The Grass is Always Greener at Tiffany's- sold

5"x7" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

Earlier this summer I was on a 'paint-out' at Tiffany Farm in Lyme, CT. That painting sold immediately at our fund-raiser the same weekend. But I came home with more photos, notes and memories to work from....and an invitation to return! I'm not the only one that loves this place. Every one who has simply driven by, or has the good fortune to walk the land of this beautiful place feels it tug at their heart. I've been traveling a lot this summer since this day on the farm & it's good to come back to these scenes. The cows remind me of my grandmother's dairy farm in Maryland, when I was a kid. I loved that place & everything about it. But little moments like this.....why is it that all animals, children .....and many adults always think "what's on the other side HAS to be better"? HA! This little painting is a warm-up for bigger pieces to be painted for a show this fall.

Blue Hydrangeas -sold

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on professional art board (Raymar)

This summer I have been photographing every flower garden that strikes my fancy! I'm trying to have a supply of photos for when winter comes and I'm sick of seeing snow! New England is so beautiful in the summer, especially along our coast line. The pretty beach cottages, picket fences, and colorful flowers are so appealing to me.

The blues in hydrangeas have always been a favorite of mine.....but then there's the pink ones, the lavender ones, the long cone shaped white ones that droop down & turn pink. I haven't found a variety that I don't like. When we get to the point in our lives when we leave the Navy & don't have to move around....ha, I'm gonna have a yard full of these babies one day!! I can't think of summer without hydrangeas!

Peach and Blue Checked Linen - sold

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite

Have you had any fresh local peaches yet this season? Our local "you pick-em" place is now sending out emails to 'come get 'em'. I hope to get some more from them this year, they'll walk you right out to the tree & tell you which ones are best. (ie. no little green baseballs!). oh, summer is fading fast .....and I'm enjoying every bit that I possibly can!

Happy Anniversary! - sold

30"x30" oil on 1 1/2" deep gallery wrap canvas

It's finished! It's such a happy sense of satisfaction to bring a large painting to a finish. I do enjoy working from life on floral arrangements in a natural light setting. It's such a joy to move the paint around, thick & lush to form petals, layer colors, form shadows & make a three dimensional shape come to life. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do! Floral paintings are like a gift of flowers that never die!

Sunlit Garden Variety

20"x20" oil on canvas

This was certainly a fun one to paint. I love to set floral arrangements in familiar/favorite pottery and place in front of or near my studio window. I love to see how the shadows fall & colors of the now backlit items. I really used a lot of paint on this one, it's such a delight to layer & sculpt into the rich oil paint.

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please contact me: roxannesteed@gmail.com

Arbor Luncheon - sold

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

Today I was thinking about patios & beautiful places to spend time. After I painted my mother-in-laws back porch, I've had this on my mind. Today it was terribly muggy outside so there's no way I wanted to actually sit outside....but think of the delightful places where I've lived that I could sit out in the summer if I wanted to. I recalled a beautiful place from when we used to live in San Diego. The weather is nice & dry most of the year. There was a little winery north of Escondido where you could dine outdoors and overlook the vines beyond on the hillside. This was over six years ago that I went there for lunch with some friends, but I remember what a beautiful place it was, I felt like I was on a movie set. Today however, luxury would simply be having some cool dry air around me.....hazy humidity is only good for day-dreaming about dry climates!

Pastoral Retreat - sold

5"x7" oil on gessoed masonite

I was looking through all my photos of favorite things & places, road trips & memories. This sunny image of a Pennsylvania farm struck my fancy today. My grandmother owned a large dairy farm in western MD where I spent a good bit of time during summers as a child. I do love the earthy smells & sounds that all that entails. Farm scenes bring back memories of fun childhood times.

Happy Anniversary! (unfinished)

30"x30" oil on gallery wrap canvas - It's still unfinished, but I made a lot of progress today. You can see some of the flowers I've done on small pieces the last couple of days. (The large lavender Chinese mums & the little white button mums. ) I think I have some work on the table top, the pears....and then I'll give it a bit of a rest , see if anything else needs finishing. I can only work on it in the daylight, though. It's in a north window (where I like to place still-life setups when working in natural light) but at dinner time....it's time to stop. It definitely needs to be photographed in better lighting (do-over!). Large paintings are quite physical endeavors, you MUST stand to work especially on a piece this big. I'm constantly walking, back & forward, looking, then painting. It's like a dance......with a rather large partner!

Email me if you have questions regarding this painting, or would like 'first dibs': roxannesteed@gmail.com - Thanks!

Pat the Bunny - sold

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite

I'm still working on the large 30"x30" floral, but I'd like to re-list this little rabbit in my Ebay store. Of all the pets I've had, I've never had a rabbit. A friend had a pretty grey one like this, and it ate a lot of electrical cords. I think I'll stick to the other little beasts that won't short out my house! Gosh they are so cute! but I guess I'll stick to the ones in the yard....they don't each too much I guess!

Lavender Chinese Chrysanthemum - sold

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite

This is another flower from the large bouquet from my husband. There are two of these large flowers in the arrangement.

I was out visiting a museum with friend today, to go see an exhibit about Joan of Arc, so no more painting on the large 30"x30" arrangement today. But I had a great time getting to see a bit of art, illustration, sculpture and history....and lunch & a fun visit with a friend. And still enough time to paint a small one this evening!

