Peonies in a Silver Vase

I find peonies to be great fun to paint, but you have to do a lot of squinting to avoid overworking them.  Painted last spring -I'm eager to paint them again (I love the way the studio smells when I'm painting peonies!)   On my ETSY store

Three Pink Peonies SOLD

Another one from last spring.  You have to squint a lot to paint so many petals.  I usually put in too much detail and wind up rubbing it out in the last two minutes of the painting.  On my ETSY store.

Two Pink Peonies Glass Vase

Another painting of peonies, painted a few weeks ago when the peonies were available.  I like the softness of these lush blooms.  You have to do a lot of squinting to simplify the values so that each flower looks 3-dimensional.  And then you get to go back and smush things a bit to make it soft enough. On my ETSY store

Two Peonies One Open

 A 6 x 8 original oil still life painting of two pink peonies lying on the tabletop. One is just opening, and one is completely open. The peonies are fragrant and lush, and remarkably sturdy. I like the way the light touches the flowers - I used a cardboard shield to control the shadows and throw the background into shadow. The shadows give a nice sense of volume.   On my ETSY store

Pink Peony Bouquet, Spring has arrived!

Pink peonies remind me of childhood - we had a peony bush beside the garage that came back year after year. The fragrance of iris and lilacs and peonies would compete to announce the arrival of spring.  I like the lushness of the blossoms and their delicate color.  Even though they are soft, they are hardy and have lasted in my studio for a week!  On my ETSY store

Spring Daffodils on Turquoise SOLD

These little daffodils have multiple flowers on a single stem and bright orange centers to add a cheery note.  They are among the earliest of the daffodils growing in my garden and a perfect size to fit in these small glass vases.  This painting will be at the Vashon Island Art Studio Tour during the first two weekends in May.  Look for this and other paintings at stop # 23, Dockton Pottery,  in Dockton, WA.  And here's a map to help you find the stop http://vashonislandartstudiotour.com/Spring2017/asssets/map/S2017map.pdf. 

Daffodil Bouquet in Top Lght

A bouquet of yellow and white and orange and white daffodils for spring. We have hundreds of daffodils popping up; enough for weeks of painting.  The yellow-centered ones are fragrant and the small orange-centered ones are an old fashioned variety with multiple flowers on a single stem.   The strong top lighting enables me to group the white tones and simplify the composition.  I like the yellows against the gray-it's a lovely combination.  On my ETSY store

White Jonquils, Square Glass Jar on Gold

More spring flowers.   These jonquils have small clusters of flowers on single stems.  Picked from my garden.  I like the brushwork in the vase. On my ETSY store.