146 Big Brother is Watching You

I didn't realize it until I was painting this scene that there is a camera posted on the traffic lights.  Coincidentally, in today's paper, there is news that there will be 50 new speed cameras installed by year end in Chicago near schools and parks.  Watch your speed!

145 Chimney Rock, View from Ghost Ranch

I have never seen such beautiful sunsets as in New Mexico.  From Ghost Ranch, every night is a spectacular show.

144 Humming

Stopped by Suzanne's garden yesterday to check on color and it was humming with activity!  The hummingbirds, bees and other winged creatures were buzzing to and fro, really fun to watch. 

143 Time To Go Home

I am working on learning how to paint clouds, particularly the pink and purple ones, but it is very difficult.  Two other paintings were lessons in futility, and you will probably never see them. 

142 Ann's Dancing Poppies

My friend, Ann grows the most beautiful and interesting poppies in her garden.  They are the typical orange variety, but they dance to reach the sun's rays, their stems twisting and turning every which way.  I have tried several times to grow poppies, unsuccessfully.  I blame it on lots of things, but not the gardener.   

141 Side By Side

More pottery from the Hacienda del Sol in Taos, New Mexico.

140 Cornered

There is a beautiful bed and breakfast in Taos, New Mexico called Hacienda del Sol, where charm oozes from every inch of the property, inside and out.  A row of pottery on a built-in shelf on the outer front wall offered me some irresistible painting subjects.

139 Farmer's Market Bell Peppers

A trip to Chicago's Division Street Farmer's Market is one of my favorite past times.  There are so many farmers from near and far with colorful and unique things to sell, and it is a great place to take pictures and to people-watch.  I'm a sucker for the flowers.

138 Stop and Go

Peppers at the farmer's market.

137 Super Sweet Mini Peppers

136 Pink Rose

My Aunt Mamie grew exquisite award winning roses and I wish I had learned more from her.  I know almost nothing about roses (shhh...don't tell my garden club) except that they are beautiful to look at and difficult to paint.

135 Yellow Begonia

Peach Rose

The Chicago Botanic Garden has such a beautiful rose garden.  I wish I had made note of the names of the roses I photographed.  They always have the most glamorous names.

133 Heavenly Blue Morning Glory

132 Florida Garden

Nasturtiums, lavender, lobelia, dusty miller.

131 Hybrid Morning Glories

130 Morning Glory

The morning glory flower is so delicate and only lasts one day, changing quite dramatically throughout the day.  Near late afternoon, the white stripes turn to purple.

129 G'Morning Glory

My favorite flower, the morning glory.

128 Innocense

127 Magenta Cosmos

The depth of this canvas is 3/4 inch with sides painted (no staples) and is ready to hang or place on a small easel.

126 Orange Cosmos

The 3/4-inch sides of the canvas are painted so that the petals continue onto the sides (the canvas is stapled on the back).  Ready to hang or mount on an easel.

125 Robert's Hollyhocks

My neighbor, Robert, has a beautiful garden and this year I noticed he is growing hollyhocks in the loveliest shades of peachy pink.  Up against his stone house with turquoise trim, they were begging to be painted.  Hollyhocks (Alcea), a classic cottage garden flower, seem to remind everyone of their childhood, and I'm no exception.  As a small child, hollyhocks grew in the alley near our house and although I loved the tall flowers which towered over me, I was very afraid of the bees who loved them too. There is much more to hollyhocks than just pretty faces, with modern Japanese cultural significance, in addition to a professional soccer club named after them.

124 Suzanne's Garden

My neighbor Suzanne has a beautiful front garden that the hummingbirds, bees and butterflies love to visit.  Pictured here are echinacea and bee balm.  One cannot help but stop to observe these little winged creatures, which are very elusive when the camera is ready.

123 Sweet Treat

I saw these in a grocery store bakery in Florida and they seemed to say "happy."  What was I thinking?  Even sprinkles have shadows--both cast and form.  Yikes. 

122 North Point Lighthouse Optic Section

121 North Point Lighthouse With Cloudy Sky

Visiting this lighthouse for the first time was very timely.  I was in the midst of reading The Light Between  Oceans, a novel by M. L. Stedman, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  The story takes place on a small island off Australia, and is about the lighthouse keeper and his wife, the only inhabitants of the island, and a decision they make which will affect their lives forever.   The rest you'll have to read for yourself.  One of my all time favorite books.

120 North Point Lighthouse

Every glance at the lighthouse paints a different picture, depending on the color of the sky, the passing clouds and, of course, the light. 

119 North Point Lighthouse and Keepers' Quarters

A climb to the top of this 74 foot tower will amaze you with spectacular views of Lake Michigan, Lake Park, and the city of Milwaukee.  The North Point Lighthouse was completed in 1888 and was the second lighthouse to be erected on this site, the first being lost to erosion of the bluff. The lighthouse guided vessels for more than 100 years before its closing in 1994, followed by restoration of the tower and the keepers' quarters.  I recently spent an entire Sunday on these grounds, and it has quickly become one of my favorite places in Milwaukee.  Sounds like a series of paintings....

118 The Last Lily

117 One Bud Left

I think I can eek out one more painting from of these lilies.  :)

116 Van Briggle Vase, One Lily and a Bud