Pollinator -SOLD

oil 8x8 inches Purchase info here. On a Spring hike in Moro Canyon, Laguna Beach I took pictures of 22 different wildflowers along the trail. That winter we had been blessed with some rain. Painting the bee was extra fun. Here's a detail shot:

Bloomin' Babytoes -sold

oil on canvas panel 6x6 inches
click here to bid
One of my favorite cactuses surprised me yesterday with blooms! Yes, the common name for this variety is "Babytoes". Looks a lot like those delicious little piggies!
In other news, I recently EBay listed "Untitled Floral" as "Sunflowers With Red" (scroll down to see). Thanks for all your great comments. I took your advice and called it finished. I appreciate your feedback so much!

Reception Sunflowers-sold

oil on canvas panel 12x9 inches
SOLD

These Mason jarred sunflowers were our reception night decor. Though I felt rusty from not painting daily for several weeks, I got in the groove after an hour or so. Proof I think, that even if I have to take a break, all those daily paintings under my belt pay off. Most of the time I had people watching and talking with me, which I really enjoyed. One observer remarked that it is a "happy" painting...very nice to hear since I do like my darks! I'm very happy with this one.

Bloomin'

watercolor on paper 14x12 inches
click here to bid
I had a wonderful time demonstrating for Santa Ana Ebell Society today, a welcoming and interested group, some of whom stayed on way past time to see me finish. Thanks, ladies! The format is a larger version of a previous painting in the hopes that everyone could see, but to finish I had to paint much faster than usual! A cactus in bloom always interests me--tough and prickly yet with such beautiful flowers. Two of my favorite color pairs are here also: pink with orange, and yellow-green with red-violet. Yummy combos!

Prickly In Pink

watercolor on paper 8 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches

Working again from the Joshua Tree NP photo reference, I wanted to try more layers of maskit and paint, and also pure colors as opposed to the muted hues in the previous "prickly". The dimensions make it suitable for a ready made frame.

Pretty Prickly -sold

watercolor on Arches watercolor paper 8 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches

A photo taken at Joshua Tree National Park was my reference for this painting. The needles were painted using alternating layers of mask and washes, a technique I had been wanting to try with cactus for quite some time. Just finally got around to it! It turned out beautiful...and as always, is more vibrant in person. I may do some more of these--just too much fun!

Tough Beauty

watercolor on Arches watercolor paper 8x81/2 inches
click here to bid
Cactus are fascinating to me: a tough, dangerous plant that grows in a harsh environment, yet produces large striking blossoms. The yellow-orange and violets are great complements.