"Pink Poinsettias"

"Pink Poinsettias"

Watercolor 5 x 7

$45

Christmas is fast approaching and I have had little time to paint except on commissions and craft items for decoration and for my little art gallery, so this painting is one I did last December.  I thought surely  it would be sold by now, but I still have it, so now is your chance to own this really pretty painting.  I would display it all year, of course, because the colors are lovely and any flower is beautiful the whole year! Purchase by clicking on Buy Now in the right column and Pay Pal will direct you.

"Giant Blooms"

"Giant Blooms"

Acrylic on canvas

$150

I haven't posted lately and this one I brought back from awhile ago, because I haven't got anything new that I want to post.  I''m still reluctant to post some paintings that I think are really special because of people actually making prints from them and selling them! Can you believe the nerve they have, and it is hard to track them down. The company I am talking about is in another country and when you call the United States phone number, you get no one. I hate to give up my blog, though, so occasionally I will post something. Do any of you other artists have that sort of trouble?

Hydrangeas

"Hydrangeas"

Oil

See at my new gallery, Egretta Wells Art Gallery and Treasures, downtown Okeechobee on Park Street
in the very back of Grace Consignments.  I just opened and have lots of paintings on display, so if you are in the area, please come in and browse.

"Market Day"

"Market Day"

7 x 8 Watercolor with India Ink

Private Collection NFS

"The Garden Path"

 "The Garden Path"

18 x 24 Egg Tempera

$600 framed

I painted this at Heathcote Gardens in Ft. Pierce, Florida, one of my favorite places to do plein air painting. 

I loved the purple Wisteria on the old lattice structure.  This particular area in the garden has gone through a change and the old green house is no longer there or this structure.  The Wisteria was mostly saved, thanks be!  Egg tempera is my favorite medium next to watercolor and I have never seen anyone use it outdoors around here, but I thoroughly enjoyed working with it outdoors.

"The Green Door"

"The Green Door"

16 x 20 Watercolor

$175

I'm still doing some experimental things with the watercolors. In this one, I only used the three primary colors of red, yellow and blue. It is amazing how many other colors you can create from limiting yourself to these three. I did some "pouring" in this one and some wet into wet techniques, as well as texturing with salt and with paper towels and almost dry paint. Fun! 

"Nestled In"

"Nestled In"
16 x 20 Watercolor
$100

My painting time lately has decreased because of the acquiring of a new puppy and a few other things. I am moving my antique booth out of the shop I am in. You other artists know how life gets in the way of painting. I really thought I had missed the mark in this one, but do like the water and reflections and the rich Irish hillside. Click on it for a closer view.

"Mangrove Dance"

"Mangrove Dance"

12 x 16 Watercolor

$175

I had lots of fun with this painting, pouring on intense color, then spritzing with water, tilting the paper in various directions....all done after masking out the mangrove. The background almost painted itself!  Then I came back in to do the branches of the mangrove and added some color to the saved white paper for the reflections.  Click on it for a closer view.

"Mangrove No.1"

"Mangrove No. 1"

12 x 16 Watercolor

$200

I am working on a new series of landscape and water paintings, using some techniques fairly new to me that are rather experimental.While not abstract, there is a loose, fresh quality to this one and, as it is the first one, I am rather pleased with it and excited about all the new ideas I have. I am not sure about posting all the paintings in this series, as I have found that there are web sites out there that are actually copying my paintings for monetary gain, as well as work of many other artists posting online.  We shall see what can be done; in the meantime, know that I am working daily and I feel, growing as an artist. Please click on this painting to see the interesting texture, colors and movement.

"Porch Sittin' Time"

"Porch Sittin' Time"

8 x 10 Acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

$150

It is truly that time of year, when we love to sit on the porch. The little flags add a touch of patriotism to this red, white and blue painting. It is easy to purchase a painting...just click on "Buy Now' and go through Pay Pal.

