Irises - the final

Here is the completed painting of the Irises from the previous post.

Irises

Here are some irises I have been working on. They are painted on a canvas that is made for watercolor. When I started the painting, I was imagining a very loose painting with the paint from the irises blending into the paint of the leaves. I will have to try for a looser painting on paper. Working on the canvas was interesting. There are both pros and cons. Pros, if you don't like it, you can wipe it right off with your brush or a napkin! This is great if you forgot to save a white or if you want to change anything on your painting. The negative is that you cannot really glaze or layer colors on top in the way that I am use to do on paper.

I apologize for having a big jump in progress from the first photo to the second. I was not originally intending to take progress photos. I don't remember why I took the first photo. When I took the second photo, it was to help me see what I needed to do next. Sometimes I will look at my paintings (when they are in progress) in a mirror. This really helps me to see what is missing or what I need to do next. I can get a similar experience when I take a photo of my painting and look at the image on the little viewer on the camera. I find that both of these techniques really help me to see where I need more darks, contrast, etc.

Miami here I come, not

I just found out that our trip to Miami has been cancelled. I know, I know, WAH. If that is my biggest problem, I am pretty lucky. I was so excited to go because Miami is beach, city, walk around, people watching, great metro vibe. AND we were going to go sans kids. Because my mindset was so ready for Miami, I thought I would post this painting inspired by a photo I saw in Palm Beach so I could experience the trip vicariously through this painting.

Look at this lady's giant hat and her over the top pants. She is free and sassy. Just walking down those steps without holding the rail, but, instead gracefully holding her giant sun hat. I think she is walking down steps at a beach club. One day....

Wishing you a very Happy Mother's Day!

I heard Diane Keaton speak the other night. I noticed that when friends would ask what did she talk about, I would give a different point to each person depending on who it was asking the question. The talk started out as sort of a tribute to Ms. Keaton's mom, who has now passed. Ms. Keaton said she was SO LUCKY to have her mom. Ms. Keaton told stories of how her mom encouraged her that of course she would "grow up to be Doris Day, a big movie star one day." How her mom would let her wear and even make her very own not so mainstream fashion ensembles. Then it turned into Ms. Keaton's present joy of ordinary daily life with her children. She showed very "ordinary" photos of her kids in their daily lives, the audience smiled and giggled with Ms. Keaton as she told the stories behind the photos. Then, last, Ms. Keaton ended with the whole point of life (in her opinion) was to live a very vibrant life. Be vibrant, go for it, don't let anything stop you, keep at it, but, live life full and treasure every moment including the very "ordinary" moments.

As a mom, I am hoping to be a little more chilled out and fun with my kids and to only be so lucky for my own kids to say, "I am so lucky I had MY MOM." As a person, I am inspired to live a very vibrant life.

Now to my Mom who of course, like all mothers, aunts, grandmothers, sisters and friends around the world, thank you for the unconditional love, selflessness, encouragement, shoulder to lean on and all of the other countless things you do that often go by unnoticed.

Spring has sprung

It feels so good to paint again! Here are some daffodils. I put these together from several different photos I took around the neighborhood this past March. I have more photos of other varieties of daffodils that I would like to paint soon. Now I am finishing a painting of red roses that I started in February. We are having a very mild spring for Dallas.