Lenten Rose

Lenten Rose, 9x12, oil on linen panel

Here is a painting I started this past spring. The other name for these perennials is Hellebore. They reside in my garden and they are a great flower for low light areas. These are on the north side of my house next to the sidewalk. They have great leaves that grow larger as the flowers fade. But as you can see, they do get some sun in the middle of the day. I did this painting for a friend of mine for her birthday. I will be celebrating it with her for the first time in too many decades to count. We went to Jr HS together in Munich, Germany and have been in contact all these years as we live in different parts of the US. I know she likes flowers and I do hope this will fit in the new house she just moved in to after selling the family home.

Lenten Rose in the beginning

She reads my blog so I am scheduling this post on her birthday.

Duckling and the Ripple Effect

Ripple Effect, 8x8, oil on panel

A friend of mine in Washington state likes to take lots of photos. I saw the image for this painting in one of her last uploads to Facebook. I felt compelled to do a small painting of this little guy, all alone in his bed of ripples. Interestingly enough, just this morning, a friend came over in distress. In our time together we talked about how our actions, even done when no one is around, still impact not only us but those in our circle, and ultimately in each of those individuals' circle as well. As she whispered, barely audible, "like the wind created by a butterfly's wing!" And that is why I was intrigued by this image.

Here is the block in. I took a painting I wasn't particularly delighted with and painted the duck on top of it. The painting was of three oranges in a deep blue bowl. You can see where I followed some of the bowls outline in the ripples. It was a fun little diversion for me.