Red Camellia, Round Jar SOLD

This camellia is just fabulous and flamboyant.  The leaves are stiff and shiny and the flowers have such strong contrast between the red petals and the yellow stamens.  Red is a difficult color to paint because it is so intense; to paint a dark red in shadow, the shadow has to be almost black and the light struck areas aren't really pink, they're still red.  It's as though the colors are vibrating in a spectrum that can't be captured by mere paint. 

Bright Pink Rose

This is an eglantine rose, or sweetbrier rose; it has pretty single, 5-petal flowers, a bright pink color, wicked red thorns and the leaves have the scent of apples.  Which makes sense because apples are members of the rose family-so the genes that create those scents could be common to both plants. 

Glass Jar and Pinks SOLD

Sweet William or Dianthus or Pinks - all members of the carnation family.  They have the a lovely delicate appearance but are hardy and survived for several days under my hot studio lights.

Pale Iris on Brown SOLD

I love the big shapes of bearded iris. Even though they are delicate, they have a great structure which makes them fun to paint.  And they hold a pose well!  I like the suggestion of the beard against the brown.

Mock Orange Blossoms in a Glass Jar on Gray

The mock orange, (Philadelphus) is blooming and filling the air with the most wonderful fragrance.  These blossoms lasted for several days in my studio and welcomed me with sweet perfume.

Quince Blossom

Painting of quince flowers of the fruiting variety.   The blossoms look like apple blossoms but are larger.  The fruit look somewhat like pears but are fuzzy and hard.  They are quite bitter and impossible to eat raw, but make a nice jelly when cooked.

Two Crocus, Jelly Jar, on Green

Inspired by the single crocus painting,  I hunted for a few more crocus and tried a different shape jar.  I like the lights and darks in the petals; warm in the light and cool in the shadow.

Jonquil with Vertical Blue and Turquoise

This was painted this spring when the orange centered jonquils were blooming.  I have discovered I really like blue and white together.  The smidgeon of orange and green and gold  contrast with the dominant blues and make them seem even bluer.   

Single Daffodil Orange Strip SOLD

Another daffodil, this time in a vertical format.  I like how the silhouette of the daffodil breaks up the background into interesting shapes.

Orange Centered Jonquil on Gold SOLD

Another spring jonquil with a gold background and a dark diagonal stripe.  A mostly neutral palette with just touches of saturated color - orange. green, rusty red.  Those neutrals give the saturated colors lots of contrast and make them important.   The jonquils have been blooming for weeks, they're almost over.  Maybe just one or two more paintings.

Jonquil with Diagonal Orange Stripe

The same white jonquil slightly different composition.  I really like the blue background.  Again the painting is mostly blue for dominance.  The orange stripe in the background adds a nice bit of conflict and repeats the orange of the jonquil cup and the warm tones in the stem.

Kwanzan Cherry Tree in Bloom SOLD

This was painted from a photo of a magnificent Kwanzan cherry tree near the post office.  I took the photo several years ago, late in the afternoon when the sun was peeking through the clouds long enough to light up the cherry blossoms.  I really like that late afternoon glow.

Single Camellia in a Glass Bottle

A friend brought a bouquet of camellias so of course I had to paint one.  They are waxy and stiff - the leaves are especially sculptural.   It was important to capture that little sliver of light showing on the edge of the leaf to give that impression of stiffness.  I especially enjoyed the light shining through the bottle onto the tabletop.