The Pumpkin

Pumpkins in March? Actually, I get so tired of seeing artificially flavored pumpkin this or that in the Fall. Big food has ruined the pumpkin. So I'm going to celebrate this wonder squash now.

The Pumpkin

Acrylic on canvas board, 11 inches by 14 inches

Available here

Have a close up...

Landscape in Bloom

Disclaimer: I live in Kansas. Flat as a pancake (not everywhere). Fly over country (but the pivots irrigating the farmland look so cool from the air). There are no cypress trees around here. But a gal can dream.

Landscape in Bloom

Acrylic on canvas board, 11 inches by 14 inches

Available here

Hello, color! Blue skies, crisp azure lakes, fields of red poppies, and a stately row of cypress trees. Have a close up...

(detail)

Frilled Tulips

Blooming here now: Dogwoods, pear trees, daffodils. There are fat buds on the maple trees. The redbuds are just about to pop. And coming soon? Tulips!

Frilled Tulips

Acrylic on canvas board, 8 inches x 10 inches

Available for purchase here

When I was a girl, my grandmother had an extensive flower garden, and it was so fun to see the different types of tulips emerge. There would be plain ones and fancy ones. I tried planting tulips one fall, and some critter ate the bulbs before Spring arrived. Oh well.

I really had fun layering colors and textures on this one. Ah, Springtime! My favorite season is probably still fall, but Spring is a close second. Have a close up...

 

Poppies in Evening (a process)

This is one I'm having a hard time letting go. This was was really a labor of frustration with a happy ending.

Poppies in Evening

Acrylic on canvas board, 8 inches by 10 inches

Available for purchase here

I struggled with this painting. Initially, the poppies looked flat. There were hills and a stream that seemed awkward. The sunset was too pink. OK, do you want to see the wreck of the before?

My eyes are covered now. I can't look anymore. I was tempted to toss it out, but I'd invested so much material on it. With the palette knife, I applied big, bold patches of color.

Yes, that still looks nothing like the final results, but it gave me enough room for a do-over. Look closely, and you can see the shadows of the trees in the background, and the hint of the sun sinking into the horizon. The bunny slope of a hill and the clunky stream are gone. Let's take a look at the end results again for comparison.

My friends, there are A LOT of layers of paint on this one. But by the time I added the black outlines, I was sold that this is how it should be. Have a close up...

It's 100% palette knife work. All of the highlights were carefully scratched on with the tip of the knife. I love the results, and I feel like I'm starting to find my voice on canvas. I really hope this one finds a good home.

Mini Pear (Using Leftovers)

Waste not, want not. So often I have paint leftover on the palette when I'm finished with a painting, and I don't like to see it go to waste.

I keep smaller canvases around for this reason. Sometimes I'll just spread the leftover paint across it, and come back to it later to finish it. But this little pear I whipped up quickly after I finished Yellow Tulips Before Spring Storm. Recognize the color scheme?

Mini Pear

Acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, 4 inches by 4 inches

Available for purchase here

Measuring 4 inches by 4 inches on a wrapped canvas, it's a cutie. The palette knife strokes are heavy so there is a lot of texture on this little fellow, even on the sides. Have a close up...

(detail)

Midmorning

There are certain subjects that draw in people when they want to start painting. Pears (check). Flowers (check). Sunsets (in progress). Maybe the occasional sunrise (not yet).

But, imagine a morning. The sun has come up. Seems like a promising day ahead, but then clouds start moving in.

Midmorning

Acrylic on canvas board, 11 inches x 14 inches

Available for purchase here SOLD

Maybe it will just turn into an overcast day. Maybe the clouds will move on and the sun will rule the day. Maybe the fronts will collide and all hell will break lose. It's springtime and anything can happen.

Have a close up...

(detail)

The Used Palette

I think I'm hard on palettes. I let paint dry on them. The modeling compound I use to give my knife work depth builds up over time. Every so often, I scrap off some of the gunk, but eventually it gets too hard to work with so I start over with a fresh palette.

I remember seeing a used artist's palette at an antique market. It was beautiful. The wood was worn and lovely, and there were dabs of paint neatly smeared about it. Someone was clearly neater, cleaner painter than I am.

Used Wooden Palette

Acrylic on Wood, approximately 12 inches by 15 inches

Available for purchase here SOLD

Speaking of neater and cleaner, I spruced up the old blog layout to more accurate reflect the new direction I'm heading with this blog. I really loved the old banner, but it was time for a change. Support my palette abuse with the actual palette used for my updated header. It would look great tucked in a bookcase!