The Heat of Things

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The Daily Paintworks challenge for this past week was to do a plein-aire painting in one hour, with restrictions on the palette (3 colors and white) and brushes (3) and technique. Okay, fine, but the air quality is in the orange zone (very bad for me personally), and all my flowers are gone. So, I remembered the curbside cottage garden display that one of the neighbor's has always done (and where the sprinkler has been in regular use). Having the additional excuse of not being able to stand in the street to paint, I took pictures and then retreated to the studio. Then I followed the rest of the "rules". The painting is a little nicer than the photo of it, I think, with more blue-greens and a bit softer somehow. But I was grateful, as was the bumblebee, for the flowers. Aloha!

Portrait Session 3

The third session for this sitter. Smaller brushes, more subtle changes...stay tuned for the final next week. Aloha!

Eating Happiness, Detail

" Happiness hit her like a train on a track"....

The Dog Days are Over, by Florence and the Machine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWOyfLBYtuU&feature=related

This was started when the peony bloomed for the first time in a completely unexpected over-the-top, magnificent, stunning way. The song that was running through my mind and the peony came together in this painting.

But the the blocked-in sketch of a painting just stood there in the corner, not knowing if it would just be painted over or live. And then, the Daily Paintworks Challenge said paint the music...and it had to be finished, it had to be done.     

strange lyrics, strange song, strange painting. Why not? Aloha!

Ta Da!

I have been waiting all year to paint plums! Entering this in the Daily Paintworks Challenge on Reflections...
Aloha!

Portrait Continued

Very little chance to paint this week, except for portrait class. Can't wait until next week...finally a chance for more than one or two sessions with the same model.

Have missed the painting and the blog lately. This week I had the unfortunate excuse of a minor head injury (nothing serious, just painful). Lightning took out the AC...it feels like near-miss week! Well, still thinking about painting even when I'm not doing it, and that actually keeps the learning process going. At any rate, I think my aim is getting better. Now, if I can only learn to dodge. Aloha!

New portrait session

Have been reading The Genesee Diary by Henri Nouwen today....and recognizing others in it and myself, so perhaps it's the right thing to be reading. Much of it is about leading a contemplative life, something I sometimes lament that I never have the chance to do. But lately, I have been taking time for just that. And then wondering if it's really necessary to feel guilty about it. Painting is a form of contemplation, but very much with a different part of the brain....maybe it's good to let both sides take a break. Aloha!

What I paint with

cc

There was only one answer to the recent Daily Paintworks Challenge for me...although if I had more time, I might have tried to sneak an occipital cortex in!

You don't need any fancy paintbrushes...just some pigment and paper, go for it! Aloha!

The Fourth

Just in time for a Fourth of July delivery, the fourth of the siblings. This little guy was the wiggliest of all, and the tilted head is very characteristic. Hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday! Aloha!