Awakening

"Awakening"

Acrylic on Canvas

24" x 24"

A few weeks ago, I sold a poppy painting to a lady who told me a very touching story about her dog, Poppy.  Not long after that I had another lady call and ask to purchase the same painting.  Obviously, that was not going to happen.  So, I decided to begin a new series of paintings.  You guessed it, paintings of poppies. 

I have a huge reference library of poppy images that I have taken from various places.  My neighbour across the road grows some real beauties with big heads the size of lucheon plates.  The neighbour across the street often grows salmon coloured poppies, at Beacon Hill Park they have white poppies and out at Buchart Gardens there are Himalayan blue poppies!  They are everywhere. So, I have plenty of material for this series.  Below is the first painting in the poppy series.

 

"Dee's Poppy"

Acrylic on Canvas

24" x 30"

Chinese Lanterns & Persimmons

"Chinese Lanterns & Persimmons"

Acrylic - 16" x 12"
SOLD

This is my latest painting, called "Chinese Lanterns and Persimmons".  I entered this painting in the Federation of Canadian Artists Fall 2013 juried exhibition at Dales Gallery in Chinatown and was very pleased to hear that it received an Honourable Mention.

I have always loved Chinese lanterns and wanted to paint them.  These ones were fresh, but I think that they get even more interesting when they have aged a little bit and the thinness of the papery orange cover begins to get holes.  I still have these ones and may just have to make another painting from them!

The vase is one that I "inherited" from my mother-in-law when we moved into the family home.  I thought that it might be a challenge to paint because of the texture in the orange part, but it came together quite easily with the help of a natural sponge.

I love the curly, strange shape of the leaves on the persimmons.  You have no choice but to truly look at them to draw and paint them because they seem to defy what we "think" a leaf should look like. 

Unfortunately, my camera was not able to capture some of the subtleties in the background.  It comes out looking quite black when in fact, it is a beautiful deep green, lightening ever so slightly in the top right corner.

Yes, those Chinese lanterns are calling me again . . . .