyn.  This is the second of the series.

"Peony Blush" (watercolor; 7" x 5") sold

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During the peony season, I go outside to check my peonies every morning: did any buds open today?  I fine one.  A pink peony bud opening shyly to the morning sun is a blushing beauty!

"Peony Brilliance" (watercolor; 8" x 6") sold

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Last year we planted a different variety of pink peonies from the one we had been enjoying in our garden.  You can imagine my joy when they started blooming.  For fun, I vary my approach to painting watercolors; this one was started loosely and I tried to maintain the spirit throughout the painting process.  How do you like the result?

A loose beginning!

"Purple beauties" (watercolor; 10" x 7") sold

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A few days ago, I painted these same purple irises from a slightly different angle. Which one do you like better?

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"Passion Rose" (watercolor; 7" x 5")

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A hot, red rose is the embodiment of passion, isn't it!

"Delicate Beauty" (watercolor; 7" x 5") sold

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Some roses are hot and passionate; others delicate and bashful. This one is definitely a delicate beauty!

"Red Oriental Poppies" (watercolor; 6" x 8") sold

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These are Oriental poppies, not the regular poppies.  Papaver orientale is a perennial flowering plant native to the Caucasus, northeastern Turkey, and northern Iran.  Having quoted from Wikipedia, all I care about is how huge and bold these babies are!  There is a batch growing in the nearby Green Spring Gardens Park, which I make a point of checking out during the season.

"Purple Iris Glory" (watercolor; 8" x 6")

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Last fall we planted several iris bulbs and eagerly wait for them to bloom.  I even remember the day when the first flower opened up--May 10th!  Perhaps we should add a few more bulbs this year, since one can't have too many irises.

"Yellow Irises" (watercolor; 8" x 6")

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I spotted these vibrant yellow irises with their lush dark green spiky leaves at River Farm in Alexandria, VA in May.  To capture their bountiful flowering, I filled the picture to the brim!

"Spring Beauties" (watercolor; matted, 12" x 10") sold

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Irises are my favorite flowers.  Okay, okay, I also love peonies, roses, daffodils, lilacs, etc., etc.  Let me rephrase my statement: irises are on the top of my favorite flower list.  Among the rainbow colors in which irises come these days,  purple is the favorite color of mine.  Expect to see more of purple iris paintings in the following days!

"Shady Cove" (watercolor; matted, 12" x 10") sold

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I thought I would play around with watercolors for a change of pace, starting with this small landscape.  It depicts a lovely shady cove along the Potomac River.

"Autumn Morning along the Potomac" (oil on stretched canvas; 8" x 10")

English Teaching Forum features my painting!

My painting, "Autumn Morning along the Potomac", made the cover of a State Department publication!  The design company that worked on the project found many images and my painting, I am told, was a unanimous favorite.  Does this mean that I am becoming famous?

The uncropped painting; click here to buy

"Smell the Roses" (oil on stretched canvas; 8" x 10") nfs

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A couple of weeks ago, my daughter and I went to the Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden in Arlington, VA to admire roses.  It was too hot to linger, but I was able to take a few good pictures for my rose paintings.  My daughter happened to take the picture below when I was smelling roses.  I really liked it, so I decided to paint a self-portrait out of it.  What do you think of my efforts?

The reference photo

"Queen Ester" (oil on linen; 14" x 11") sold

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"Queen Ester" is for Thomas, who commissioned the portrait for his girlfriend, Liz.  So much information is missing in the client's photo that it was a tough assignment.  I think I pulled it off.  What do you think?

The Collage of My August 2015 Paintings

The collage of my August 2015 Paintings

I guess I was in the mood for flowers last month.  Look at how many florals I painted in August!  Which painting is your favorite?