Peegee in the Corner, Plein Air in the Artist's Garden

7"x 5" oil on gessoed masonite archival artboard

"What we need is more sense of the wonder of life, and less of this business of making a picture."
- Robert Henri

Documenting the first year of my garden in paintings. This peegee hydrangea has the beginnings of fluffy blooms, still small and a pale yellow-green. They will eventually become white, then go mauvey! I am still amazed every day that I walk out my front door and see the little changes that happen from day to day in this little front garden. We had a horrendous -powerful rain storm last night, some wind with it, too. I was worried all the flowers would be rather beat up. Some of them did take a beating, but didn't look too worse for wear. The cosmos was leaning a bit, and some of the phlox blossoms were knocked off, but mothing too bad. A couple places in the yard had a bit of erosion- I mean this stuff was coming out of the sky like a fire-hydrant had burst!

So this peegee is getting fuller each day. The humming birds love to rest in it. I'm thinking it will continue getting prettier through out the rest of the summer! Oh it is SUCH a delight to be here in this protected space to paint!

Interested in this painting? Send me an email: roxannesteed@gmail.com

Cove Marshes Morning; Old Saybrook

8" x 10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel (Raymar)

"Providence has hidden a charm in difficult undertakings, which is appreciated only by those who dare to grapple with them."
- Anne-Sophie Swetchine

I got to enjoy Friday morning painting with fellow daily painter, Jan Blencowe...and find another great spot to paint! It was a fun morning for me, even though it was the first time we had met face to face, we had talked many times via internet. We are alike in a lot of ways!

Cove Marshes Morning; Old Saybrook

About This Painting:
Our coastal CT area is lined with so many marshy areas. The wonderful paths of water through the grasses have always interested me, in every coastal area we've lived...from FL to the Carolinas,VA & CT

Media: oil on Belgian linen mounted on professional artboard
Size: 10 in X 8 in (25.4 cm X 20.3 cm)

How to Purchase:
send me an email

Painting in the Sunshine-ndp

Doing what I love best!

"Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby."
- Langston Hughes

Well, this is what I'd prefer to be doing when it's not raining "silver liquid drops" on my head! I'm hoping to meet up with fellow DailyPainter Jan Blencowe in Old Saybrook tomorrow (Friday). Hopefully the weather will cooperate! If not, well, the studio is a fine place to be on a rainy day!

The "Van-gogh" mobile has 4 new tires, new windshield wipers, and a new headlight as of Thursday. It drives like new...so to be extra nice to it, I took it through the car wash. Naturally, it started raining before I got home! Funny how that works!

Cliffs of Moher - commission/sold

11"x14" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel (Raymar)

"This world, after all our science and sciences, is still a miracle: wonderful, inscrutable, magical and more, to whosoever will think it."
- Thomas Carlyle

This one is already claimed - it's a commission from a collector who has made her first trip over this year - and had quite a memorable time! Just painting this place again, brings back a flood of memories. Heights like that leave me breathless, and borderline with vertigo! Yikes. The drop off of these cliffs is terrifying. But on the day of our visit, there were daisies and wild-flowers growing near the edge...it made a nice foreground for the distant cliffs. My friend made sure to take us by there in the afternoon, as the sun (if there is any that day) will illuminate the cliff face, making those mossy green bits glisten in the sun.

Check out the Wikipedia entry on this. Turns out the cliffs were featured in the latest Harry Potter film! (How did I miss that?!) Guess, I'll have to go see it again....at an earlier hour so that I don't fall asleep!

Fencing Master/White Block Studies

10"x8" oil on Belgian linen mounted on board. (Raymart)

I went down to paint with Leif Nilsson again Sunday afternoon. We had been talking about Henry Hensche's color studies of colored blocks sitting on a table in strong sunlight. Being that a portion of Leif's fence would make a great "white-block study". That's what I tackled. I felt like I had made a few 'color breakthroughs' today. It will be interesting to see how I can integrate this way of 'seeing' into my work. This is one exercise I know you can do on your own, but I found it very helpful to hear directly from a student of Hensche's the thoughts & process behind these studies.

