Glad to be artfully busy

As my last post indicated, I would be out of sight for awhile due to some personal issues. Well, thankfully, that personal issue is behind me now and I'm trying to mend my art life back together. It was a very stressful couple of months with little time to myself. So when I got back home, I was very anxious to get back to the business of making art. I was able to attend my last portrait painting class and was so happy to get back to it.

Another great thing to look forward to now is meeting up with my plein air group on Monday mornings. We have done some wonderful sites so far including capturing the bluebell flowers that naturally populated themselves on the floor of the woods in an area park. I have done several versions of them but just included one which I'm calling "Sunshine and Bluebells". I'm not sure I've captured perfectly the sunshine on the leaves yet. They were absolutely glowing. It was so exciting to paint them. I also did an urban scene in Gate City, VA. This was a totally different setting and challenge. I really loved this experience working out the perspective of the building I chose to paint.....and still working it out......not easy stuff! They were different experiences but both totally enjoyable to do.

With all this plein air painting I've been doing, I am finding myself observing possible painting projects right around my home, also. Late in the afternoon one day, as I was finishing up my gardening, I stopped to admire the totally overgrown broomstick bush in my yard in full bloom. I decided to bring out a canvas and start painting it. I finished it in the studio from a photo reference. I felt the best way to capture the wildness of the branches and to get the effect of the colors was to use a pallet knife. It really says WOW to me.....just as I felt when I was standing there admiring it outside that afternoon.