Painting at Napa Country Iris Garden

Goddess of the Rainbow - oil on museum-quality panel - 6x8"

The iris is the goddess of the rainbow, according to classical mythology, so I thought that would be a fitting title for this painting. I had gone with a painting group to the Napa Country Iris Garden. We have been having a lot of cool windy weather here by the Bay, but up in the wine country, of Napa, it was warm and beautiful! There were so many wonderful irises, it was hard to choose which to paint. But I liked this one because of the subtle warm/cool color shifts. I had decided beforehand not to rush with the painting, because so often when I get in a hurry, I end up with a painting I don't like. This one I do like!

Irises only bloom for such a short time, which makes them even more precious. All the irises here are ruffled varieties which are newer than the plain irises. Here are some more pictures of the irises for you to enjoy--

 

The iris garden was open for business while I was there, and many people were strolling through, picking out their flowers. Even a bus stopped, and people got out and were enjoying the scent and colors. The owners were very friendly and talking with everyone. They welcome artists, and said classes from some of the art schools come to paint!

I hope you will get out and enjoy the springtime! And if you enjoy reading this, please forward it to your friends. I love to have my work shared!

Sunlit Roses

...Sunlit Roses...

oil on panel - 6" x 8"

Here is one of the paintings I did for the Crockett Paint Out. Crockett, CA, is a charming little town with a lot of older homes in the downtown area that have fancy details on the house and flowers in the yard. Roses especially grow well here. Big, huge bushes, covered with blossoms! I complemented one woman on her roses, and she said she doesn't have to do anything to them! Wow, I remember having a rose bush in WV, and I was always watering, fertilizing and spraying, and it didn't look half as good as these!

I painted these roses because they are joyful. And looking at them gladdens my heart. (Is that an old fashioned expression?). Oh well. That's how it is...

And, I hope, you will have your heart gladdened by looking at this painting!

Against the Wall

...Against the Wall II...

oil on canvas - 6" x 6"

Here is the tulip from yesterday. It is a different pose and lighting, but still against the wall.

Digital cameras seem to have a lot of trouble with reds, and I had to drastically turn down the saturation and cool the photograph's colors to make it look like the painting. The tulip is supposed to be a true red. Of course, monitors vary in color temperature too...

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Uncooperative Tulip

...Against the Wall...

Oil on canvas - 6" x 6"

I was going to paint another classic tulip, this time with a red flower. Well, as soon as I got the tulip indoors, it splayed its petals. Then it refused to stand up straight. I finally ended up leaning it against the wall to get it into the right position. It reminds me of those police shows, where the arresting cop says, "Alright! Against the wall!" (Can you believe, when I was in school, we used artificial flowers--artificial fruit too.)

I used a lot of transparent painting here, to get the glow.

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White Tulip

...White Tulip...
oil on canvas - 8" x 6"

After doing flowers in their natural environment, I decided to try a more classical treatment, and go with a plain background. There is a simplicity about this that I really like. The tulip had the most wonderful and exotic fragrance!

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Daffodils II - SOLD

...Daffodils II...
Oil on canvas - 6" x 6"

I am starting to realize that I tend to group my subjects in groups of two, while as an artist, I know that groups of three, or odd numbered groups are considered more interesting. I wonder if there is a deeper significance here? Or is it just that when working on a 6" square that I want to complete that day, I just don't want a lot of detail. A lot of daily painters just paint single objects... maybe I should try that?

But when you have two, or more, they seem to relate to each other, so it seems to give the painting a story, if only in the viewer's mind. What is the story here?

Daffodils

...Daffodils...
oil on canvas - 6" x 6"

It seems like every time I post a painting, I ask, "what can I say about this one?" And because these little paintings are constant challenges and experiments, the first thing I think of to say is usually, "That was so hard!" Well, of course it was hard! That's what makes it so much fun!

I eliminated thalo blue from my palette, and used the milder Sevres blue (a Rembrandt color). It allows me to get bright greens, but without it being so overpowering. This is actually the second daffodil painting. For the first one I did use thalo blue to get the deep, rich dark greens in the background. Then I realized there was no way I could paint over it (as with the small amount of overlap that would occur when doing the edges of the petals) without it mixing into the white and causing blue daffodils. I almost wiped the whole thing off, but then decided to let it dry, and paint over it later. So, another daffodil painting will be coming in a few days.

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Reflections in Glass

...Pansy...
oil on canvas - 6" x 6"

I wonder how many artists have gone insane trying to paint reflections in glass? I thought it would be a fun challenge, and it was! But these are daily paintings, meaning they are supposed to be simple subjects that don't take very long to paint. I remember taking a workshop with Don Eddy, who made a name for himself painting reflections in glass--row upon row of glasses, in display windows, in a photo-realistic style. Now that he is older, he says he was showing off when he did it, trying to impress other artists. (I know it sure impressed me!) It made him one of 5 living artists included in Jansen's History of Art (4th ed), the standard introductory college art history text. However, he feels that art should have a deeper meaning, and of course that is good too. But there's nothing wrong with showing off, in my opinion. Just shout, "Hey world! Look at this! Isn't it great!" After all, athletes do it all the time.

Anyway, after all this talking, I guess what I'm trying to say is, "Reflections in glass sure are hard," without sounding like I'm whining...

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Forsythia--another view

...Forsythia...
oil on canvas - 6" x 6"

Here is forsythia outdoors. The only way I could get this view, at the right angle to the light and with the dark trees behind, was to actually stand in the bush. Oh, the sacrifices I make for my art...

The background here is softened and rubbed out with a paper towel. So, the lights you see there are actually the white of the canvas showing through.

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At Last...

"First Crocuses" 6" x 6" - oil on canvas

The arrival of spring is always exciting! While it isn't officially here yet, the first crocuses always bring the first color, and the promise of more new life to come. We had a beautiful day today, with temps in the 70's, sunshine and crocuses.

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"Flower in a Bottle"

6" x 6" - oil on canvas

Extra points if you can identify the beer bottle...

This painting is framed in a black floater frame. Shipped for free!

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