Hydrangea Blues

Wondering how my blue hydrangea bush is doing. Left behind in my recent move, it's the only thing I miss about the old place. I planted a white hydrangea at the new homestead, it is lovely. But, I miss the cerulean, cobalt and lavender shades of the old bush. Hydrangea gets my vote for the drama queen of the flower kingdom.

Geranium Love

Geraniums that I received as a gift earlier this year. I brought them inside one day because the evening temperature was not going to be pleasant. The morning sun coming through the window the next morning made them dance.

Painted in oil on an 8x8 inch canvas with 1/2 inch sides painted in turquoise.

Sky Hole Challenge

This weeks DailyPaintWorks challenge is to paint a tree remembering to leave the sky holes. I used the picture they gave and tried to convey the end of summer look to the landscape. I live by the Great Lakes and things are starting to look different. Color is just starting to appear on a few trees, the sky seems a darker blue and the air is not so humid.

Painted in oil on an 8x10 inch flat canvas panel.

Sunflower Encaustic

A mixed media sunflower. Encaustic, paper, oil pastels. A fun little project to jump start creativity. I think we can all say that our creative muse takes a vacation at times. Or, you come up with a brilliant idea and see the same day it's been done. A change.......

Encaustic mixed media painted on a 5x7 inch encaustic board.

Turtles and Pinwheels

Painted for the intimate landscape challenge. Right off my deck in the backyard. A new hydrangea bush planted this spring for a beloved companion who left this world after a 14 year stay in my heart. My turtle sprinkler has been in my garden for many years, brings back many memories.

This painting is in oil on a 6x6 by 3/8 hard canvas board.

Lavender in Encaustic

Experimentation days. I have been playing with encaustic medium this past week. It looked like a lot of fun, messy, and dangerous. I managed one slight burn. I ordered a starter kit, got a temperature controlled fry pan and a heat gun. Lots of mess and noise. After the prime layer of wax cooled, I used oil pastel sticks to paint the lavender, fused it with the heat gun. Watching the color melt into the painting was magical. After the final layer of wax cooled, buff with a soft cloth and it shines. Carving in the wax was to much fun. Endless possibilities.

Next stop, mixed media collage.

Painted in encaustic with oil pastel sticks on a 5x7 inch encaustic panel.

Lilydale II

Another gorgeous house in Lilydale, NY. The colors are true. Purple, green, red and blue gray with the house next door a vibrant yellow. Every single home was unique in character and the flowers were amazing. Seriously thinking about another visit in the fall, the village is magical.

This is painted in oil on a 9x12 flat canvas panel.