Just dandy - SOLD

If dandelions were hard to grow, they would be most welcome on any lawn. ~Andrew Mason

What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, Fortune of the Republic, 1878

6"x6" / oil on panel 

Pop

So gorgeous when they spring open!

6"x6" / oil on canvas / $99 (includes free shipping worldwide)

A place in my heart - SOLD

The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size. 

~Gertrude S. Wister
6"x6" / oil on canvas 

Contradictions - SOLD

A flower's appeal is in its contradictions — so delicate in form yet strong in fragrance, so small in size yet big in beauty, so short in life yet long on effect. 
~Terri Guillemets
6"x6" / oil on canvas / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Peek-a-boo - SOLD

One of my kids mentioned he liked how the grape hyacinths were peeking out from behind the pansies. Instant title : )
6"x6" / oil on canvas

Tulip Bowl - SOLD

I'm in my glory with all these flowers. I remember my grandma having a bowl like this in which she would float roses. I loved that as a kid. And they had such a lovely scent. Nice memories.

6"x6" / oil on canvas / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Yellow pansies - SOLD

This completes my pansies in the garden trio. Tomorrow - tulips!
6"x6" / oil on canvas / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Crimson Pansies - SOLD

Today's pansies - crimson!

6"x6" / oil on canvas / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Purple pansies - SOLD

Today I'm starting a series of three pansy paintings, all flowering masses planted in my garden. Today, purple!
6"x6" / oil on canvas / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Innocence - SOLD

This just reminds me of all things young, new and innocent. A feeling always nice to remember.
6"x6" / oil on canvas / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

We're all in this together - SOLD

So the tulips from yesterday opened further and looked too lush not to paint again! Can we get a hurray for spring flowers? : )

6"x6" / oil on canvas / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Tulip Splendor - SOLD

Tulips from my garden. All so different but they look sweet crammed into a simple mason jar. Yesterday I posted my first try at a little video (Yes. I'm on a learning curve and the next one will be much improved :) but apparently the clip did not appear to the people who receive my posts directly to their inbox. So I'm trying once more. p.s. If' you'd like to receive my daily posts in your inbox, please go to my blog and you will see instructions on the top right hand column. Happy Friday!

6"x6" / oil on canvas / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

The little things (SOLD) + a tiny 14 second video

...make me happy. Here are a few grape hyacinths picked from the garden.
6"x6" / oil on canvas / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

 
Today I was in my studio doing a painting for tomorrow, and I decided to take a few pictures of the piece in progress. Then I thought I would try stringing them all together to make a tiny video. So here it is. It was my first attempt at using iMovie and thanks to my son for helping me. After doing this I can see how I should really make a video, but it was a tiny project for fun.

Opposites Attract - SOLD

Reaching for titles here. But you can kind of see it: the purple and yellow look so snappy together and they're opposites (on the colour wheel : ). Yes? Well, it's better than numbering them. Or actually, maybe that's the way to go. Anyhow...here is today's offering!
6"x6" / oil on canvas / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Garden Bouquet - SOLD

Forsythia and pansies from my garden. I love spring!

6"x6" / oil on canvas

Pansies - SOLD

Pansies! Who doesn't love pansies? So many colour combos, bright, cheery...they always make me smile!

6"x6" / oil on canvas / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

 

Daffodils and tulip

Happy Mother's Day!

6"x6" / oil on archival canvas panel / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Sun-kissed

I wished for nothing beyond her smile, and to walk with her thus, 

hand in hand, along a sun-warmed, flower-bordered path.

~Andre Gide

6"x6" / oil on archival canvas panel / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Spent

They're also fun to paint when they're not so perfect : )
6"x6" / oil on archival canvas panel / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Side by side

6"x6" / oil on archival canvas panel / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Opening

Today's offering. 

Have a wonderful day!

6"x6" / oil on archival canvas panel / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Cheery blooms

Daffodils and an early tulip from my garden. Enjoy!

6"x6" / oil on archival panel / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Garden daffodils

Cuttings from my garden. Did I mention how happy I am to see the flowers blooming? You'll be seeing these all week : )
p.s. if you happen to be looking for something for Mother's Day, let me know. I'm painting flowers daily!
6"x6" / oil on archival panel / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Good morning

The daffodils are blooming in my garden right now. Such a bright burst of colour after a very white winter!

"Good morning", 6"x6", oil on archival panel, $100 (includes free shipping worldwide)

Mad with joy

People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us. 

~Iris Murdoch, A Fairly Honourable Defeat
"Sunny blooms" / 6"x6" / oil on archival panel / $100 (includes free shipping worldwide) 

Good for the soul - SOLD

If you are new to my blog, you may wonder if you've got the right post : ).  For some time now I've been concentrating on abstract but I began as a plein air painter (painting the landscape outdoors) and then became a "daily painter" in 2009 (where I created small oil paintings daily and posted them to my blog) and for the past couple of years  I've been exploring abstract.
Due to an upcoming group order I had to build up my inventory of small works. So here is the first one of what will be a good month of daily painting. I enjoyed painting in this format again although the thinner smell got to me. Ick.
Happy Thursday!

All our beautiful moments - SOLD

I love this one. It started out as more of a painting of graphic shapes but when I revisited it I thought it needed to be pushed a little further. And then it began flowing and I stopped at the right time. Believe me, there are often times I don't. You just never see them : )
acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas / 16"x12"x1.5" / SOLD
For details see Saatchi Art.

Northern Revival

Well, after a few weeks of illustrating, I got to work painting. It felt good! As for my illustrations, I gave them a sober second glance and decided to use all of them as a "rough copy" and perfect them the next go round. So it will most likely be summer before the project is completed. In the meantime I will be painting my heart out : ) This piece is "Northern Revival" and is 24"x36", acrylic. $875. To see how it would look in a room, click here and then click the grey bar "View Original in Room".

Happy Easter!

So I am almost done my illustrations for my book I've been working on! I have one left to paint. It has been so much fun "bringing them to life". And I've also had a number of hot baths and deep cold rubbed into my neck! Anyway, I'm hoping to show you something soon. In the meantime I thought I'd re-post a couple of Easter themed paintings. Hope you like them! As you can tell, I am attracted to shiny foil : ) Wishing you a wonderful day wherever this finds you <3 p="">

Painting, painting...

Here is one of my watercolour sheets filled with illustrations I'm working on. I'm having so much fun with this but man, I've got to remember to stretch. When painting on a canvas I am standing in front of an easel using my whole arm. With illustrating I am hunched over a table. Not good for the neck.

Introductions

And here are the main characters of my book. Rather snazzy dressers, yes? I went through a lot of costume sketches figuring out these outfits : ) Below is more progress on yesterday's illustration. Thanks for taking an interest!

Progress shot

So I worked on the character's clothing choices today as I had to make a few revisions - and I did some other stuff, but mostly I just coloured this in! I was surprised at how long just this beginning part took me! Holy hannah I'm not going to get this book done till July! lol

Getting 'er done!

So I know you wouldn't know this based on my recent posting history but I have been madly working. This afternoon I finished the drawings of my children's book illustrations on to watercolour paper (22 of them!). And this evening I was playing with their outfits - picking colours for their clothes. Here is a finished pencil drawing before it was transferred. Tomorrow I plan to start colouring them in. I'm excited to see them "awaken" from the line drawings : )