Blushing Apples

Blushing Apples 7 x 5 in. pastel
Another in my apple craze, between apples and grapes it is hard to know which is my favorite. These are from a tree at Mt. Carmel Retreat Center where I spend much of my summer teaching. Wanted to hint at some stronger colors in this one. No blending with fingers only color layered on color to keep it as fresh as possible.

Little Jewels (miniatures)

Little Jewels (miniatures)  2.5x3.5 in. 

Years  ago I did many oil miniatures and loved it, they do make original art affordable and collectible to people who either do not have space or finances for larger pieces. This is my first time to attempt this with pastels. I was inspired to try this by reading Karen Margulis, kemstudios. blogspot.com and the fact that I was recovering from surgery and needed smaller pieces to work on. The top landscape is Sunset in Lake Country and the bottom piece is More Little Green Apples. I used Artist Trading Cards in illustration board that I gave a coat of clear pastel base by Art Spectrum and an assortment of pastels.

Yes, God Really Did Make Little Green Apples

Yes, God Did Make Little Green Apples   oil on panel 6x8
One of my favorite fruits, I prefer apples in their natural setting and homegrown, not the polished ones in the grocery store.I wanted this to be a casual piece and the emphasis on the apples.
I have been trying to be a little more relaxed with my brush strokes and have taken the self imposed challenge of hold my brush on the end and standing and arm's length away as I work on each painting. , I am pleased with the effect.

The Sisters

 

The Sisters  6 x 8 oil on linen panel

This group of trees sits together near a little marsh  here in Alexandria. It has a variety of trees, shrubs and flowers that change the view almost on a monthly basis.  My husbands aunt lives in a setting over looking this area from her window, it not only provides a variety of  scenery but attracts many birds that come to the feeders outside her window. She calls when she sees a change in the colors or scene and urges me to bring my camera  and am never disappointed.

Milkweed Explosion

Milkweed Explosion 7 x 5 inches Pastel
I am a great admirer of weeds and wild flowers, grasses etc. They have a beauty all of their own, kinda wild and wooly instead of sophisticated like so many of our cultivated flowers and shrubs. Of course I appreciate them most in their own habitat and not among my veggies and posies in the garden.
The silky texture of the little parachutes help the seeds travel in the wind to go many miles, again to seed themselves in another spot.

Prickley Sunshine

Prickley Sunshine Pastel 5 x 7 inches
Although much of the time the desert seems dull and dead of color when the  Gods smile and the desert blooms, the color is radiant and so it is with this beauty. Not having been raised in desert country but on the plains it was a large learning curve to learn more about the desert beauty. This reminds me of the yellow roses in many of the Grandma's flower gardens. Sooooooooooo take time to smell the roses, just watch so you don't get your nose poked while doing it.

Lil Farm Bunny

Lil Farm Bunny 6 x 8 oil on panel

We recently moved from my husbands home farm and one morning while walking out to the garden this little guy was sitting perfectly still in the grass hoping he wouldn't be seen. A habit I understand that is inherent in these cotton tail bunnies. I just couldn't help but go into the house quietly and get my camera and lo and behold he was still frozen in the same spot so was able to take a photo of him. Bunnies have always held a soft spot in my heart even though they do a lot of damage in the garden, I think his charm and adorablness make up for any of the veggies he might eat.