Tomato Shuffle

 

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These tomatoes were very indecisive. They wanted to try out every bowl. You should have seen the stack I had to put away after they were done. Sheesh.

Tired Boy

 

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I ran across this little family on one of my market walks. They were part of a bigger crowd waiting at a light. I decided to zoom in and isolate just these three. Those little hands on top of dad's head were just too cute not to focus on.

Blue Backdrop

 

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Doing a still life with these fun colors is a complete indulgence for me. It's like eating candy. Yum.

Regular Walk

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We try to walk every day, and there are several ways we can go right from our house. This is a scene from the way we go most regularly, which we call "the regular walk." So creative, right?! We are lucky to live near some areas that are designated as natural areas and will (hopefully) remain that way. Anyway, on this particular day the clouds were pretty fantastic, and leaving cloud shadows on the mountains, which is one of my favorite visual things around here. So I painted it.

Cup Family

 

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A perfect little cup family: papa, mama, and baby. All nestled on their pink and red picnic "blankets." Waiting for the refreshments to be served. : )

Pink Pedestal

 

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I remember the day I discovered these were growing wild in Montana lakes. I was out kayaking with friends and we just happened upon them. No one could understand why I was so excited. "They're just flowers, Carol." I couldn't wait to go back with my camera.

What's Left Behind

 

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

After completing a recent painting, I started to dismantle the setup. I was going back for more when I noticed just these guy left behind. I was surprised how much I liked the simple, sort of random composition. So I adjusted it a tiny bit, and painted it.

In Between Pads

 

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I thought I might be too late to catch the flowers the last time I went to the lake this summer. And at first it seemed like they were all gone. But I found hidden pockets of these cuties!

I have a kayak, but I got addicted to paddleboarding this summer. It has the added benefit of making it easier to get good photos of the water lilies.

Pretty Placeholders

 

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From my recent trip to the beach. An outdoor still life. I painted them because of the gorgeous reflections in the wet sand.

Pig and Peony

 

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Here's one last peony from my garden. They are all done now. It's never long enough. The pig feels the same way.

Peony Shadow Touches Plate

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Here's another peony from my garden. It looked especially good from above, and I used these blocks of blue (paper) for contrast.

Pick Your Peony Cup

 

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I took a break from painting people scenes to take advantage of my blooming peonies. I missed some of them, but better late than never.

A while back I did a little color chart to help me understand my pink and red options. I used only the colors I have, and played around with different mixes. Camera's don't pick up the subtle differences between the reds, so they all look the same in the picture. Unfortunately it's the same for reds in my reference photos. That is why I paint from life whenever I can, so that I understand what is missing in the photos.

Which Way, Honey?

 

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This was just outside the visitors center in Southport, NC. I just loved the poses and the colorful clothes, and how they were lit. It's almost like they were posing just for me! I did make up the flowers on the bush behind them, but it goes, right? : )

Dive Into Peonies

 

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

We had some really lovely peonies this year. Not only do I have a few plants myself, there is a wonderful place in town that has a lovely display every year. I got photos of the ones in town (like this one), and did a few from life of my own (you'll see those soon). They are some of the few flowers you can grow here that the deer don't devour.

Time to Gossip

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I loved these two mature women walking the dog (at the beach in NC), far more interested in their juicy gossip than the dog.

Picket Fence Roses

 

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When I was teaching my workshop recently in Apex, NC, I wandered some around the neighborhood of the airbnb where I was staying and took a few photos. My goal is always to keep my eyes peeled for anything and everything that appeals to me. It's like a treasure hunt that way. If instead I have my mind set on - old cars - for example, I'll miss other stuff. And I'll be disappointed if I don't find any old cars. This time I found these luscious roses in the morning sun with a white picket fence backdrop. Happy happy.

Hunting Treasure

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A lot of the people at the beach were collecting shells. This actually made it easier for me to take photos without them getting suspicious. These two kiddos were especially engrossed. I loved the gestures.

Time to Reapply

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When I got home from the beach someone asked me if it had been crowded. Normally I would consider crowded a negative, but I happily answered "yes!" Not that it was packed, but there were definitely people everywhere you looked. Happily. : )

Cool Tootsies

 

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

And finally ... here is my first beach painting! This is from a recent trip to North Carolina - a little vacation after my workshop in Apex. I spent hours and hours walking along the beach snapping photos. It was like heaven for me - the people, the water, the reflections!

Mischevious

 

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

I went around and around trying different ways to paint the fur on this guy. Fur and hair and ... whiskers - are quite the challenge to paint. #alwayslearning