100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 16/100

6" x 6" oil on panel
$100.00 + $10. s/h

This is the second iris that I painted at IRIS4U Garden in Denver.  It was late morning, the lighting was changing quickly and the group was ready for lunch!

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 15/100

"Trillionaire" at  IRIS4U
6" x 8" oil on panel
$100.00 + $10. s/h

SOLD

Yesterday my plein air group went to Denver to IRIS4U Garden.  The garden is open from mid-May until late June.  You are free to wander through their acres of iris and paint, look, picnic, purchase, enjoy.  I find it overwhelming at first as to which blooms to paint.  There are so many; it's  feast for the eyes.  I brought home their catalogue and think I'll order from their website.

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 14/100

Sheep

6" x 6" oil on board

$100.00 + $10. s/h

This is another sheep from the same small family of 6 at the Rock Ledge Ranch.  I guess, like many chores in the yard,  it's easier when everyone chips in to help.  

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 13/100

Rock Ledge Ranch Lawn Mower
6" x 6" oil on board
$100.00 + $10. s/h

My plein air group painted at the Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site.  This is a working farm from the late 19th century.  Everything on the farm is done as it was done in the "olden" days, including sheep wondering around eating, excuse me, moving, the lawn.  Right now the sheep stay out of the recently plowed garden (that's the dirt in the back.)  They must put up some kind of fence, because as soon as the vegetables start growing, I'm sure the sheep will wander in.  A natural salad bar.

Telephone Canyon - Big Bend National Park

18" x 24" oil on stretched canvas
Please contact me if interested

This piece is done from several photo references taken in January during our trip to Big Bend National Park.  Photos can be a great reference for paintings, as long as they are just that, references.  I don't just copy a photo.  To create my paintings I use the photos to give the viewers a "sense of place."  I want the viewer to feel what I felt.  To see what I saw.  This is Telephone Trail.  It took us at least 40 minutes of driving on a 4 wheel drive road to get to the trail head.  Our car was the only car in the lot.  It was a fun, beautiful hike.  That's what I want to express.

We headed down the trail and had to walk over or around the rocks in the photos below.

It was late afternoon, the sun was really shining on the rocks.  It was geologically a really interesting place.  It was a hiking day, not a painting day, so I took lots of photos.

Now, several months later, I'm ready to paint my expression of the trail.  So, the 2 quick sketches above show how I decided to change the rocks to show motion.  In the bottom real trail photo, I loved the way the rock in the front was so lit up and how long it was.  But, it was too long and too dominant.  So, I started by moving the rocks to suite me.

In this sketch I'm trying to figure out how to put the rocks at the bottom together.  I really like the rock that's about halfway up on the left in the top trail photo.  So, I've moved it down and am trying to get it to work w/ the long rock.

 I like the angle of the left rock and will use it to lead your eye into the painting.

Finally, I get all my ideas together and do a quick value study.  I think it's kind of like a piece of music.  The rocks alone would have been too much percussion.  The bushes are the string instruments.  Together it all works.

Then I did a value study using only Terra Rosa.  Now, I'm ready to paint.  I started the painting using blues for the rocks and gravel and ochres for the bushes, but it was too cool for what I wanted, so, I changed the colors to violets and oranges.  If you hadn't seen the photos, you wouldn't have known.

At the end of the trail were all kinds of rocks to climb on.  A big rock candy mountain!  Once again, when using a photo as a reference, I make it my own, I try to show what I thought was so great about the spot.  I try to share that with the viewer.

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 12/100

MacAllister House Sidewalk and Blog Breakfast
8" x 10" oil on board
$195.00 + $10. s/h
SOLD

This is another piece from the day my plein air group painted at the MacAllister House Museum, 2 weeks ago.  I loved the way the daffodils and fence created a shadow on the sidewalk.

I continue to be amazed at the world of blogging and how small the blogosphere really is.  I have had three blog events this week:  A blog plug by Nancy Hartley, a blog interview by Ed Newman, and yesterday I had breakfast with Dana Cooper!  Dana was in Colorado Springs visiting her son who attends the Air Force Academy.  She had emailed me that she'd be in town and luckily our schedules worked!  We met for breakfast and before I knew it, the whole morning was gone, it was 12:15 and she had to leave!  We had a great visit.  If you are not familiar with her work and blog, check them out.  She's a great artist! And great person!

