Sunday, July 15, 2012

I'm Back!

Whew...what a busy 6 weeks!...I didn't mean to be gone so long, but I did get a lot of painting done, and managed to get seventeen pieces finished for the show! Thank you to everyone who continued to check on me...I did try to glance at my e-mail every few days, but I think that's the longest "computer break" I've had since we first got Internet...:)...I have such a one-track mind, I don't know how some people juggle so many different things in their lives....

I have so many things to share about the animals and gardening and art and stuff, but for tonight I'll just show you the paintings from the show (I am 1/3 of "Creativity x 3")...

Here goes! (I actually got so busy, I forgot to take photos of two of the pieces before taking them to be framed (thank you again, Marilyn, for all your wonderful framing help)...but they were linocuts, so I will be printing and tinting more, and can photograph them then.)

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This beautiful iris (no painting could ever truly do it justice) is from the garden of some friends' late Grandmother, Mrs. Ruby Oliver..."Miss Ruby" ~ "Maw" ~ had the most spectacular irises that I have ever laid eyes on ~ they must have really thrived in her love for them!  Each flower seemed to be more beautiful than the one before it, and I have literally hundreds of photos from her magnificent garden...

 I would take pictures and more pictures of a certain iris, and start to go on to the next...but then I would see how the sun filtered through the petals ("standards" ~ the upright ones ~ and "falls", I've learned) of the one I was trying to walk away from, and I would be right back taking more photos from a different angle...

If you just glanced at my file of photos of the irises you would think I had many, many duplicates, but each is a little different...and I couldn't bear to delete any, so finally my daughter Katie put them all on a disc for me...I could do a whole show with just Miss Ruby's irises...(that's an idea for next spring)!

(Thank you again to Miss Ruby's family for letting me photograph her garden...♥)

Oh, see the Iris's little admirer? ...I love to put a little "whimsy" in each painting, either in the actual art, or in the title!

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This painting started out to be just a regular watercolor still-life, then one thing led to another and it told me it wanted to be a "Mixed-Media Collage" like the Stargazer Lilies I did ("Hot August Night")...so, I had a lot of fun collaging on bits and pieces from vintage sheet music (supplied by daughter Katie) as well as more leaves and hydrangea petals cut from separate sheets of watercolor paper that I painted with glazes of acrylics in pinks and purples and greens...

I've found that while easier in the sense that anything can be changed...layer upon layer can be added...collage is much more time-consuming than a regular watercolor!

(Can you find the little firefly that's come inside to rest on this arrangement? I had to add one to this painting, too, after reading about the dwindling number of the flashy little fellows...)

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This was my first attempt at painting silver and super-shiny surfaces!

 The cup and saucer is my favorite from my Grandma Launius's collection, and besides being really reflective, it also had an iridescent glaze...it was a challenge, but fun! And of course, lace is always a favorite...it looks so difficult, but really is the easiest thing in the world...you just paint the little "negative" spaces, and if you happen to make some funny shapes, no one is the wiser!

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Here again is the first painting I did for the show; "Hot August Night"...this one also began as a regular watercolor floral, then I decided I really didn't like how the lower left-hand corner was going...I didn't plan my drawing all that well before starting to paint (sometimes I just can't help myself and jump right in!)...sooo, after "sleeping on" what to do, I decided that I would make it a collage ~ something I had only done once (in watercolor) years ago. I found a little French almanac from 1877~ just a falling-apart little pamphlet, nothing really historic or anything ~ and decided to incorporate it. You know how almanacs have advice and remedies?...This one did, too, and even with my limited French-101-drop-out-ability I could figure out that it had "cure-alls" for insomnia, "melancholy", malaria, dementia...;^)...and so on...

The color of the lilies was so "hot" that by then I already had the title in mind, and the big gold moon and the droning cicadas just sort of fell into place (they really can make one a little crazy by mid-August...and they've already started ~ early this year!

(Oh, the shadows? (Remember, it didn't start out to be night-time...) Moon-glow! Or a really bright street light.)

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"Flim-Flam Flamingo" was the name of a book I had when I was little...and it just came to me after I'd started painting these fine fellows!
 A couple of weeks ago we were watching something on Animal Planet about flamingoes, and right then I decided I had to paint them...I didn't have to make up any "whimsy" this time...I think these beautiful creatures are the absolute embodiment of it!
(I'm going to add them to "Beverly's Pink Saturday" and call it a night...I will finish showing you the rest Sunday afternoon!)
To be continued!...

