This month’s Painting Challenge is a typical August still life…a picnic with watermelon.

It is a joy to sit outside and paint with your girlfriends. Nobody judges and we enjoy catching up on family happenings.

Denise and her husband have quite a garden in the middle of town, along with chickens and dogs.

The strawberries are excellent to eat and brightly colored for painting.

Years ago I photographed some water floats waiting for a Portland Rose Festival race. I’m finally getting around to working on some paintings from the references.
This is a close up of a larger photo offered in the May 2010 Monthly Painting Challenge.
Join in and show us your ideas!

Hollyhocks are one of my favorite flowers. They are found in the south leaning against stucco homes and wooden fences.

We have them here, too, but they are often double-headed and less delicate.
When the sun shines through the petals the color is quite bright.

Painted for the Inspiration All Around Us painting challenge facilitated by Dana Marie Gallery, Corvallis, Oregon.

I think this is my quickest painting yet (just an hour). I’m working on loose brush strokes and exaggerated color.
I just downloaded 64 photos from my phone which were mostly gardens around my neighborhood. Corvallis is sure a pretty place to live!

Donated to the Heart of the Valley Children’s Choir annual fundraiser.

Here is another painting from Lucy’s garden, down the street from me. Lucy has passed away, but her memory lives on her her succulent/palm garden, which I get to watch grow every day.

This cactus blooms every spring, in these bright orange blossoms. When they drop off, red bulbs are left, which I think eventually turn into new branches.

One of my favorite birds is the ceder wax wing, for it’s subtle color changes.

This quick oil stick sketch has a bit of scraffito.

When I’m waiting for Maya to get out of rehearsal, I often paint in the car/RV with iridescent oil sticks, which have little fumes and make little mess. The results are a rough-looking composition with a shimmer.

Mark Allison handed off this rose to paint last week and I’ve been struggling to get it right for days. This rendition is fine though I was going for something more subtle. I’ll keep trying.