Sea of Green

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

One more balsamroot painting, even though they are completely done now IRL. We had a very wet spring and all the grass and other plants are extra lush and tall. I love the abundance! Makes for some lovely walks.

Petals Waving

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

One thing that I think is really cool about these Balsamroot flowers (wild here in Montana) - every plant has a unique theme. The petals are big and fat on some, and skinny on others. The middle part is a little bald in the middle (like these), but then full on others. Sometimes there are notches in the ends of the petals, and sometimes not.

Another thing I've always liked, about flowers in general, is the odd petal that sticks out in an unusual direction. Like they're waving hello. These two have one each. Hello.

Nestled Between

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

This is another wild Balsamroot that grows in my area (Missoula). I especially like the leaves on this plant, which provide a lovely backdrop. For every painting I have to edit the leaves a bit because they are never arranged perfectly. I usually try some things on my ipad first - painting over the reference - before I start painting IRL. It's a pretty handy tool.

Quiet Yellow

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

I am just home from teaching a workshop in Apex, North Carolina. I had a really wonderful group of students. They listened, asked great questions, and make big leaps. I miss them already. Here they are ->

After the workshop I went to the beach for a couple of days with a friend. I brought my camera just in case I felt inspired, and wow, was I! The people on the beach were just ... well, they were just begging to be painted. The bodies of every type, the water, the reflections - so cool. I took a million photos, completely forgetting to reapply sunscreen. But the sunburn was totally worth all the material I got!

I have some paintings left from before that I will post for now. This one is another Balsamroot flower - wild here in Montana.

Delicate Buds

 

Click Here to Bid - 5x7in. - oil on panel

Here are a few more thimbleberry flowers, just peeking out from the foliage. I adore the light on this one. Very minimal. As soon as these start blooming next month, you can bet I'll be out taking more photos!

I'll be heading off soon to teach a workshop in North Carolina. Unfortunately this means I won't be able to ship paintings or prints until after I get home - June 4th. If you need something fast, please let me know and I'll get my husband to ship it. Otherwise, I apologize for the inconvenience!

Backlit Yellow

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

Here's another Balsamroot, a wildflower that is just finishing up around here (Missoula).

I've been inspired lately by Christina Weaver's floral paintings. I think she mostly sets up outside and paints them from life, which is braver than me. But I really admire her style. She's got some great drawings too. Check her out on Instagram.

Balsamroot

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

For the past 6 years, since we've lived in Montana, I've seen these yellow flowers around and never gotten my act together to go and photograph them before they're done. Until this year! They're called Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata), and are abundant if you know where to look. I passed some on the highway and stopped, but they were on such a steep hill I was afraid I would fall. I finally found some very accessible ones about 20 minutes away on a trail called "Sound of Music" (how fitting!).

Walk on the Wild Side

Click Here to Bid (4x4in. - GOUACHE - starts at $50)

I painted this one already, a while back, in oil. You can see the difference for yourself. One thing I really like about gouache is that it looks more graphic in the end. Did I already say I really enjoy switching back and forth between oil and gouache? Because I do.

Quick story: When my son, Jacob, was about 3, I guess we had been listening to the song "Walk on the Wild Side." My husband took him to a store and Jacob literally walked right up to a lady and asked her if she wanted to "take a walk on the wild side," with him. Fortunately she thought it was really funny. Oh I don't want to think of the trouble if he'd been a little older...

Your Pale Pinkness

Click Here to Bid (3x5in. - GOUACHE - starts at $25)

I tried really hard to capture ALL the colors of this painting. It was impossible. My camera just wouldn't do it. Suffice it to say, the real thing is better.

There are tons of these little wild roses in Montana, but this one's actually from Eastern Oregon, from a trip my family took about 5 years ago. I had to play around with the background quite a bit, but I'm finding gouache pretty accommodating. It takes layers gracefully (more so than oil, IMHO).