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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Lily Pads

Lately I've been spending more time working on our house than I have painting.  Part of this comes from a complete lack of finding a subject I want to paint, and the other part is the joy I get from finishing something around the house.  I need to remember the joy I get from finishing a painting too!  This picture was taken at a botanical garden from my trip to California, and I've been playing around with it in my head for a while.  I finally decided to just give it a go.  

oil on deep canvas
24 x 30
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Kansas Clouds

This landscape was painted from a picture I took over the weekend.  I went back to California for a friend's wedding, camera in hand.  I thought I would get tons of inspirational photos of palm trees and mission style architecture, but what really spoke to me were all the open spaces I drove past on my 2 1/2 hour drive home from the airport.  I guess that means the Midwest really is home now!

oil on deep canvas
16 x 20
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Cloudy Day

It's been forever since I have posted a painting, and almost as long since I have been in the studio.  I have a lot going on right now, but I am still surprised as to how distracted I am!  We are moving, and finding a house has become my permanent job.  When I sit down to paint, all I can think is that there must be more I should be doing in our house hunt.  We have finally found a house after a few disappointments, and while we are still waiting for a final agreement on price, I am optimistic.  Now it's just a waiting game to close, and I am feeling antsy to get back in the studio.  Hopefully I'm not too rusty! 

This painting is not new, it is one I did while on my artist's retreat several weeks ago.  I wasn't sure if I was going to post it because I thought maybe it was too whimsical.  But now that I have studied it for a while, I think I like it.  Hopefully I'm not the only one!

oil on panel
6 x 6
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Getting Lost

This is another landscape painted of the Nebraska farm.  There is something so peaceful about driving for miles without seeing a billboard or strip mall.  

oil on cradled panel
6 x 12
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The Meandering Fence

I painted this landscape based on one of the many pictures I took on the farm in Nebraska last summer.  I love the way the light hits the posts of the fence.

oil on panel
8 x 10
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The Empty Lot

I painted this landscape a few months ago.  This is an empty tree-lined lot that is for sale, so it grabbed my attention practically from the moment we moved here.  The weather in Missouri is so much more interesting than anything I experienced on the west coast.  I love the mood it creates on a stormy day.

oil on canvas
9 x 12
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