Button Chrysanthemum - sold

4"x4" oil on gessoed masonite

Today is our 24th wedding anniversary! (I didn't think either of us looked old enough for that!). My husband sent a huge bouquet of flowers to the house today. He knows I like a mixed batch to arrange myself - to set up and paint! Wow, I got 2 arrangements out of them. So I set up a huge 30"x30" canvas and have a great start on the first one. There are a lot of little white chrysanthemums in it - the kind that have a yellowy center, along with Peruvian lillies, a couple of BIG lavender mums, yellow golden-rod looking flower, & other things....no idea, but they're pretty & looks like it will be a fun mix to paint. They are all in one of my favorite green pottery pitchers I got in San Diego many years ago. That pottery piece has seen a lot of paintings!

This little gem came to be, because I wanted a small piece to post on my blog today.....that would be finished! The big painting will need another day or two!

Last LIght of Day - sold

6"x8" oil on linen mounted on board (Raymar)

a view in a nearby park.....I savor every bit of daylight during the long days of summer.

Seaside Stories - sold

6"x8" oil on Belgian linen mounted on board (Raymar board)

Our last night at Virginia Beach (headed home on the grueling road trip) we ate at the hotel restaurant which had a deck that opened out to the beach. The two ladies chatting at the table across from ours were oblivious to the sailboat going past, must've been a good story! This painting, "Seaside Stories" was inspired by this moment. People watching in such a beautiful setting sure does take the sting out of a long drive! I am enjoying being back home in my own studio again!

Hollyhocks Heaven -sold

7"x5" oil on gessoed masonite


Whew, we got in quite late this (Wednesday) evening, back home in CT. Granted, this road-trip wasn't really a vacation, but taking our daughters back to college. We try to break up the long drive with fun breaks and visits, but the highway has made my bones & brain quite numb tonight. No new painting to post tonight, but an old one, "Hollyhocks Heaven". I have tweaked it a bit.....added some depth to the blossoms & foliage, while still leaving them painterly.

I'm so glad to be back to the comfort and familiarity (and good lighting) of my own studio at home! Painting a la "road warrior" is a challenge.

Savannah Splendor - sold

6"x8" oil on Belgian linen mounted on board

Today we stopped in Savannah on the way home from Tallahassee. It's a great place to stay & break up a long drive home. I've been coming to this city since I was a kid in Girl Scouts. This beautiful fountain is in Forsyth Park. It's a nice long walk from the river end of town where we are staying, to come approach the fountain....a row of huge trees greets you with nice inviting shade and tons of Spanish moss dripping from the trees. Just another cool place to be when you want to spend time outdoors, but it's as hot as.....well, you get the idea (the southeast is roasting).

Summer Retreat - sold

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite

Today's painting, "Summer Retreat" is my mother-in-law's back porch, where she lives just outside Atlanta. When we were there Friday, it was 102 degrees in the shade!!! I really wanted to contrast the cool & warm colors in this scene to evoke those pleasant thoughts of what relief the shade really was from the intense sun just beyond the porch!

Tomorrow morning we leave Tallahassee, and head in the direction of home, stopping in Savannah along the way.

Chesapeake Sunset, Eastern Shore

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite

This morning our road trip continued, leaving Virginia Beach & stopping in Atlanta to visit relatives, on our way to Tallahassee. Today's picture is the hazy sunset on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, when we drove through Monday evening. The southeast has been socked in with really high heat & humidity resulting in these super hazy skies....a layer of thick humid air has settled in over this cornfield at dusk.

Our visit to Virginia Beach went so fast, I enjoyed a day of painting yesterday with my friend Norma, in her studio. It is so enjoyable to have a trusted kindred spirit to share your endeavors with - for encouragement, critiques, & advice.

This painting is available for purchase from my EBay Store. to visit and bid, click here.

Atlantic Sunrise - sold

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite

I swam in the ocean (here in Virginia Beach) at sunrise this morning before meeting with a friend to spend the day painting. The sky began as a hazy blue before it lightened, and the sun was glimmering brightly on the water. I saw dolphins out there swimming just beyond me. I didn't bring a camera, sketchbook or paints, my main interest was getting WET! So I kept this image of this happy morning in my head until I settled down to paint later in the day- this is a memory painting of "Atlantic Sunrise".

The Great Summer Road Trip

Here we are Monday morning about to cross the Tappan Zee bridge from CT into New York in a soft drizzle of foggy rain. This is the annual trek (from CT to FL) of taking two students back to college, far away, stopping along the way at our home-away-from homes. This evening we are at Oceana Naval Air station, in Virginia Beach. No chance to paint today, but there may be some time for small paintings along the way! Both daughters are looking forward to catching up with old friends - so am I !! Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Reading on the "T"

small sketchbook, ballpoint pen....

We took time for a bit of idleness today, just to walk about & enjoy the city of Boston. We took the train in from Attleboro. I didn't paint today, but did sketch the young woman reading who sat across from us.

I also noted that when I do take train rides into any where that a large tote-bag would be so VERY handy, AND a smaller camera (preferably the size of an "Altoids" tin...any suggestions?) and of course a paperback novel. But I carry none of that, only basics like a wallet, lipstick, powder, and a teeny-weeny sketchbook & a thin ballpoint pen.....and my daughter still says I need "purse intervention"! Honestly, how could I get by with anything less!?

Wild Irish Roses - sold

11"x14" oil on canvas mounted on board


I think I've reached a finish on this one! The rainy skies on this day depicted in Ireland only seemed to enhance the beauty of the surrounding colors in this over-grown wild hedge of roses.

Wild Irish Roses (step 2, unfinished)

11"x14" oil on canvas mounted on board

Now it's a little further along. I've reached the point where I will put it aside over night & take another look with fresh eyes tomorrow & see what it needs for finishing up!