Dramatic Sky over Mount Pleasant

Hooray for another dramatic sky to paint in a string of stunners!  Looking up is all the inspiration I need to jump into another quick paint!  After last night's late night release of Taylor's newest album complete with a barrage of texting with my daughters most of the night, one would think I'd slowly approach this day.  Nope! I jumped up early and got cracking on my lengthy list of projects to prepare for upcoming galleries and plein air events.  In the middle of all that - streaming Taylor, of course, I found time to capture the beauty in the heavens again.  Just like little gifts offered from the sky, the beauty must be painted.  Painting number 5016 in 5016 days. 

Rain on the River

A dramatic sky always grabs me - and this one was no exception.  With an eye always on the sky, I could see clouds approaching on the horizon.  Dodging wind and rain, I knocked this one out quickly before the whole sky changed.  I've lately felt the pull to explore sky paintings more.  Here's the first to upping my sky game!  Painting number 5015 in 5015 days.  

Sailboat Sunset

 

Ink, watercolor and a grounded sailboat feels like the beginning of a story as I paint.  This boat stands all alone off the coast north of Clearwater, Florida. I wonder where it's owners are. Are they searching for this vessel, afraid it has been swept out to the open water?  Or, are they missing as well?  A mystery unfolds as I paint, and the sun meets the horizon, soon to cloak the whole scene in darkness. So many stories, so little time to paint them all.  Painting number 5012 in 5012 days. 

Chives

 

My chives are blooming!  So, of course I have to paint them!  I have tried these a few times outside in the garden, and they have never wintered over.  With this indoor plant, I am going to use the seeds to start more plants outdoors, to see if I have better luck.  With ink and watercolor I capture their beauty before I snip to much away for salads. 

#mygardenlife #herbgardening #hydroponicgarden #chives #plein_air_life #pleinairsketch

Lost Creek Trail

I LOVE painting these winding Arkansas creeks with water spilling over the rocks!  It was super fun to hike along here with the kids after a quick sketch.  The little ones were mesmerized with the rocks along the bank and in the clear puddles, tossing one after the other into deeper water.  As we walked, another family hiked down the middle of this creek dressed in bohemian garb, enjoying this place as we were.  They arrived in a school bus with living quarters and a stovepipe in the back half.  I think they were real life gypsies.  How very cool.  Painting number 5006 in 5006 days. 

Eclipse Phases

Gathering in Tumbling Shoals, Arkansas, our family celebrated this full solar eclipse together.  We had so much time from beginning to end, that I found myself visiting and waiting for the next phase.  We've had several fun days to explore the area, and this was icing on the cake. We've decided to gather for future ones again as a family.  Painting number 5005 in 5005 days. 

Two Dafs

I love painting these late blooming daffodils as much as the first ones!  No flower rings in spring like these, and it is a sweet indeed to start my birthday with a quick sketch in the garden.  We will be celebrating with the family - and two of my sons have their birthdays this week, too!  Painting number 5003 in 5003 days. 

Pale Dafs

It sure was a windy day for painting today, and still those daffodils flourish! These came from a group that I ordered many years ago from the kid's fundraiser, and they were called pink daffodils.  They really aren't pink, but they are peachy in the mid-day sun. Wild and windblown, these daffodils are still gorgeous, and one of my latest varieties.  Too soon they will all fade away until next year.  Painting number 5000 in 5000 days!! 

Violas in Radiance Red

The rain is just beginning as I finish this miniature painting of my violas in Radiance Red! These little jewels are so cheerful in my pots, and so far no little varmints have started nibbling on their petals.  They are so sweet, I think I'm going to need a few more to sprinkle around the garden!  Painting number 4998 in 4998 days. 

Pansies

 What a gorgeous day to paint pansies in my garden!  I'm so happy they survived the 22 degree hard freeze!  Painting number 4996 in 4996 days. 

Daffodils

I sure hope these daffodils survive our hard freeze tonight!  I covered three big masses of these beauties in an effort to save them for Easter Sunday.  We also wrapped the new fruit trees that were budded out as well, but with an expected low of 22 degrees, it might not be enough.  Painting number 4992 in 4992 days. 

Pansy Jewels

There is nothing like painting a bit of sunshine to brighten up the whole day!  I've added my own jewel hues to these pansies as the sun bounced off of them.  I've painted these in oil with their amazing fragrance surrounding me!  What a wonderful break in this busy day of family and grandkids! Painting number 4990 in 4990 days. 

Hot Pink Geranium

This hot pink geranium has wintered indoors for the last two years and it is still sending up blooms for me to paint!  There is something magical about flowers blooming indoors during the winter months! I just had to paint this glorious bloom at it's peak towards the end of this busy day!  Painting number 4989 in 4989 days. 
 

Lavender Blush at Loose Park

I gathered with artist friends here to remember a dear artist friend, Spencer Meagher, who passed on Friday.  I remembered his compassion and humor, and what an amazing friend he was to all.  More than once he prayed with me over family members in crisis while we were painting far from home. He was a great comfort to me at those times.  I will always remember him at those events especially, and can only hope to make a difference in this world as he did.  Painting number 4987 in 4987 days. 

Yellow Pansy

What a lovely bit of sunshine to paint in the middle of a busy day!  These beauties are still inside the back porch, though they could be back outside now. It looks like another freeze may come over the weekend, so I am keeping them under house arrest to be safe!  I may love this color most of all, the sunny yellow is so cheerful and bright!  I'm looking forward to many more days full of flowers!  Painting number 4986 in 4986 days. 

Pansies

I brought these pansies into the back porch to protect them from the hard freeze - and today, my reward is to paint them! I first sketched this out with India ink, then filled in with watercolor.  Next, I used a purple fountain pen ink for depth in the purple, then a dark blue for the background.  The purple moved especially nice with water, but is have to look in my records to see just which ink it is. That TWSBI fountain pen is one of my favorite styles of TWSBIs!  Painting number 4984 in 4984 days. 

Viola!

I just potted these sweet violas and I HAD to paint them!  I love those delicate blooms with their sunny faces!  I have a few of my kitchen herbs in the sunny back porch, and this viola makes a fragrant splash of color.  I have another planted in the front garden, and several pansies as well.  Spring is so full of beauty, I can hardly get it all painted before the next blooms draw my attention!  Painting number 4982 in 4982 days. 

Mini Daffs

I LOVE sketching daffodils to the music of birdsong!  It has been such a mild March, all the birds are singing their spring songs and building nests in all the houses!  It's such a beautiful time of year for gardening and painting in between duties. Painting number 4979 in 4979 days. 

Coffee House Garden

I loved finding this new "coffee house" garden to paint at Family Tree Nursery!  It was so fun to meet artist friends here to paint, and lovely to have Michaela and the little ones here to visit and pick out new plants!  It is always wonderful to return to my old stomping grounds for sketch time.  Painting number 4978 in 4978 days. 

Pink Flamingo Garden

It was super fun to meet artist friends and my youngest daughter with her two little ones at Family Tree Nursery today in Overland Park. This vivid pink slice of color is part of their Barbie Garden, ready for this weekend's open house!  I couldn't possibly resist painting it as Casper looked on adoringly at the smallest pink flamingo.  Painting number 4977 in 4977 days!