Gamble Garden Gazebo

Here is my version of the gazebo at Gamble Garden in Palo Alto, CA. After I set up the sale tables in the living room of the house and put my paintings on easels near the front door, I discovered that there was a large contest that had taken place one month earlier. The artists' tasks were to paint Gamble Garden. The winning painting would be printed on the advertisement for the house tour and it would have posters made of it. Over 40 artists entered and 20 were chosen to show and sell their paintings at an Art in the Garden Show this coming July.... I hadn't heard about the contest before this. What a coincidence that I was painting this gazebo along with many others and I didn't even know it. To tell you the truth, I like mine and I think it's a winner too.

Gamble Garden House in Palo Alto, CA.

Last weekend I had a show at the Elizabeth F. Gamble House in Palo Alto, CA. They were having a house tour of six houses and gardens in the area with Gamble Garden being the last house on the tour and lunch was provided. Since I was selling there, I thought it would be nice to paint the house and the gardens and make prints, cups, and magnets with the images on them. What a weekend it was. The gardens were filled with flowers, vendors, strolling musicians. people milling around enjoying the wonderful weather. The fragrance of flowers and flowering trees, crepes and scones was in the air. And even though I was working, I got the benefit of being in wonderful company on a perfect weekend.

One Creative Family!

Here's a little window into my life. Paint the paintings, clean up to color eggs and have fun with the fam (yes, those monocles are really egg holders!), clean up to frame the paintings... Can anyone ask for more? I'm really blessed.

Easter Iris

Here's the 5th painting in Iris Collection. I call it Easter Iris because I finished on Easter Sunday, a day before I had to hang the paintings in the Gallery. As I was framing them I started to go slower and slower and realized soon afterward that I was getting sick with the flu. However, before I quit to lie down, I looked at the painting again and thought how much of a coincidence that it was in the shape of a cross and on Easter. Other things began to stand out to me too. The flower is purple like royalty, the leaves are like the thorns on Jesus's "crown", the top petal looks like linen and like an empty tomb, and the red, yellow and orange color around the flower is like a choir of thousands singing with triumphant voices that "He is Risen!" Yes, He is risen indeed!

Iris, Blue

Want to know what happened with this one? Again, I thought I was finished and signed it but the background was so bright that it looked more like a cut and paste or a poster to me. So I thought I'd paint more leaves here and there to set in the flower. It became more wild than ever!...but I like it and think I might have started something.....

Irises, Purple and Yellow

The inspiration for these Irises was taken from flowers in my front yard, but with the yellow coloring of some from my friend Beth's yard. My husband came through the door yesterday and said, "I think you dropped a painting in the front yard." Of course I had to see which one... and it was the flowers.

Irises in the Field of Flowers (or, Take Cover! Twister Blowin' Through!)

Hello friends! Here are before and after photos of this painting. After I finished and signed it I thought it still needed a few more flowers in the field. The funny thing is though, by the time I got around to adding them I had an unexpected argument with someone. It was like a spring storm blew into my dining room (where I was painting) and it gave me super boldness to add those extra flowers (every single little dab of boldness!) I like both versions, but you sure can tell there was a change in weather!

Yellow Irises

Time to paint for Gallery Saratoga again (new paintings go up on Monday for April) , and I've decided to paint a series of irises. Why did I choose irises? Well, first of all because I love them so much. I mean I really delight in them. We had blue, purple and yellow irises in our yard in Massachusetts when I was growing up, and in my Grandfather's yard across the street. Irises are at the top of my list of favorite flowers along with yellow roses and hollyhocks (also in my childhood gardens.)
I think God made such an elegantly beautiful flower in the iris. In fact, I started painting this particular flower in acrylics on an 18x24 canvas, but I didn't feel confident that I could bring out the delicate flowing lines in acrylics, so I switched to drawing and watercolor.
The other reason I chose irises is that there's going to be a show at Nola's Iris Garden on Sierra Road in San Jose on May 8 and 9th (come by if you can), so if they don't sell at the Gallery in April, I can just take them over to Nola's in May. I have another show in April and many more I've signed up for throughout the year, so it's much better I plan ahead to avoid getting nervous or have to stay up all night painting. (I've done this many times before, but if you can't think straight or talk coherently to people at the show because of sleep deprivation, what's the point?) Keep tuned, at least 4 more irises to come...