1241. Ingenuity

 Happy Friday! I've been continuing my exploration of simplifing floral paintings. It's very difficult as I am a detail conscious person. In "Ingenuity" I picked an unexpected color for the background--pink and yellow? Also am experimenting with a black glaze wiped back to give an aged look. Must try a sepia color next. Color is a little exaggerated--can't seem to get it right today.

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/1241-ingenuity/1105235

1240. Farmgirl

 I received a beautiful floral arrangement recently from a friend.  It was from Farmgirl Flowers and full of beautiful pink and red flowers in a pretty pink vase with a ribbon.   It was a very cheery arrangement, and making this painting on a grey and dreary Chicago day really perked up my spirits.  I really don't like winter, and this was fun to paint.

 In case you are wondering, Farmgirl flowers never disappoints!  They ship beautiful arrangements anywhere in the country, sometimes in vases, other times in burlap, and I've never been disappointed on the sending or receiving end. The arrangements are unusual and often exotic and plentiful.

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/1240-farmgirl/1104171

1054 Pretty in Pink

 I started this painting during my recent online class, and have changed a few things since then.  It's always helpful to put a painting away for a few days and then revisit it.  I love having the artistic freedom painting gives me.  The gravy boat is really white, but I thought that would be too boring.  I am just now feeling comfortable changing things.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend, and be safe!

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/1054-pretty-in-pink/905100

980 Up On The Roof

Without her knowing it, my daughter shamed me into painting outdoors today.  "It would be a great plein air painting day, Mom.  What's stopping you?" to which I replied with a number of excuses.  I have a new easel and I'm just not ready to paint in the city since I'm  (enter any one of many excuses here).  So I decided to paint on the roof to ease on into it.  My little flower garden on the roof is in full bloom and it wasn't too hot up there today.  There was a nice breeze and only once did my canvas blow off before I bungie corded it down.

My Art Ladies group went on several painting trips to beautiful places--New Mexico, California, Door County, Hilton Head----all were wonderful experiences.  That was many years ago.  Plein air painting is "NOT for sissies" as someone in our group described it, loads of fun but really hard work.  

I will promise myself to scope out places I am comfortable with to paint.  I have my eye on a charming little yellow house with a nice garden and a white picket fence not too far from my home.  There is an active group of Plein Air Painters Chicago, so someday maybe I will join them one day.  I did signed up to paint at the Chicago Botanical Gardens in late August, so I better get busy preparing so as not to embarrass myself.  

842 Miranda, Sweet Sixteen

As mentioned in a previous post, I am taking a Flower Portrait painting class online.  The instructor primarily paints multi petaled flowers such as garden roses and peonies, which are not readily available this time of year to the average person in Milwaukee.  A dear friend's daughter is a flower artist who composes uniquely gorgeous arrangements for weddings and special occasions (see www.milwaukeeflowercompany.com) so I asked if she had any leftover flowers I could purchase.  I was invited to visit and in my wildest dreams I could never have expected to be offered such a large bucket of the most beautiful pink roses called Miranda.  Apparently, her supplier sent the wrong color for the wedding she was working on, and couldn't use them.  They only had a day or two left in them, so I had to work fast.  I am sure I did not do them justice with so many lovely ins and outs of the petals, but I hope I captured the essence of these beauties.

"842 Miranda, Sweet Sixteen"
oil - 14x11 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/842-miranda-sweet-sixteen/558793

822 Inner Conflict

As you may recall, I have been working on a large quilt for a friend/client/collector.  She is a person who appreciates handmade quilts, and in this age when you can buy a cheap quilt at Marshalls/TJ Maxx for your guest room, she is willing to have something beautiful and hand made.  I could not appreciate her any more!  My Left Brain (analytical) has taken over in this process, temporarily displacing Left Brain (creative), despite my efforts to keep both parties engaged.  I keep dreaming of quilts and plans to use the piles and piles of highly organized fabric (according to color).  It doesn't help that my Garden Club is organizing our first garden tour, "Quilts in the Garden," for July of 2017.
SO, quilts are on my mind, which means Left Brain is highly active.

My client requested NOT to see any images of the quilt before completion, so I will not post until it is back from the quilter and then bound.  I finished the piecing the quilt and took it to Patched Works to be quilted on Friday.  I am hoping my Right Brain will take over and allow me to paint freely.

I have always felt an internal conflict in who I want to be as an artist.  Part of me LOVES realism and painting what I see, and the other part of me wants to bust out and go crazy, but I find that much more difficult to do.  So this week, I slapped some oil paint on some canvases without paying attention to anything (Right Brain). Then I went in with my compass and pencil and divided into shapes (with my Left Brain).  Hence the title of the painting, "Inner Conflict."  I have a new rubber tipped tool that I used to remove the paint in the triangles and circles, leaving the neutral grey visible.  I am curious to see what this looks like with white or black in the triangles/circles.    Although this painting is only 6" x 6", I think it could be any size.

687 Three's a Crowd

"687 Three's a Crowd"
acrylic - 6x6 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/687-threes-a-crowd/411796

665 Changing

The hydrangeas which used to be pink are now changing to a muted green, which was hard to capture.  I didn't really think this painting through, and I think it shows.  I just love the hydrangeas.

"665 Changing"
acrylic - 6x8 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/665-changing/403973

355 Misunderstood

"Pansies" get a bad rap.  When I researching this sweet little flower online for title inspiration, I came across the Urban Dictionary.  Didn't know there was such a thing, but pansies didn't fare well there.  Here is a sampling of the 38 definitions on just the first page, of which only two referred to it as a flower:  "One who lacks courage,"  "One who backs down from a challenge."  "girly and sissy-like."
" One who opts out of Calculus for an easier math class like Statistics."

In reality, pansies are very hardy.  They can withstand the colder temperatures of spring when others wouldn't dare.   I once saw pansies in full bloom with a lot of snow on the ground during early winter. Yep, pansies are misunderstood.
 

253. On the Bright Side

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. 

Looking Up: Blue Sky With Magnolia