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Category: Reference Photos

May 18, 2011
Kathy
5 Comments

Weigela Blooms

Posted in Reference Photos

Weigela Blooms

May is a wonderful month for flowers in bloom here in Pennsylvania. I try to grab my camera and capture all of the blooms before they are gone until next year.  Ticks are the only things that make me hesitate before charging into the garden to get a great photo. Is there really any  reason for ticks to exist? Other than to gross me out….. This week the weigela are in bloom. The flowers are like miniature trumpets of pink. I just love the leaves on the 2 – 4 photos.   Eventually they will be featured in future paintings. Enjoy!

Weigela

The above Weigela is the Wine and Roses variety

Aren't those leaves fantastic?!  They look like I took a paintbrush to them.

weigela close up

This weigela is the Verigated Weigela

weigela close up

May 3, 2011
Kathy
3 Comments

The Scent of Spring

Posted in Reference Photos

The Scent of Spring

Hi Everyone!

Most of the weekend  was spent moving one of the kids.  I spent a lot of time outside – outside carrying boxes in and out.   No time for painting but lots of time for observing the surroundings.  What struck me the most  was the smell of spring. The smell of freshly laid mulch and the heavy sweet  perfume of the spring flowering bushes. Lilacs and viburnums are the ones that were by far the strongest scents this weekend. 

My favorite by far is the Chesapeake Viburnum. I have one the yard and the perfume scent of these flowers carry across the neighborhood.

Chesapeake viburnum

Aren't  they beautiful?   My next favorite scented bush is the Lilac – a classic.

Lilac

My personal favorite lilac is the 'Madame Lemoine' white lilac. It is a showy white and very fragrant.

White Lilac

Enjoy the wonderful scents of Spring!

April 29, 2011
Kathy
3 Comments

Clearance Pansies

Posted in Reference Photos

Clearance Pansies

Two weeks ago I picked up a container of frostbitten pansies for $1 at Lowes. The flowers had been pinched off leaving just the leaves.  Pansies can handle the frost and will reflower.  I was curious what color they would be.                                                  What a treat when they bloomed – take a look:

Pansies

pansy

White pansy

I've taken lots of photos and am sketching these wonderful beauties for later paintings.  Can't wait to paint them!

April 25, 2011
Kathy
4 Comments

Gorgeous Scarlet Quince

Posted in Reference Photos

Gorgeous Scarlet Quince

 How gorgeous is this flower?

Texas Scarlet Quince

Texas Scarlet Quince

I bought three small quince bushes about 9 – 10 years ago to plant along the backyard hill.  The bunnies LOVED them!  Our yard is overrun with rabbits who normally leave most of the plants alone…..except for the quince. They could not get enough of these bushes, nibbling them right down to the ground. Somehow one managed to grow quietly when they weren't looking.  For whatever reason, this year it went wild and bloomed! It  is so loaded with flowers, the branches are sagging. I just love seeing this beauty, full of red flowers, standing out like a wonderful sore thumb in a sea of yellow and pink spring flowers. 

Texas Scarlet Quince

I can't wait to paint these flowers!

April 21, 2011
Kathy
4 Comments

Last of the Daffodils

Posted in Reference Photos

Last of the Daffodils

The late spring daffodils are in full bloom here in Pennsylvania. It looks like to me, that these are the prettiest and the most colorful daffodils.  I love seeing the bright yellow after a long winter. But my favorite daffodils are blooming now with wonderful pink, orange, yellow, and white centers, and even all white daffodils.

When I paint daffodils, I usually paint the all yellow ones or the yellow with orange centers. My favorite to paint is the yellow with orange gradated centers.  I will have to look at the pink centers and all whites for future paintings. They could make a very pretty painting.  For a black and white drawing that I am working on, I look for a photo that shows a lot of contrast between lights and shadows, rather than color. The 1st photo is the one I am using for current drawing. The drawing is finished, I'll be sure to post it here.  

White daffodil with yellow center

All white daffodils

and from the 2011 Philadelphia Flower Show :

Peachy orange center

Yellow with orange centers