antique roses - 10x12"

My roses have grown amazingly since last spring when I first planted them! My daughter's wedding was held at an amazing place in Brenham Texas - this rose is from there. I would strongly suggest that anyone who loves roses check out the Antique Rose Emporium on line. I bought another type when I was there in November and that one has just begun to flower as well. 

beachside road - 12x12"

Sorry about the cropping on this one but I liked the picture and couldn't really put it anywhere to photograph it......a drawback of using thick paint on a panel.  There was way too much glare wherever else I tried to take the picture. This dirt road runs parallel to the Coffin Point Beach in my "neighborhood." It was funny but of the 7 or so of us that showed up for plein air group yesterday, all of us painted off the beach. 

Beach Outing - 22x22"

I started this painting years ago prior to my move to South Carolina. I always wanted to finish it but in all the moving and packing and unpacking and moving again it got pushed aside. One of my favorite tricks is to order a frame for a painting like this - invariably that gives me the push to finish it. Yesterday, during an intense thunderstorm, I put it on the easel. Hopefully I'll get it done this week and be able to post the finished product!

Time Flies

I have returned from my trip to Texas for my daughter's wedding! I always bring my plein air set up with me but barely had time to take photos let alone paint - not really "up" on how much time preparing for a wedding can take. The wedding was beautiful and I am really happy for my baby - a good time was truly had by all and it was nice to see family members of my ex-husband that I hadn't seen in years.

Of course upon my return, I felt like I had to relearn how to paint and then there were the 3,000 emails...........wow, do I hate email! I am slowly getting back on track. This 10x12" study of Stewartia was done yesterday. The Beaufort Plein Air painters met up with members of the Sea Island Garden Club to paint the exceedingly rare shrub while it was in bloom. The setting was in a very forested area and lit with rapidly changing dappled light.............a scenario I tend to avoid because there's little distance to get a view and little drama in the lighting. Normally I would have driven right past the spot! Because our group had made the arrangements I felt I had to stay and was glad I did. It was a lesson in site selection and seeing how to work in an environment that I couldn't control at all - it also freed me from my sometimes obsessive need for an accurate rendering of a scene rather than my own decisions of how to make the painting work. I had a lot of fun and felt myself pulled right back into the painting process.