"Delft Blue Love" (pen and wash; 11" x 5")

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My irises bloomed again in the fall to my great joy. I put a stem with two flowers and a bud in a Delft blue vase for this minimalist still life in pen and watercolor wash.  I love it so much that I am going to a series of paintings in pen and wash!

"Robin's Nest" (mixed media; 7" x 9")

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When I let my hair down and have fun, I come up with a loose, fresh, and uncharacteristic piece like "Robin's Nest".  To create the effect of an intricate and messy bird's nest, I resorted to oil pastel.  I wonder why I don't do this more often!

"Sophie" (oil on linen; 7" x 7") sold

sold

"Sophie" is for Kim, who has had her two other dogs already painted by me.  Sophie is a one-year-old Yorkiepoo.  Here is her story.  Kim's mother had come last Christmas to help Kim as her husband had the double knee replacement.  Kim's daughter thought her grandmother needed company as her dog had passed away the Christmas before.  So without asking, she brought home Sophie four days before her father's second knee replacement. 

Unfortunately, Grandma was not ready for a puppy yet.  Guess who ended up with her?  Yep, Kim and her husband did.  Sophie thought her name was "damn dog" for the first three months of her life.  But, now, she has stolen all the family's hearts and they don't know what life would be like without her.  A happy ending for an adorable puppy!

"Spring Delights" (watercolor; 10.5" x 15")

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A row of small vases filled with bright spring flowers--yellow and white daffodils, yellow woodland poppies, and pink and purple hyacinths.  Have you seen a more cheerful still life?

There was another, smaller version of this painting, which I finished on October 21, on the day of my fainting and big fall.  Unfortunately, the painting got spattered with my blood.  I decided to keep it as a memento mori, as the reminder of how short and precious life is.

"Big Hug" (mixed media; 8" x 8") sold

sold

A pair of baby African elephants greet each other with a big hug!

"Spring Still Life with Bleeding Heart" (watercolor; 8" x 8")

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Another watercolor floral pick-me-up!  I am going to let you in on a secret.  The pink camellia was not pink at all in my original arrangement; I only have a white camellia bush in my garden.  When I painted the flower as was in the reference photo, it simply faded away into the white background.  I rescued it by adding a pink blush!

"Daffodil Dazzle" (watercolor; 9" x 9")

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Daffodils are pure sunshine.  If you feel sad and hopeless, get some daffodils.  Every fall, my husband and I plant hundreds of bulbs, most of which are daffodils.  Come spring, we are in a daffodil heaven!

Two springs ago, I made a dazzling bouquet of white and yellow specialty daffodils in a white porcelain vase.  Then I threw in a small sprig of purple hyacinth to match the purple shadows.  Oh, I love daffodils! 

"White Lilacs and Silver Dollars" (watercolor; 8" x 8")

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This spring, whenever the sun shined, I gathered flowers from my garden.  I put them in different vases and took pictures.  When I combined white lilacs with magenta silver dollar flowers in a pink bowl, I was clearly inspired!

"Bella and Kenzie" (oil; 8" x 10") sold

sold

"Bella and Kenzie" is for Teresa, one of my repeat clients, who commissioned the portrait for her old friends.  She has moved from Northern Virginia and now lives in North Carolina.  Her old friends let her stay with them whenever she comes and their dogs are Teresa's dog's best friends. Bella on the right is the the older sister; Kenzie on the left is aka Cra-Cra since she is a little bit crazy!  These sweet, cattle dog rescues are two peas in a pod and, even though they are years apart, they are like twins.

The Collage of My October 2015 Paintings

The collage of my October 2015 paintings

I was super productive last month until my accident!  Which painting is your favorite?  This month I will be probably busy with custom pet portraits for the holidays, but still intend to squeeze in a few watercolor florals.  Wish me luck!