Tanagers are some of the most colorful birds around. Like many colorful birds, this little fruit-eating bird lives in Central and South America. The color patterns vary wildly in this species, which is related to the cardinal. I would like to paint them all!
Matillija poppies always remind me of fried eggs, and I just love their papery white petals that are so big, they just flop wherever they please.
This 6" x 6" painting of a parrotlet is a life-size depiction of this cute little bird. Parrotlets are tiny! There is a special place in my heart for parrots in general. Years ago, I kept a red-lored Amazon parrot when I lived in New York and then Florida, but I later came to feel strongly that all birds should be free. In fact, I believe all wild animals should be free and not kept in cages or zoos.
Continuing with my current flower theme, here's a little painting of a flower that I wish was in my garden. I love all kinds of poppies. Alas, this is one I've never seen; it was painted from a photo. Apparently, this rare poppy is difficult to grow, but it can be found in gardens in the U.K.
Another recent addition to my garden has been a gorgeous deep violet cineraria, which I paired with lemony daffodils for this composition. You just can't get more complementary than that, can you? I do love the colors in this one.
This is one of my favourite flowers, and it is currently carpeting a section of my garden. I find this flower enchanting, and it is hearty, easy to grow, requires little watering, and is a prolific bloomer. I chose to paint this as if in the black of night because these pale pink flowers turn a neon pink as the sun sets, and I wanted to emphasize their very "pinkness."
This little study of a black tulip may get painted again as a larger version, but for now, and for the sake of sanity, I've decided to stick with little paintings that can be finished in a short session or two. It's simply too frustrating to not have at least 4 hours/day to delve into painting like I had a few years ago. Maybe one day I'll have the luxury of uninterrupted hours at the easel. I can dream, can't I?
This painting of a sunflower aptly expresses my mood lately. Having been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, I can now look forward to seeing friends and making plans for a trip later this year. Sunflowers are symbols of hope, and I am feeling more hopeful and optimistic than I have in quite some time.
This painting of a Galah cockatoo was started a few weeks ago, and then I was pulled away from my easel for a work project. By the time I returned to it, I was in quite a different frame of mind from when I started. For me, it is of prime importance to have a sense of continuity when painting, which is why I tend to prefer working alla prima (i.e., finishing a painting in one session). I don't have that luxury right now, so I have to work with things as they are. Still, I quite like this little guy. It's not his fault he got neglected in the process.
This is a painting done strictly from my imagination. I usually work either from life or a reference image; this was just me playing with color, as I love to do. I did another one of these flower paintings from imagination in 2017, hence the title. They're fun and satisfying, especially when I don't have a good chunk of time to devote to painting, which was the case these past two weeks.
I was pulled away from my easel this past week on a project at work, and whenever that happens, I tend to choose simple subjects to get me back in the swing of it again. This little duck is native to northern Eurasia, and I just love his violet sheen and bright little yellow eye.
Here's another sweet treat from the easel. I'm having fun with this food theme at the moment, where I get to feature the texture of the paint itself, something I've been wanting to do for ages.
I had an urge to paint some food and this seemed like a fun subject, using a palette knife to paint the ice cream layers within the dessert. I've had the urge to paint food before but don't recall ever following through on it until now.
I meant for this to be an abstract painting, but I had peonies on my mind and they insisted on appearing in some form. With this palette knife painting, I was reminded of how much I like to paint on metal.
I love Holstein cows. They dot the landscape here in Sonoma County like moving abstract black and white paintings. The black and the white are up for interpretation, however; depending on the light and the time of day, there can be all sorts of colors in there. I may be stretching it a bit, though.
Playing with color here on a rather vivid horse portrait, I got carried away and had to put him back in the paddock, as it were. I do like what the pink and blue do to the chestnut color of the horse, though. I hope he forgives me for messing with him.
This is a narrative painting that is attempting to capture the loneliness and isolation of life during the time of COVID. Like caged birds, we are all being held captive by this pandemic, albeit to varying degrees. I tried to show the beauty of the outside world in the colors of the sunrise as a measure of hope for better days to come.