A Blog Interview

I recently received an email from Ed Newman, asking if he could interview me for his blog.  I was so honored.  It never ceases to amaze me how people meet, how paths cross, how we learn new things, etc. through blogging.  Anyway, his blog is called "Ennyman's Territory, Seeds From A Mind Farm:  Journal Notes and Other Life Observations" .  So, you can read the interview and see his great blog.  Thank you so much, Ed.

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 11/100

Pansy Shadow

6" x 8" oil on gessoed board

$100.00 + $10. s/h

Please contact me if interested

Somehow I didn't post this one when I was painting pansies.  They've all survived our cold weather, and now I hope will thrive in the warm days we're supposed to have.

I had an exciting and humbling event happen this week.  Friend and fellow blogger Nancy Hartley mentioned me in her post.  Thank you, Nancy.  If you're not familiar with her incredible geometric style and vibrant colors, go to her blog.

Near Roswell

8" x 10" oil on gessoed board
$195.00 + $10. s/h
Please contact me if interested

My husband and I recently took a road trip to New Mexico.  Usually we only visit Taos and Santa Fe, but this time decided to be a little adventuresome.  So, we headed to Roswell.  I'd never been there before. The only thing that I knew about it was that aliens had landed there years ago.  But in my mind it was a new place to visit, another painting to paint.  It wasn't very nice weather, it was pretty cool and cloudy, but as in many western locations, outside of town had wide open vistas, so there was a painting!  Once we got into Roswell it was actually pretty nice!

Everyone was friendly and waved at us as we walked around town.

Sometimes when driving in rural western locations it's hard to find a good radio station.  But, that wasn't the case here,  There was great music.

Don't worry if you run out of cash.  It's easy to borrow money!

And, there was no problem finding a quick, cheap lunch.  All in all, a great place to visit and paint!

Won't You Come Out Tonight...

6" x 8" oil on gessoed board
$100.00 + $10. s/h
Please contact me if interested

This is my submission to Gary Keimig's monthly Wilderness Art Challenge.  I've painted buffalo in the past as there are several herds nearby, so this was a fun painting.  If you haven't seen Gary's art or any of his 4 blogs, check them out!

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 10/100

Clean Gutters
8" x 8" oil on cradled panel
$185.00 + $10. s/h

There are days when you just have to do chores in the garden.  Today was one of those days.  My husband and I cleaned the gutters.  His job is to climb onto the roof and drag the hose to the corners of the house and run the water downs the gutters.  My job is to hold the ladder, hand up the hose and go to the gutter drains and make sure they're draining. As I stood there turning off the water, I saw a painting before me!

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 9/100

Mother's Day Crab Apple
6" x 6" oil on gessoed board
$100.00 + $10. s/h
Please contact me if interested

A Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers: those living, those who we remember,  and, those of us who are.

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 8/100

SOLD
Just Planted
6" x 8" oil on gessoed board
$100.00 + $10. s/h

Hopefully the last frost is past.  It still is in the 30s at night, but not below 32.  So, I think these guys, and gals, will make it.  Due to the cold nights, we don't turn the sprinklers on until after Mother's Day, so I'll hand water them carefully for awhile.

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 7/100

Garden Door
6' x 8" oil on panel
$100.00 + $10. S/h
Please contact me if interested

This morning my plein air group painted at McAllister House Museum in downtown Colorado Springs.  I don't think I'd been there since I'd gone with our 23 year old daughter's Brownie Troop.  During that tour the docent explained that (the story goes) the three McAllister children saw Native Americans in their back garden when they went out the back garden door.  This house was constructed in 1873 and at that time Colorado Springs was just being built and was still very much the wild west.

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Art Work from A Colorado Daily Painter, 6/100

SOLD
6" x 8" oil on gessoed board
$100.00 + $10. s/h

Since we continue to have nights below freezing  (the weatherman says tonight is the last one!) I keep bringing my pansies in every night.  They are a hardy flower, but I don't want them to have a difficult beginning.  I'll plant them in a few days.  In the meantime, there's more for me to paint!

I've just taken several of my florals to Summerland Gardens.  They're in a new location with lots of room for more flowers as well as a great area to display and sell garden art and paintings.  I'm excited to work with them.