Wildflower photos

Turk's Cap  -  Hummingbirds love this flower! 

The yellow flower is a Huisache daisy (pronounced wee-satch) 

The red and yellow flower is a gaillardia, called Indian blanket.  The purple is Horsemint. 

Since I haven't been painting, I thought I'd share a few wildflower photos.  These are on a vacant lot on our block.  I stopped my car one morning and took some pictures.  I was amazed to see anything blooming, as we are in a fierce drought.  

I'm so busy trying to move--we have to clear out the house we sold and move into our new house next weekend.  My only painting time has been my weekly class.  I'll make time for that no matter what!  I'm not ready to post that one yet. 

We are scheduled to move on Saturday, June 4.  Just a few more days!  

My first cat painting

And it may be the last!  I painted this in response to the Daily Paintworks challenge.  I started out wanting this to look like the cat in the reference photo, but I ended up just hoping it looked like a cat!

I have a new-found respect for those artists who paint animals.  I thought portrait painting was difficult, but I think this is just as difficult.

I had to smile at myself that Carol Marine wouldn't be pleased at the number of brushstrokes in this painting.   There are hundreds.  I had no idea how to paint fur.  I started out with a number eight filbert, but it makes such smooth strokes I couldn't get any indication of  "furry-ness".   At the end, I switched to a small bright brush.    Well, this was my adventure for today.   Now I'm going out to dinner with my husband.  Probably even enjoy a glass of white wine.

Tomato Medley

I painted these tomatoes as a response to the "Paint Your Vegetables!" challenge on the Daily PaintWorks website.

I bought a small container of tomatoes at the market, and when I opened it I found that there was a variety of shapes and colors in the box.   My favorites were the small, brownish-red ones.  They were almost maroon.   It's a good thing I painted them quickly,  because I left the plate on the kitchen island and they were quickly eaten as snacks.  Every time someone walked by, they'd pop a tomato in their mouths.

Pot of Geraniums

At the risk of repeating myself, I'm posting this again.  Blogger deleted it yesterday.  If they add the orginal  back, I'll just delete the duplicate.

I managed to make the time for myself to go to my painting class this week.  I had worked on this for several weeks in class.  The hardest part was the leaves.  I couldn't make them look like geranium leaves, and I kept wiping and painting again.  I'm mostly satisfied with these.

I did several small sketches before I painted this larger one, so I'm a little tired of geraniums.  I have started my next painting for class, which will be some hydrangeas.  They are cluster flowers like geraniums, but at least I'll get to use some different colors.

Click on the painting to view larger.  12 inch X 16 inch oil on stretched canvas.

I'm still here

I'm so busy!  We are building a new house and selling the one we are living in.  Both transactions are going to be completed this month.  I have had so much paperwork and meetings and inspections that I seem to meet myself coming in and going out the door.

I sometimes have to go to the new house several times a day to look at how the lights are being installed, or what the color of the grout looks like with the tile, etc.  So many decisions!  After the kitchen tile was about half done, we all agree we didn't like it and couldn't live with it.  So that came down, and we had other meetings to choose new tiles.

But we are getting close.  The flooring is going to be installed this week.  That will really make it look finished.  After that it should just be touch up work inside and the landscaping.

We will have to move out of my daughter's house, and all my stuff is in storage in Austin.  So we'll have the time consuming chore of unpacking and finding places to put things.

With all this, I haven't painted in days.  I did make my weekly class, but that painting is still unfinished. We are all so looking forward to living in the new house.  Particularly, I am looking forward to having a space of my own in which to paint!

Thanks to everyone who has come by and commented.  I really appreciate each and every one of you. I'm so looking forward to painting and posting regularly again.