Yellow Trumpets

                                             
                                                                 
The Daily Paintworks Challenge this week was to paint something that says "Easter." Daffodils say a lot of things to me, "spring is here," "hold your head up," and most definitely, "Easter is on its way."

Bottled Daffodil

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Another day, another daffodil. My front garden is bursting with these lovelies - yellow, white and orange heads standing proudly as harbingers of spring. I'd love to paint them all!

Apple n Bottle on Scale

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 When I set up this still life, I was drawn to the interesting shadows cast by the light through the bottles. When I got painting, it was challenging to keep clear the subtle distinction between the bottles and their cast shadows. I'm  happy with the results .

Still Life to Scale

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This is an entirely new style in still life for me... the cluttered-piled-seemingly-mismatched-items-all-in-one-small-space kind of still life. My daughter, Edwina, set it up for us to paint the other day. She just got back from a semester abroad in Florence, Italy where she studied painting among other things. It is pretty cool when your child teaches you a trick or two... not to mention the thrill it is to share a similar passion.

Rose Hips

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The latest Daily Paintworks Challenge required priming the painting surface with a bright color and celebrating the arrival of autumn. I started with a background of lime green and cut some rose hips from my garden to welcome in the new season. When I "googled" rose hips to check the spelling, I was surprised to find out that they are edible. In fact, rose hips, which are the seed pods of roses, make a delicious hot tea.  Hmmmm.

Peach Rose in Amber Bottle

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I am trying to remain conscious of values. I am using more paint. I am practicing self-restraint by putting down a stroke and trying to leaving it alone. I am also over the top in love with these delicate little roses  still blossoming in my garden.