Afternoon Delight (Artist's Garden Series)- sold

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

"The worst thing in your life may contain seeds of the best. When you can see crisis as an opportunity, your life becomes not easier, but more satisfying."
- Joe Kogel

This little painting was a "what if.." type of thing. I wanted to see this image in a square format (it's the same view of my garden as in the painting, "Perpetual Bliss", posted just a few days back). I also thought I'd try changing the stone work on the patio (that is actually there in real life) to rich dark soil for composition sake. Hey, I like both views! This garden has brought us a lot of joy already this summer!


We spent our Saturday visiting different garden centers & farms around our area. We made our final stop at Buttonwood Farm up in Griswold, CT. They have an incredible field of sunflowers...which is usually due to be in full bloom at this point in the month. They are a little behind bloom time from all the chilly rainy weather in June. But as always each summer, they have "Sunflower Ice-cream" - wow, my new favorite flavor!!

Morning Oasis, Plein Air in the Artist's Garden

9"x12" oil on Belgian linen mounted on panel (Raymar)

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world."
- John Muir

Right outside my front door is this little area of garden that is an absolute oasis. So much to paint so close to me....I'm really happy there. I'm trying to get as many plein air works as I can this summer while the weather is good. It seems to increase my visual memory for when I'm painting indoors in my studio during winter.

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Price: $250 USD plus $14 USD s/h
Or, send me an email

Good Morning Geranium Welcome, Plein Air in the Artist's Garden

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

"Restlessness and discontent are the first necessities of progress."
- Thomas Alva Edison

Good Morning Geranium Welcome, Plein Air in the Artist's Garden

About This Painting:
Just back from my walk, the humidity was rising, a storm might be coming through. I decided to start right away while the sun was on this side of the house! I really love the shadow patterns.

Media: oil on gessoed masonite artboard
Size: 6 in X 6 in (15.2 cm X 15.2 cm)

How to Purchase:
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Foxgloves By The Fence, Plein Air In The Artist's Garden - sold

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

"When you go out to paint, try to forget what objects you have before you.... merely think here is a little square of blue, here an oblong of pink, here a streak of yellow, and paint it just as it looks to you."
- Claude Monet

After all the cool rainy days we had earlier, we are certainly getting rewarded for our patience lately. It has been really beautiful! How could I resist going outside in the late afternoon?

I had a wonderful studio visit with one of my collectors this afternoon. It was so nice to meet her finally! Thanks Jill! If you'd like to arrange a studio visit on your way in to visit downtown Mystic, contact me through email or phone - 860-245-5537.

If you're looking for a particular painting and find it already sold, I do take commissions- and will 're-create' that favorite one for you! And - they can be done in the size to suit YOUR wall space! Just reply to this email and I'll send you a price list per size to help you determine exactly what you need.

Flowers Before Dinner, Plein Air in the Artist's Garden, (Late Afternoon) - sold

6"x6" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

"The body's needs must be met or it will perish. The soul, too, has needs that must be met, lest it wither and our very humanity with it. ....our most ancient progenitors did not dismiss the arts as frills, not even in our toughest times. Apparently there has been something in us from the beginning that has felt compelled to reach through the mundane and feel around for the transcendent."
- Tom Teepen

Now from the other side of the fence.... I set a watering can with some fox-glove blooms in front of the fence beside some day-lilies and cone flowers. Both are slightly unusual varieties. The day-lilies are a paler yellow, and the cone flowers are a somewhat 'tropical' color. So far I'm really happy with these varieties. I had been working in the yard for a bit during the afternoon & around 3:00 pm thought there was some interesting light in this area. But I was tired and hungry, so I went in for a snack and finished reading the paper. By 5:00pm the light had changed, but was still interesting....so I grabbed my gear & a small panel to catch this before going in to cook dinner (yeah, we do eat late when I do this). I really like the warm sun light on the fence post and on the watering can!

I found today's quote in the "Opinion" section of Saturday's paper. Teepen was writing about an archaeological find of a flute made of a griffon vulture bone being found recently....and how difficult life was at that time (Stone age overlapping with Ice Age). "Yet someone took the time and care to hollow that bone and to drill five spaced holes in it so that music could be fashioned." It's so important for our young folks (and older ones, too) to have these opportunities in the arts. It truly enhances all other parts of our lives. I spent yesterday evening meeting up with a friend in Cranston, RI. She was performing with a group that she had sung & played with for 12 years. I used to play in an Irish session with her in Virginia Beach, before we moved to CT. It was so wonderful to hear the amazing harmonies of these three talented people - and the wonderful arrangements they had put together. What a treat. I realized how fortunate I had been to be able to sit in with her back in Virginia in these sessions, what a generous person she is, and how far along the 'learning curve' she had brought me. I am incredibly humbled and so grateful for having had that opportunity. During the last year I have not played (I'm a fiddler of Irish tunes) as often as I used to, and I'm regretting it. Reading Teepen's column Saturday morning and hearing my friend and her group in the evening made me realize how much I miss playing music (as often as I used to). Good grief, it's not the Stone Age! I'm making time for a few tunes this evening!

