Studio News

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 I'm offering 

new giclee prints in my shop now. The quality is amazing and can also be printed on canvas if you'd like. Here's the link for ordering a variety of my prints on many different substrate. So please don't miss

my Studio Sale ending on the 21st of July...only a few days left! 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! I'm just going to try and stay cool and get through my coffee detox! I'm on the Paleo diet now for my autoimmune problems of been having these last 2 years. But in all my research I found a list of foods that mimic the gluten molecule so when I eat them my body attacks itself. I gave up gluten last year but am now giving up the other things on the list like corn, chocolate, and coffee! It's not easy...this is day one for the coffee and I'm lucky to even be writing this! 

I was going to post about my birthday weekend with my daughter but I'll get to that next time!

We had a wonderful time:)

Also, don't miss these other great Etsy shops joining in on the 10% OFF Christmas in July sale!

Here's a link to our Pinterest board for fun and easy browsing!

It's Christmas Time again...

this one is being revised:)

...Christmas in July that is! Join my shop and these other great shops from our Creative Trends Team for a 10% off sale! There's also a bonus coupon for November, if you purchase now. I don't hold sales very often; my next one won't be until Thanksgiving time, so...if you have had your eye on one of my original paintings now would be a great time to shop! I also have new giclees in my shop which are also on sale. The sale ends on July 21st but hurry so you don't miss anything. 

Here are the links to the other great shops participating in the sale-

EnzieShahamiriDesigns

ShopPretties

SweetChildJewelry

RevampReuse

EarthMotherMosaics

NoraJane

This week I'm also participating in the Party over at Cindy's blog My Romantic Home

Have a great weekend!

Sunflowers Painting!

being revised

My inspiration for this painting was the weekly challenge on Daily Paintworks! I was a day late but at least I did it. I've done a few smaller sunflower paintings but never one this large. I tried to keep the colors dark so that the sunflowers could be the star of the show! With all that sunshine yellow there's no need for any other saturated color, with the exception of the touches of the magenta "flowers" that I added in the end. But even the magenta is not pure. 

Fourth of July has come and gone so quickly. Now it's on to my birthday! Time really needs to slow down! Summer is my favorite season and it seems so short. In honor of my favorite month I'm having a Christmas in July Sale in my Etsy shop! The sale goes from July 11th-21st and I'm offering 10% off anything in my shop. Mark your calendars! 

Time flies and the next thing you know it'll be Christmas time again! 

Using Photos for References

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As I mentioned in my previous post, I use different resources for my paintings. Some of it comes from imagination, in that I make I might put some wildflowers in the foreground or change the shape of tree so that its more pleasing to the composition. My florals rarely look anything like my references. I might buy a bouquet of lilies and use them as reference for sunflowers, or add another vase of roses that wasn't exactly there in my set up. I also like to play up the colors. But I usually have some photos to use as references. Sometimes the worst photos make the best paintings. This painting is an example of this situation. Here's the reference photo for this one. This is all I used...nothing else, but my memories of cruising down this beautiful road last year...too long ago, I might say! 

We were driving when I took this shot, so it's through a windshield and a little blurry (I sharpened it). I pumped up the colors a lot and discovered the trees were just starting to bloom (or at the end of the bloom...not sure). I was drawn to this photo, out of the 100's I took) because of the beautiful winding road with the shadows crossing it. I also liked how the sun was coming through at the end of the road (light at the end of the tunnel!) I had to crop a lot so the road hit at just the right spot. 

I have always been drawn to roads and paths. They represent the future to me and I love the idea of the light at the end. One of my favorite things to do is to take a slow drive in the beautiful country we live in. I'm usually the lucky passenger so I get to snap shots like this one to capture that time for future reference. I've also just discovered how to take a picture on google maps so the world is just a click away! I think I'll "visit" San Francisco via Google Maps. I have a few shots I took on my phone so they might suffice but it's nice to have more choices at my fingertips. 

Happy 4th of July to all of my American friends! 

This marks the countdown to my birthday in 10 days!

I always say I'm not going to celebrate anymore but still get excited when its 

approaching. July is definitely my favorite month!