Spring paintings Cone Flower and Blue Butterfly

The weather has improved a bit this past week. I have started on my Chasing Flowers paintings. It feels so good to let the images come out of me and onto canvas. The paintings I have done, one a day for the past few days are small, about 4 inches by 4 inches. I get up early and have set as my goal, a painting during my first of the morning coffee. This painting is available in time for Mother's Day if you order soon, it's coming up May 11th. It may be found at my etsy shop priced at 20.00 plus shipping.ShimmeringLeaves

I know, this isn't the kind of flower that's out yet, I won't be seeing any cone flowers until mid summer I imagine. These are also called Echinacea. I paint these a lot, they are one of my favorite flowers.

Echinacea, the purple coneflower, is the best known and researched herb for stimulating the immune system. Thousands of Europeans and Americans use echinacea preparations against colds and flu, minor infections, and a host of other major and minor ailments. This native American herb has an impressive record of laboratory and clinical research. 

“All gardening is landscape painting,' said Alexander Pope.” 
― Rebecca Solnit, Wanderlust: A History of Walking

The Illustrated Garden

Its starting to snow. No kidding. March 25th, everyone I see is just a little down. Not enough sunlight this year yet.
Artists tend to live solitary lives. Thank goodness for the internet to keep me connected to  people instead of just the fantasy scenes and creatures that live in my head. They have lived here inside of me since I have been a small child, as long as I can remember. Probably they live in most children but mine have never left. They have always needed to be seen though, maybe that's why I need to paint them.

I used to take classes at Riverbend Art Center, especially winter classes when it was to cold to do much outside. Riverbend closed down due to lack of funding several years ago.
Through my blogs I am able to keep up with other traveling artist friends and that keeps my energy levels up. I have just started taking an online course from Val Webb , her blog is called the illustrated garden.  She is an illustrator and wonderful artist and teacher in Alabama. There is also a private facebook presence for her students. This is her open  Illustrated Garden  page, so delightful and colorful, I love her work.I guess I just found more people like me. We are a harmless lot.

This is one of my characters in my fairy tale I'm working on. I think she will also be one of the paintings on my little camper Serenity.  It's driving me crazy, I want to get outside to paint get caught up on work. Not happening for several days, its still cold and snow is on the ground. For goodness sakes, it's March 13th!

A Chasing Flowers Preview

It's time to start blogging and painting again. I have put my foot down and become selfish. I am doing what I need to do to survive and that is to let others take care of themselves as I have taken care of myself. The camper/art studio/where I live/   is getting closer to being ready to take me on my travels. I'm feeling more focused and ready to start my Chasing Flowers Tour of 2014.  I have a small inspirational book I will self publish with my pretty little flower paintings. My next project will be to put together my ideas and paintings of little birds like this one.