Day 22 - The Valley

There are some places that exist in the world that look like a fairy tale... this is surely one of those places.  I don't know what goes on here in this little glade, but I have many images of what life might be like.  One thing I think is... that car I painted yesterday must be parked somewhere behind those trees... :)

The Valley,  oil on panel, 9" x 12"
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Day 10 of the 30 in 30 - Heads above the rest

I decided on another sunflower for today.... had a conversation with my Mom and Dad and they both commented on the first one I painted,  saying how much they liked it... I thought it would be nice to do a different composition and size.  This one is painted on a stretched canvas, which is a little different from painting on panel.  Can't decide which one I like better... well, o.k., I like painting on panels better - just feels different.  But canvas has it's benefits.  This one is titled "Heads above the rest" because...it just looks like it, but also, because both of my Grandmothers, (whom I planted the sunflowers in honor of) were heads above the rest.... Both were strong, liberal minded women who loved to live life to the fullest! Hope you enjoy...Viva la Sunflowers!

Heads above the Rest, oil on canvas, 8"x10"
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The endless summer, Backyard bliss, or, my battle with green..

Take your pick....
Summer is passing by quickly (as usual...)  As a mom of two, summer can be busier for me than during the school year and I find I just can't make it to my studio to paint as often as I'd like.  As an artist, this can be really frustrating and stressful, as I have come to realize that I need to create... otherwise.... BOOM!  Between making sure the kids have been fed, are occupied and happy, doing housework, and increasing responsibilities at work and the gallery, I have been up in my studio to paint maybe 5 times in as many weeks.  Ugh..  And the issue with not painting frequently is that, believe it or not, you lose your skill.  It is not like riding a bike, as one might think.  It is more like meditation.  It is a discipline that if not practiced, gets rusty.   So, for the past week or so, things internally have been reaching a near boiling point and I am ready to either lock myself in my studio with a coffeepot and some snacks and unhook the phone or.... shave my head. Do you see what I mean?  Boom.   As for what creative endeavors I have been up to, well... I've been taking tons of pictures, because I can do that while taking care of the kids and the garden or just living in general.  So hopefully this will serve me well in the upcoming 30 in 30 painting challenge I will be taking part in in September.  For those who don't know, it is a challenge hosted by Leslie Saeta during which you paint a painting a day for 30 days.  During this time I WILL be locking myself in the studio and getting down to business because, there is business to be done.
To counter some of this ranting, I would like to share with you a few photos of my garden.  Ahhhhh.  I have painted one small picture using a reference shot from the other day.  But, I am not quite happy with it.  Green is a difficult color and I am not pleased with all of my edges.  But, I painted, and that is all that matters.  I will battle with green again, and probably soon.  So, some photos, and then the painting which I may entitle, "Backyard Bliss"  Although maybe "My battle with green" might be better...

Backyard Bliss, 10.5" x 10.5", oil on panel