Happy Valentine's Day

Rose Bouquet

11x14

Love is in the Air

15x22

Love Wins

11x11

This year has been so joyful so far, it makes me want to keep spreading the love. I am so thrilled with Cards Direct purchasing the license to use some of my paintings that it has really given me the joy and justification to paint more.

Because of Cards Direct, I painted Love is in the Air. When I painted this I thought that they could use it has a background. This was new freedom for me to paint in this style. It was experimentation with color and new techniques that I normally don't use. Cards Direct did purchase this one and asked me to do something similar with butterflies.

Love Wins was inspired after I went to a Southwestern Watercolor Society meeting. The artists bring paintings that are voted on. I saw two that were done with masking fluid and looked like batik. They had bright colors with the high contrast against the white. Our speaker / demonstration was by Carla O'Connor. She is one crazy artist - and I mean that in the most desired way! From her, I learned freedom in painting. She said crazy things like, "I don't know what it is going to look like in the end...", "oh, let's see what will happen if i do this...", "painting is not the painting in the end, it is the process...". By watching Carla paint and listening to her, I was inspired to be more free and more experimental. Question for you on Love Wins: Should I paint the background solid black with Indian ink so that the hearts and circles pop out?

Last, Rose Bouquet. I had a rough sketch made from several photos I have taken of roses. I added some white hydrangeas because I noticed the use of hydrangeas in the Valentine Bouquets around town this past week. I painted it looser than usual and also, you should have seen how dark the first stroke of red was on the wet paper! I love painting with reds and pinks. I literally felt "drunk" during this painting. I was not. My family had been gone for 3 solid hours, I had the music blasting, and not one interruption. It was blissful!

So whether it is Valentine's Day or some other day, spread the love!