(Also linking to Cathy's 1929 Charmer's weekly Sunday party, and Savvy Southern Style's Wow-Us Wednesday!)

32 comments:

  1. ...explosions of major awesomeness! ~ thankyoU! ~ sO much for this share!... ...xXx...

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  2. Oh Anne, these are all so beautiful. I am so happy that you shared them here. That lace and silver!! However, could you do it? And to get the irises so perfectly! Wonderful, amazing art, you are so talented.

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  3. utterly gorgeous... Hot August Night is my fav for all sorts of reasons......so evocotive, love Lilies....... can feel the steamy heat!!

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  4. Wow--what an amazing talent you are! I can't even imagine being able to paint like that. No wonder you have been MIA!

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  5. These are absolutely stunning! I cannot believe that was your first attempt at painting silver, it is so perfect. I love them all.
    And before I forget, it is good to see you back :)

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  6. Beautiful paintings, you are very talented.x

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  7. Oh my goodness...these are gorgeous. Love the Tea with Earl. That is just awesome. You have a gift, Anne and use it well. Deb

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  8. Wow! You've been busy. You got lots done in 6 weeks. I love Tea With the Earl ... but I'm tea crazy! Nice to *see* you!

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  9. It's so nice to see you again, Anne! Your paintings are stunning! I love the flamingos and the shiny paint! Everything is so bright and pleasing!

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  10. You do awesome art work. Each one is so unique in its on way. You are very talented.

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  11. Anne, Your talent is beyond belief. I love it all. Such colors !! Smiles, Susie

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  12. Hi, so glad to see you're back !!
    Such wonderful painting, beautiful !!! Great work !!
    Have a wonderful.

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  13. Gorgeous artwork! Love all of them. Great talent!

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  14. I really enjoyed looking over your art! Those irises must have thrived in the love its gardener! I love them all! So beautiful. What talent you have! HPS to you and I am new following you!

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  15. Amazing Artwork!!! I love every one of them, you are soooo talented!! Thank you for sharing your work!

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  16. Beautiful! Oh, to have some talent like yours.
    June

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  17. Beautiful, all of them, you were certainly very busy! Glad to see you back. xo

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  18. Outstanding work! You really have been busy! Keep sharing your work with us! Welcome back Anne!

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  19. These are just amazing! And so beautiful. You have such a lovely talent!

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  20. I totally agree with the other comments; what talent you have!! Your work is amazing and the colors are really beautiful!!

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  21. Wow! I just knew you were gone because you were painting and that you would find your way back when you set your brush aside for a moment.

    Your paintings are phenomenal. I love them all....and I agree...Flamingos are whimsical all by themselves. xo Diana

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  22. These are stunning! Just beautiful! Such rich colors. I love "Tea with the Earl". You did a great job with the silver teapot and I've always been partial to Earl Grey tea :-)

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  23. I have three words for your art:

    LOVE LOVE LOVE.

    You are exceptionally talented, girl.

    Jan
    xoxoxo

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  24. We've missed you but those paintings are amazing!

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  25. Oh my goodness they are beautiful - you have such amazing talent

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  26. Dear Anne - so glad you are back. Wow your paintings are simply gorgeous. I love the silver and lace but irises and Hot August are fabulous as well. You are such a lovely artist. Your creativity is overwhelming. Take care xo xo Pixie

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  27. As my grandkids would say...AWESOME! They are all so bright and beautiful. Glad you are back.

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  28. Oh! It is SO difficult to choose a favorite! I LOVE "Miss Ruby's Iris," though!

    It's good to read your blog again!

    xo Nellie

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  29. Spectacularly beautiful, gorgeous colors and combinations of colors. My gosh I have a hard time drawing a stick figure, and look what you can do. The Iris is so gorgeous. But then all of them are, you are really talented in a way I could never be! Stunning1 So glad you shared your creative inspiration with Sunday's Best!

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  30. Wow, I was just cruising your blog and see how much talent you have. Your paintings are just beautiful!

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  31. Beautiful! I am hosting a Giveaway to win a 50 dollar gift card to the store HomeGoods. It would be great if you stopped by and entered. Thanks Anu

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I love your thoughts and comments, and I read each and every one! Sometimes life gets in the way, though, and it takes me a while to respond...Thank you for understanding! ♥...Time is precious, and the time you have taken here is truly appreciated!