Poppies

I painted these poppies a while ago while at an art fair.  The fair was a bust, but it was the first time I had ever painted with people watching me.  What a learning experience!  I never had a large group watching, maybe three or four people at most at a time.  They would stay and watch for several minutes.  I mostly had my back turned (I'm sure that's a big no-no, but I wanted people to see the painting, not me), but I could hear people talking.  I heard things like "look what she's doing there," and "how is she going to do that part" and "I wonder why she keeps skipping around to different parts."  If nothing else, it was nice to let people into the world of art, even for a minute.  Most importantly, I didn't get the luxury of taking my time and second guessing myself.  I had to keep painting and just let it happen!

oil on deep canvas
16 x 20
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Daisies on Polka Dots

I'm having so much fun with these larger paintings.  This one is bigger than my previous paintings, and I am pretty happy with the outcome.  I set up these flowers without the polka dots first, but thought they needed some more color.

oil on deep canvas
20 x 24
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Magnolia

I painted this magnolia flower in a white vase for Daily Paintworks "paint it white" challenge.  It seems more like I did a paint it grey challenge, but in all fairness, every object is actually white.  Maybe I'll try it again and have white be the dominant shade instead of the least.  

oil on panel
6 x 6
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The Rose

After taking the weekend off from painting to watch LOTS of Olympic coverage, I was itching to get back in the studio today.  The Daily Paintworks challenge for this week is "The Rose Challenge."  There was a beautiful sample picture to use, but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do it as much justice as some other entries, so I found my own.  Flowers are still befuddling to me, but I think this may be the best attempt I've had.  I tried so hard not to overwork it, but I think I got fussy in a few spots trying to add depth. 

oil on panel
6 x 6
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