Working in the Sketchbook

This week I am working in my sketchbook. I started this book in 2010 after a painting holiday in Northern Ireland where I was inspired by a fellow artist who kept a sketchbook of her travels. I was determined to fill it up in one year. Did that happen? No.  Recently I became a "nurse" to my husband who had a knee replacement, so I find that I have more time for quick sketches than for larger paintings, so once again I am determined to fill this whole book. This time I am going to do it by the end of summer. Do you think I can? We will see. 

A sketchbook is good at capturing the moment, at planning a more detailed painting, at just helping you to remember a scene. Sometimes the sketches are just pencil or pen, other times I use watercolors with pen. This is what I like to do best and I enjoy doing the color bit first, then draw over the color with the pen. I use a fine point permanent pen.

Sometimes my drawing is on a 1/2 page and other times a full page. It may be simple or quite complex. I really envy artists that have kept sketchbooks for years and have a library of them. I think, "Why didn't I do that"? Well, it is never too late, so I am off to a good start.

I hope you enjoyed leafing through my little book. From time to time, I'll show you more!

"Spring Bunnies"

 "Spring Bunnies"

8 x 10 Watercolor

$85

I've seen a few bunnies in my yard lately, munching away as hard as they can on the new Spring grass and weeds. I just hope they stay out of the garden, where I have herbs, veggies and flowers growing. They are cute, though, and I did this painting to show my watercolor class and to help them learn to layer color and build up details. Click on it for a closer view.

"The Old Barn"





"The Old Barn"

8 x 10 Watercolor

$85

So many old barns are being torn down because there aren't that many small farms left. Now it is huge farming operations with very modern equipment. Things have certainly changed. I still love the old barns...the many colors in the old wooden boards, the weathered tin roofs. Old barns hold lots of memories!



Purple Spring



"Purple Spring"

8 x 10 Watercolor

75$

Some of my favorite flowers are purple. They show up so well in the garden and of course are lovely with yellows.  Click on image for a close view.



"Ocean Waves"

"Ocean Waves"

8 x 10 Watercolor

$85

This was a fun painting that I did for my students as a demo. I was teaching them how to use the white of the paper as their "whites" and how to use clear plastic wrap on wet paint to create texture. Click on it for a close up view.

"Springtime Basket"



"Springtime Basket"

12 x16 Watercolor

$200

After a busy January and a bad cold, I am now back to painting and excited about a new focus for the new year! I want to explore watercolors in new ways....at least new to me. I am going to try to paint looser and let those "happy accidents" happen. I think I am also about finished with the concept of doing a painting every day, because I feel they don't really represent my best work, nor are they challenging except just to get one done, and that is not who I am as an artist. So I won't be posting as often, but hopefully my work will be better and more interesting.
I am very happy with this painting on several levels, so I think it's a good start. Click on it for a better look. You may purchase paintings by clicking on BuyNow and I do have PayPal.Thanks to all who follow this blog and I hope you visit often to see my new paintings.



"Remembering Snow"

""

"Remembering Snow"

8 x 10 Watercolor

$85

Yes, I do remember snow, even though I have lived in Florida for many years. Snow is pretty and it is fun to paint and fun to play in for a short period, but I love sunny weather best! However, it is nice to remember snowy weather.

"Daisy Mood"



"Daisy Mood"

8 x 10 Watercolor Painting

$75



"Allamanda Bouquet"

"Allamanda Bouquet"

8 x 10 Watercolor

$75

There are always flowers blooming in Florida and I found several interesting things in the garden to arrange in a little bouquet to paint. There are three Allamanda blooms with leaves, two leaves from a Poinsettia, and a red Christmas Cactus that is still blooming. I used only the three Primary colors in this painting, just to limit my palette somewhat. Hope you like it! Your comments are always appreciated. Click on the painting for a close up view. The splatters of blue paint  are intentional, by the way!

"Ready to Fall"

"Ready to Fall"

11 x 14 watercolor

$75

Looking like wings on each side, like it might fly away or fall down, this old barn evokes memories of days gone by. Eventually there will be very few, if any, old barns left! I regret that people aren't restoring more of them for future generations to see.