Two Little Florals

Pink Peony

The two small paintings described here are only 4 inches square, but with this much bright pink, they hold their own. 


The peony season in this area is no more than three weeks long, so as soon as I see signs they ready to burst, I start thinking peony painting.    The approach was to lay in the warm and dark inner portion of the bloom in a single mass, then with a wide brush, apply petal by petal in single strokes.  Two chubby buds sit behind the big blossom.   The background is light and fuzzy, making the flowers look dark and vivid.

Pink Blossoms in Mason Jars

The second painting is a colorful floral of two clear mason jars with pink blooms.   The bright pink and its complement, bright turquoise, vibrate against each other in this loose and juicy square.  I love this one, mostly because it is not tight or precise, my usual tendency - see peony painting...haha.

Jacob's Pond

Fishing at Jacob's Pond - In Progress

Norwell is the next town over from us and they have a beautiful pond with open green space called Jacob's Pond.    A couple of weeks ago we took a long hike following a trail along the pond itself to the furthest northerly area and then back on a more wooded trail.   We loved this adventure and decided to come back the following week for a paint-out.

The day was delightful and there was a variety of scenes to choose from - and lots of shade.  Entire families were kayaking and people fished from the docks and shorelines taking full advantage of this very pretty spot.  

Fishing at Jacobs Pond

In my painting I decided on this small walking bridge that led to an island that sits in the middle of Jacob's Pond.   I included the young guy fishing from the bridge.  When he was done fishing, he walked by me and noted that he had just seen an otter, so I was watchful, but never saw him.   We did see snakes...
three sightings, or maybe I saw the same snake three times.     Nice spot to visit though!

Pembroke Herring Run

Pembroke Herring Run - Stage One

I often drive by the Herring Run Historical Park along Route 14 in Pembroke, MA.   "I really have to paint here someday" I say to myself.  Well finally today was the day - early June, very sunny and very green.   What could be more relaxing than painting next to a bubbling, stone-lined brook under a breezy canopy of tall trees?   For me, maybe being ocean side, but this little paradise was a close second.

Pembroke Herring Run - Stage Two

The water level seemed especially high, probably because of the large amount of recent spring rain.  The foam and splashes were to be the painting highlights, showing the stream's fast movement - hopefully. Here is an action clip from where I was standing (of the water, not my paint brush - haha).

Pembroke Herring Run

   I liked the bright sunny greenery on the far side of the archway opening.   It gave me a chance to show the sense of distance.  In fact, as I look at it now, that small opening commands more attention than the rushing water, and I'm okay with that.  Here is an

Roses and Baby's Breath

Pink Roses and Baby's Breath

Could the generous person who visited and brought these fresh pink tea roses have known that I love pink roses?  My bathroom even has a pink roses theme.  What a nice gesture and the perfect subject for a new still life.

These roses were whitish at the base and edged with pretty salmony-pink.   Looking straight down into the throat of the blossom, no white was visible at all, just dark reddish pink.   The baby's breath accented the blooms and the whole bouquet sat in a cute little mason jar.

I could paint a hundred roses and I don't think I would be happy with them on the first go.   I usually have to go back at it and adjust, putting any spontaneity and freshness at risk.   With this small painting, the blooms may be too precise, but the leaves, stems and background are more loose.  Thank you for the pink roses!  Wait, do they look too
red?

Purple Mums in Metal Box

Purple Mums in Metal Box

This sweet gift given to me by one of my recent painting visitors made me smile.  I wanted to grab brushes and paint immediately.   As soon as I could, I did.  The next day I painted this 6x6 square.    There were other gifts, just as appreciated, but edible - and they didn't last long enough to make in into a still life painting.   Haha.

This purple mum plant sat in a gray, metal trimmed box, accented with Spanish moss.  Similar to painting rope in paint-night class, I under-painted the area dark, then came back with light colored paint for the stringy twirls of moss.   The moss's gray color matched the silver accented box and the cool purple. 

I never tire of painting flowers especially when they are a gift.  The blossoms fade, but paintings make  permanent remembrances of the kind gesture, so thank you again!