#51. The Only Zinnias

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September 7th, 2014: Oil on Board, 10" x 10".  Only two of my Cactus Zinnia seeds I planted made it to flowering plants this year, I like them when they get older and the petals get all skinny and crazy looking, but since I'll be gone all next week I figured I better paint them while I can.  I was setting up to paint on another of my little 6" x 6" panels but then I remembered I had a couple 10" x 10"s and thought it would be fun to paint these two blooms nice and big, which it was!

#50. Sticky Stinky Gumweed

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September 4th, 2014: Oil on Board, 6" x 6".  A cupful of Gumweed, or Grindelia.  This stuff that grows all over our property is a strange strain that doesn't seem to have petals at all, just the sticky button centers.  It can be used medicinally, and in these parts, people use an infusion of it when they have a cold or flu.  It's really, really bitter and has an overpowering medicinal smell, making it a bit too fragrant in my studio today.  I think it's pretty just the same.

#49. Classy Coral Bells

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September 3rd, 2014: Oil on Board, 6" x 6".  There is something so classic to me about red flowers, green leaves and a white background, I can't quite put my finger on why.  Our coral bells never make that many flowers, but I love the saturated color of the few stalks that put out.  I was really interested in the whorled shape of the leaves but I'm not sure I captured it that well.  I think my favorite part is the little glass vase and the different colored stems.

#48. Onions are for Eating

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September 2nd, 2014: Oil on Board, 8" x 10".  My Mom gave me these big, beautiful onions from her garden (mine didn't do so well this year) and I felt compelled to paint them before we ate them.  I love the contrast between the round, smooth onions and the tangle of dried leaves.  

I also experimented with pulling a monotype from this painting.  There is stage in my painting process where I tend to blot at my underpainting with tissue, but the tissues look so cool I thought I would try it with some rice paper.  I lost some of my darks and some detail so I'm thinking of touching it up a bit, perhaps with some ink drawing before I call it done.  To be shared when I finish it.

#47. Poor Man's Bouquet

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September 1st, 2014: Oil on Board, 8" x 10".  Not bad for a free bouquet; Black Eyed Susans, Everlasting Sweet Peas and Wild Asters in a can.  It was a challenge for me to finish a larger piece in one sitting and after spending far too long on the sunflowers I sped through the rest of it to get it done in time to post it before making dinner.  Ironically, the sunflowers ended up being the part I like the least... go figure.  My favorite part is, of course, the can.

Hung up on Yellow

August 30th, 2014: Oil on Board, 8" x 10", Work in Progress.  I'm trying to take advantage of the flowers that are left before they are all gone so I thought I'd do a slightly larger painting of some Black Eyed Susans.  I flew through the underpainting and all was going well until I went back in to work on the flowers, which I couldn't seem to nail even after wiping them out and trying again about four times or so.  I seem to have troubles with yellow, getting enough contrast and still keeping the color semi accurate.  So I gave up for the day and I'm not sure what will become of this as the arrangement is already all wilted.  I was really excited about painting that can too, oh well.

#46. Cosmos in a Cup

 

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August 29th, 2014: Oil on Board, 6" x 6".  I've been so busy with other things the last couple weeks I've missed most of the last of the flowers (fall comes early here).  I had my eye on some big sunflowers, but finding them withered and dry today I went for these cosmos instead.  I like the looseness of the flowers and these pink and white cosmos always make me think of my Grandmother... her favorite colors.