Zinnia Zing

"Zinnia Zing"
16" x 20"
Oil on stretched canvas
She was still unfurling when I happened on her in the garden that morning.  She probably turned into quite the beauty by the end of the day, but I had already left her zip code by then. 


I used my sponges on the petals of this zinnia to glaze a variety of colors over the initial application of lemon yellow.  I hope to find more multicolored blooms like her this summer to sustain me through winter.

I love that you visit my art when you get a chance.  It means a lot to me to know you're out there.
Carol

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Plain Peony

"Plain Peony"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard
Someone had picked her close to the bloom like a dandelion in a child's bouquet, then dropped her on the ground near my house. I brought her inside, trimmed her stem and set her in a crystal bowl of water. She opened in the heat of this beautiful May day to expose a very simple center, compared to Friday's ruffled one.  


I cropped this peony to make an almost abstracted view of her center.  I liked the many colors of red that the halogen light shone on the petals.

Thank you for being here today.
Carol

Dailypainters.com
Dailypaintworks.com
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

La-La-Laa

"La-La-Laa"
6" x 6"
Oil on canvas panel
She was not alone in the bed, and definitely not the only warbler in the garden that morning, but she was spot on pitch. This beauty performed without missing a note. 

Lilies are fun to paint on account of their deep throats and colors that are difficult to place next to one another.  Purple blending into yellow—yikes. It makes for a satisfying experience when completed.

I appreciate your presence here today.
Carol

Dailypainters.com
Dailypaintworks.com
My DPW Gallery 
Brushstrokes/@comcast.net

Wild Yellow

"Wild Yellow"
6" x 6"
Oil on canvas panel
I came across a valley full of wild yellow rose bushes while looking for blueberries that morning. There were bees all around them, and "bee-ing" allergic, I took only one photo and made tracks out of there.  


I enjoyed painting this little rose, despite her lack of a strong whorl pattern. Her center, on the other hand was strong and commanded attention.

Thank you for "bee-ing" here today.
Carol

Dailypainters.com
Dailypaintworks.com
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Awakening

"Awakening"
20" x 16"
Oil on wrapped canvas






















Her parts squeaked one against another as yesterday's dense bud split into a profusion of delicate petals.  Fragrance befitting royalty filled the air the morning of her... Awakening.

This is my large version of "Chasity" that I posted on Wednesday.  I cocked her head differently and left the blue sky reflections on my palette. This is the more accurate rendering of the photo I took at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. And I painted it entirely with sponges! I had been yearning to use them again.

Thank you for taking the time to look in on me today.
Carol

Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Pink Zinnia

"Pink Zinnia"
8" x 8"
Oil on hardboard
She was one of the few in the garden that the bugs hadn't munched. She was full-blown and receptive to pollination, yet tiny—about the size of a ping pong ball—obviously the end of the season runt, yet she still had what it took! 


This painting used six different reds mixed with white. I would have enjoyed painting her even more had her actual color been more varied.

Thanks for looking.
Carol

Dailypainters.com
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My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Chastity

"Chastity"
6"x 6"
Oil on hardboard
Chastity is new in the bed.  Fresh as the morning.  Innocence exudes from every scented petal.  Come.  Inhale her.  Delight in her youth.


One virgin rose
white 'stead of red
Extends to him
her maiden's head. 
--Anonymous--

This quick sketch of Chastity whetted my appetite for this bloom. I want to paint her large with more pink.  I'd like to make her at least two feet by two feet.

Thank you for peeking in to see her.
Carol

Dailypaintworks.com
Dailypainters.com
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net

Hydrangea Haze

"Hydrangea Haze"
6" x 6"
Oil on gessoed hardboard
The blue violet of hydrangeas has intrigued me since I saw my first ones, as an adult, in upstate New York.  I love the way the color varies from petal to petal within the same cluster.  

The out of focus effect is not a camera issue.  I painted, then ran my mop across the whole piece to soften the edges. When it was to my liking I used a liner to bring up a few hard edges.  

Thank you for taking the time to look at and read my blog today.
Carol





Simply Pink Dahlia

"Simply Pink Dahlia"
6" x 6"
Oil on hardboard panel
She wasn't one of the great beauties in the garden that summer.  Her whorl wasn't perfectly spaced, her face was plain, and her color was simply... pink.

This was a thirty minute painting.  I try to do one every few weeks. It's hard for a detail person such as myself to slap on paint, blend it with a mop brush, add a few hard edges and define the center of interest.  But here she is

Thank you for stopping by.
Carol

Dailypainters.com
Dailypaintworks.com
My DPW Gallery
Brushstrokes@comcast.net