Blushing Lily

Blushing Lily   6x6

This is the third of the initial 6 x 6 inch paintings of  waterlilies and it may be my favorite one yet. The colors are full on and as intense as the hot Texas sun. We've been hitting over one hundred degrees here for several days and the pink color seem to match the intensity of the heat. I think these tight little compositions would translate well on larger canvases. For now, I'm good with focusing on these single blooms as I can then start to loosen up and attempt similar arrangements with perhaps more impressionistic brushwork.

Newborn

Newborn   6 x 6

This little painting really signals a new day on many levels. For the first time in lord knows how long, I was able to paint for most of the day. Actually around five hours on two paintings and even started a third one last night. I am excited and finally starting to paint in a completely opaque manner. These images are what I think will be a successful series from Mayfiled Park. It is a wonderful park close by and a place we love to go and see the ponds in bloom, collect peacock feathers and walk the trials to the creek that feeds into Lake Austin.

Full Bloom

Full Bloom   6 x 6

These two paintings are the first ones painted completely opaque. I began from photographs I took a few weeks ago at Mayfield Park. The first layer was sketched out with a large flat brush in cadmium red. Then successive layers of dark greens and blues until the final lighter colors of thalo yellow green, cerulean blue, and titanium white. The shadows on the pedals are a thin glaze of a dioxazine purple. These are the first ones to work entirely dark to light and it really was great to see them come together. I actually had them side by side to allow the acrylic to dry on one and work on the other. I had thought that the arcylic layers would be the under painting for adding the oils, but just kept going instead. Hey, this could become a habit if I don't mess it up !