Early Christmas!  9"x9" oil on panel    I got the such a lovely surprise today from the nicest people ever. Ed and Judy thank you so much. This is just a corner of the whole bouquet of white tulips with candy cane ornaments throughout. They are so fresh and wonderful, I almost smell peppermint instead of flowers when I pass them by :)

Grape I   14"x8" acrylic   I am beginning work on a larger painting which will take time away from daily painting. So, I am posting this sketch that was done a while back. There were about 6 done in a series, which worked out well. I always enjoy painting grapes and vines. Must be those colors!

sold Ruby Geraniums 8" x 8"  oil     This study is as much about the silhoutte of the bouquet as about the color. It's a bit like a miniature tree shape with the branches like arms reaching outward. It might be one to develop into a larger work??

Watching Sunflowers  20"x12"  oil     These sunflowers do seem to be watching the viewer, but  I did them as a demo piece, so they ( and I ) were the ones being watched :) Coeur d'Alene had it's monthly artwalk last night and our first snow didn't seem to diminish the crowds one bit. The town was lit up and looked very festive! I did this piece as a demonstration at Angel Gallery - start to finish about two and a half hours. Met a lot of very nice folks and talked to several fun friends I hadn't seen for awhile.  Thanks evreyone for coming out and all the nice comments and support

 sold This is  from a photo and sketch done in the spring.
The weather right now doesn't quite match the optimism
of this bright painting, but sometimesfor me, that's the
best time to paint something like this.

sold Sunflowers are one of my favorite subjects.
Everytime I think, "Oh, I shouldn't really paint another one,"
 I remind myself that there are no sunflower police. These
were some giants from our friend Travis's garden.

Some of the best hollyhocks are always in alleys or vacant lots......which is where I found and photographed these.

My iris were fewer this year, so it's probably time to divide bulbs. These blooms were nice, although I think I put them in a little too much shade in this composition.
I like the depth of color though.

sold Geraniums are another favorite subject for me. My window boxes may have to come down soon though, the weather is getting pretty cool at night. Both the  red-orange and sillouette of the flower head as the center of interest, works for me.

Here's another subject perfect for the square compositions I enjoy. They were a birthday bouquet from a friend. She knew I'd loooove all that color! It's very high chroma but I think it all works together.

This is my first venture into the blogging world. I will begin by posting daily paintings, done recently, large and small works as well. In this first painting, "Carmine" I wanted to maximize the contrast of the deep red with all the cool green glass and background. I'm happy with the overall effect and like the big round shape of the flower with the square format.