838 Bloom Where You Are Planted

Happy New Year to all of you!

I received this amaryllis bulb at my Garden Club holiday gift exchange.   I was delighted to receive this bulb because of its unique growing technique---no dirt, no water, just put it somewhere where it will receive light.  Apparently, this is a new variety of amaryllis, and what could be easier?  It has produced four beautiful flowers on one stem and every day is a new visual experience. There is another stem which changes each day but it is now at the exact height of the blooms, so it will be interesting to see what happens next.

I set out to paint the beautiful blooms, but didn't want to tackle the bulb, and I didn't think just the stems and flowers would be interesting, so I propped it up first behind this black and white vase, thinking I could paint it seemingly IN the vase, but that didn't please me.  I took a risk with the vase in the background, and despite input from my best critic, I like it.  One of my goals for the new year is to be more of a risk-taker and to not labor over my painting, which will definitely be a challenge.

I am REALLY stretching myself by taking another online class on painting  "The Floral Portrait." After spending several hours over two days reading materials and watching several videos just in preparation for the first class, I have that sinking feeling of "Oh,  what have I done?"  I will be painting with water soluble oil paints, which I am far from competent at, but in line with the above-mentioned goal, I know I will learn a lot.  I will keep you posted.

"838 Bloom Where You Are Planted"
acrylic - 12x9 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/838-bloom-where-you-are-planted/543480

800 Under the Sea (at the Shedd Aquarium)

I always have many paintings in progress, so that if I get stuck on one painting, I have something else to work on.  I find this prevents me from having any excuses for procrastination or frustration.  This painting began long ago as an "ink pour," which is exactly that----random pouring, dripping, squirting, tilting--- black ink onto water color paper.  I wish I had taken a photo of the initial image, but shown below is another in its beginning stage.  In the case of the seascape above, the jellyfish tentacles, the anemones, the long skinny striped fish, and the sea plants were all ink drips, and finally it made sense to me after a very long time of staring at it that it was a sea scape.

The hardest part for me is interpreting this and making it "something," sort of like a Rorschach test, which by the way, I was fascinated by as a child.   I made my own ink blots and tried to psychoanalyze my nieces and nephews by their responses.  That was really fun.  Sorry, I got off track.

Here is what the ink pour above turned into.

Sorry for the poor photo, but it is difficult to photograph glass.  The fun part about this painting is that it could have been turned in any direction.  The buyer liked it best in this orientation, and it looks beautiful in her home.

"800 Under the Sea (at the Shedd Aquarium)"
mixed media- 13x22 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/800-under-the-sea-at-the-shedd-aquarium-/480334

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