833 Blessings

I learned a lot about pomegranates while trying to come up with a title for this painting.  There are many blessings associated with this exotic fruit, which is given as a gift in many cultures--- abundance, good luck, prosperity, ambition, happiness, but most frequently fertility (Ancient Persia, today's Iran, India, China, Armenia, Greece).  Not only is the pomegranate beautiful, it has many health benefits.   It is a popular ingredient in a lot of Middle Eastern recipes, although I don't recall my Mother cooking with its syrup or seeds.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/833-blessings/532288

830 Leading Lady

I purchased the sunflowers and set them up in my new Jean Wells vase on my still life table.  It was fun to paint a small painting again after so much time.

"830 Leading Lady"
acrylic - 8x6 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/830-leading-lady/520433

dianecampion. blogspot.com

764 Lingering

Hard to believe these flowers have lasted almost two weeks since my daughter gave them to me on New Year's Day.  I bought this vase in New Mexico this Fall and love how it compliments the colors of the flowers.  

"764 Lingering"
acrylic - 10x8 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/764-lingering/440165
dianecampion.blogspot.com

615 On the Road

I first fell in love with the beauty of clouds and skies in New Mexico several years ago, which is where this reference photo was taken.  The skyscapes are amazingly beautiful, perhaps enhanced by the open roads and the colorful landscape.  I didn't paint them then, but took many pictures for my collection, and have studied them intensely since.  They are more difficult to paint than I had thought.  This is another attempt at oils, and it took 3 days to get it where I am marginally happy.  

"615 On the Road"
oil - 6x6 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/615-on-the-road/385674

582 Lake Michigan at Beach Drive

When we first moved to the Milwaukee area, people talked about the "witch" on Beach Drive, which is located on a dead end drive on Lake Michigan.  The "witch of Fox Point," Mary Nohl created wonderful works of art, animals, people, dinosaurs, etc. out of cement.  She would haul buckets of water from the Lake, and people assumed she was strange, weird, witch-like.  Now that she has passed, there has been a movement to make her home a museum, but the neighborhood is resentful and doesn't want the traffic that goes with a museum on a dead end road near the lake. She has finally gained her notoriety and the respect she deserved as an artist.   I took a ride there the other day, where you drive so very close to the lake.  It was a beautiful day and brought back many memories of driving with my frightened children, who bought into the whole witch idea as children. 

581 Door County Sunset

I thought I'd take a little break from the grey winter skies and seas and paint from a reference photo taken last Fall in Door County, Wisconsin where the sunsets are spectacular.  There is a particular restaurant, Buster something or other, where tables are set outside for all to witness the breathtaking views. 

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/581-door-county-sunset/365578

578 Solitude

The back roads of Plymouth, Massachusetts brought so many beautiful scenes for me to photograph.  This particular one was a beautiful stream, still partly frozen, with beautiful greys and other shades of winter in the surrounding land.   There were two beautiful swans with such bright contrast to the grey.

When I initially painted this, my inclination was to pump up the color and make the water a little brighter than normal, which I did.  After looking at it for awhile, I went back and greyed the water to it's more realistic color.  I'm happier with this version, which is more realistic.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/578-solitude/364737

405 Mandarins

I have really missed painting these last few days.  This felt very good.

382 Smile For Me and Brighten My Day

This is the link to Daily Paintworks, or to purchase, click here: 
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/382-smile-for-me-and-brighten-my-day/236538

351 Happy X Eight

153 Charlie's Bell

This is my nephew's bell and the moment I saw it, my heart skipped a beat----all that texture!  the rust! the patina!  It is quite large.   I painted it once before on a larger canvas and really enjoyed using the palette knife to get all the little scraps of color.  Working on a smaller format was more difficult.

p.s.  I'm so happy this isn't a skyscape!

151 Evening on Wisconsin River

Mazomanie, Wisconsin

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