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April 4, 2012
Kathy
4 Comments

Looking at Forsythia

Posted in Peeking Behind the Easel, and Reference Photos

I think it is so interesting that many of the first spring flowers are pink or yellow.  I have daffodils planted near forsythia in the yard. It was not done intentionally, but I love that they both bloom roughly the same time. The big burst of yellow shouts out Spring! like nothing else. Here's burst of yellow from the Forsythia:

Forsnthia in bloom

You can see each flower is held onto the branch by a little bit of green stem and four petals.

Yellow Forsythia in bloom

Inside each flower, there is also a touch of green near the upper base of the stamen.  Each flower has 4 petals with a faint raised line down the center of the petal. 

I like painting then with  any shade of blue background  – my preference is a grey-blue or a cerulean blue, depending on what mood Iam aiming for.  A  painting with single branch loaded with flowers makes a statement. But I also like painting them as a peek into the entire bush ,like the left side of photo above, where the flowers seem to go on and on.  No matter what the composition, they are just fun to paint for the sheer joy of burst of yellow color and the sign that spring is on it's way.

March 30, 2012
Kathy
11 Comments

Daffodils on Glass

Posted in Art Work, and Peeking Behind the Easel

I just love seeing all the daffodils in full bloom around the yard. I used them as my inspiration for my newest wine glasses. I used a rough sketch drawn in my sketch book last week and looking out my window as my guide for painting.

sketch of daffodils sibstudio

And here they are  –

Daffodil wine glasses

I enjoy the challenge of painting on glass and treat the glass as if it was a canvas. Glass paint is a bit sticky and takes some convincing to lay smoothly on the ultra smooth glass surface. Once I build up 3 -4 layers of paint to create an opaque surface base, then the fun of painting in details and adding colors begins.  These cheerful glasses will bring a touch of spring all year round and can be found in my Etsy shop.

 

March 26, 2012
Kathy
7 Comments

Even More Daffodils

Posted in Reference Photos

I never get tired of seeing blooming daffodils in the spring. Aren't these white ones beautiful?! 

Daffodils in bloom sibstudio dot com

  All the daffodils in the yard are in full bloom.  

Daffodils on the hillside SibStudio dot com

Each year the clusters get bigger and fuller.

Two tone yellow daffodils at sibstudio dot com

These two tone yellow daffodils are nestled under a bush that is just starting to bloom. You can really see how the six petals are arranged as two sets of three – three below and three above like pinwheels.  I am painting daffodils on wine glasses this week.  I'll have photos of them posted later in the week.  Enjoy your day !

March 23, 2012
Kathy
4 Comments

Lucky Four Leaf Clover

Posted in Reference Photos

Everyday is like St. Patrick's Day around here if you are thinking of four leaf clovers. Even a week later.  My grandmother had a knack for finding four leaf clovers where ever she went.  It seems to have skipped two generations to my daughter.  No matter where she goes, she can look down and pluck a four leaf clover. The first one I remember her finding was along the edge of a parking lot when she was a preschooler.   Here's the one she found yesterday afternoon in the yard:

four leaf clover

 I've read that there is a one in 10,000 chance of finding a four leaf clover. I need a calculator for the odds of finding 40 – 50 as my daughter has….. so far. 

The four leaves of the clover  symbolize faith, hope, love, and the fourth, luck.  They have been considered a sign of luck from way back in the days of Druids. Some of the four leaf clovers are plain green like the one my daughter found, and others have a white marking like this:

four leaf clover image Wikimedia photo credit: Wikimedia

She has found both variations. Four leaf clovers are sometimes called a mutation of the white clover plant. I just call it a lucky white clover plant.  : )

March 16, 2012
Kathy
3 Comments

Oh Good Morning!

Posted in Reference Photos

Look who was hanging out on the deck yesterday morning when I opened the blinds:

Mourning Doves

They are so pretty in all their grey softness.   The peeling deck railings, ah……. not so much. They don't seem to care too much.

Mourning Dove Bathing

Wouldn't it be cool to back able to turn your head like that!  I like seeing all the feathers separated out so you can see the shape and the coloring. The dotted feathers are interesting.  And the red feet are surprising considering how soft the colors are on the rest of the bird.

Mourning Dove at SibStudio dot com

My favorite part of the dove is the metallic pink and blue feathers around the head. I wasn't able to get close enough to catch the metallic sheen.  When I think of the colors of nature, metallic is not one that I think of, but that's what you find on the head of a mourning dove.  This little guy has finished his bath and has fluffed out his feathers to soak in the morning sunlight.  I haven't painted  mourning doves, but these guys had me ready to grab my paint brushes. They were a wonderful morning surprise.