"Simple Abundance", 16x20, oil on linen, hibiscus, red hibiscus, apple, green apple, fish shack

"Simple Abundance", 16x20, oil on linen
Note: Click on the image to see it better!

A few days ago I picked some hibiscus from the garden and arranged them in a vase with some apples. After working at it for a few hours, I was almost finished the flowers and thought they were looking pretty good. Unfortunately, I neglected to take a photo of the set-up and to my dismay the next morning the flowers were all curled up and wilted! So I went back into the garden and brought in some more and tried to set them up in the same way. No chance! It is amazing how every single flower is extremely unique, and since hibiscus is a very complex flower to paint I began feeling frustrated.  I had to basically scrape out most of what I had done the day before and start over. This time I did take a photo of the flowers knowing I'd have to keep working the painting the next day.

Since yesterday was Valentine's Day, I think I had red on the brain. So I added the background after painting the flowers using an old red fish shack from Peggy's Cove. I kind of liked the idea of putting tropical flowers in a northern setting! It was a quirky idea that grew on me as I went along. I added other objects as I went along and finally today I called it done. It was a challenging painting for me, but worth the effort in the end.

Quote:

Life is a flower of which love is the honey. – Victor Hugo

If you’ve seen a Hummingbird suck the nectar out of a Hibiscus flower, you will know what Hugo means when he refers to life as a ‘flower’ and love as ‘honey’.

"Country Cupboard", 12x16, oil on linen

"Country Cupboard", 12x16, oil on linen

This is an older painting that I took out and re-worked a bit yesterday. I had trouble photographing it, and am starting to think I need a lesson in photography! Since I bought a new camera a few months ago, I have not had much success photographing my artwork. I am using a Nikon Coolpix 14.1 megapixels. Weirdly, my old Kodak with only 6 megapixels seemed to do a better job and have more range of color. This camera seems to have a mind of its own and takes pictures randomly, even when I am not pressing the button. The pictures never seem right to me and do not do the artwork justice. The area in the center is always clear and the perimeter is fuzzy. I could really use some help, I don't even understand the menu!

Any suggestions anyone?

"Window with a view"-palette knife painting, 8x10, roses, fruit , lemon, windows with a water view

SOLD
"Window with a View", 10x8, oil on wrapped canvas

This is another one of those quick, fun study's that I did with left over paint. Ususally, when I have paint left over from a day of painting, I'll wrap up my palette with Saran Wrap and put it in the freezer so that the paint won't dry up. Since my freezer is currently full of fish bait, (don't ask), I felt compelled to use up the paint with a quick palette knife study. "Window with a View" was the result.

My inspiration came as a result of having just looked at some photos that we took during our last trek up to Newport, Rhode Island, where we always stay at the Harborside Inn. We usually request the room at the end of the Inn (I think it's number 14), and have the advantage of lovely harbor views and the sunset over Narragansett Bay. All of the rooms have balconies and most of the rooms in the Inn have at least some view of the water. We have stayed in quite a few of the other rooms, too, and like the whole Inn very much, but the end room over the wharf is especially awesome, and even has a kind of crow's nest feel to it, with a winding staircase leading up to a little loft with a higher view of the harbor. The inn is located on Christie's Landing and the breakfast room is absolutely delightful with its wrap around windows and knotty pine decor.




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