Perpetual Bliss, Plein Air in the Artist's Garden (Early Afternoon) - sold

6"x8" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel (Raymar)

"Without seeking to do so, one discovers newness, and this is much better. Preconceived theories are the misfortune of painting and painters."
- Claude Monet


I'm continually amazed at how things are growing by leaps and bounds each week. But the thing I really enjoy is seeing how the light changes hour to hour in this part of the garden! Each part of the day holds it's own beauty. No wonder Monet painted his gardens time after time, year after year. There are so many fascinating changes -and I don't have to leave the drive-way to find it! You can compare this painting to the one posted on my blog on Thursday, June 25th - "As Evening Progresses....". Now you can see what's to the right of the big blue pot...and how the light looks three hours earlier in the afternoon....AND how much things have grown. I'm continually delighted to document in paint the changes in our first year of this garden! The phlox have come in rather coral-red. The nasturtium leaves are huge, and really climbing up all over the picket fence (and billowing down the stone wall on the other side)! The cosmos is a wonderful fuchsia color, and the fluffy-stemmy pieces really pick up the yellow green at this point in the day....and soon some roses will be blooming. Perhaps next year they'll start to climb the fence as well!

Every painting that an artist does adds to the cumulative memory of learning & skills. It makes it possible to look forward to 'the next painting'. I've been trying some new colors on my palette lately, working in these small garden paintings has been quite rewarding. I really enjoyed painting the boats from the Dingle pier yesterday...I think I'd like to paint another view of those boats in something REALLY large! I'm already thinking 3 or 4 paintings ahead! I truly look forward to each day and the gift that it holds for me!

Dingle Boats, II - sold

12"x 16" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel (Raymar)

"Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty - they merely move it from their faces into their hearts."
- Martin Buxbaum

I think it's finished! I'll have a look in the morning to see if there is anything else I'd like to tweak - or declare it complete. It is so nice to have an entire day to paint, no errands, no chores. Errands and chores always have to be worked around, like any one elses work day. Some painting time is stepping back to have a look from a distance...and THINK.

This one is already claimed, it's a commission from a collector who has recently made her first trip over to Ireland! I'm so glad she asked me to paint this scene (as well as the Cliffs of Moher). These are such wonderful places. The pier in Dingle has so many wonderful old boats there. This quote reminded me of these boats - they may have some dents & rusty spots, but they are great working boats put into use every day. I love the various shapes of the hulls & the masts, & riggings for nets, the colors, the reflections, and even the rust stains, etc. Their beauty is in their character!

Painting these places I love brings back all these incredibly fun memories of my visits over to Ireland. Right now I'm thinking about the great little ice-cream shop my friend Barbara & I found in Dingle this summer! They had 'honey-comb' ice-cream. Wow, it was so good, we went back a second time!! Of course we walked all over town to 'walk off' the calories!

***If there is a particular painting that you love, that has already been sold; yes, I can re-create it for you. Since it is an original it will not be exactly the same, but has the same 'essence' & 'sense of place' that captured our imaginations to begin with! Just email with with your request, I'll send you a price list per sizes to help you find exactly what you need!

Garden by the Sea; Summer Afternoon

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel (Raymar)


"If you follow your bliss, doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else."
- Joseph Campbell

We took a family trip over to Harkness Park to enjoy the afternoon; lawn chairs, novels, & me with the painting gear. It's a beautiful way to spend a gorgeous summer afternoon, here in coastal CT. Our daughters go back to Tallahassee on Monday and clean out their college apartment. It's been so much fun to have this time to visit, and take a nice break in the summer. Harkness Park here on the CT coastline was so beautiful this afternoon, and was filled with people. A wedding was going on as well. The gardens are reaching their peak bloom times - and this year is incredibly beautiful with all the rain we've had. We always enjoy our visits to this place any time during the year, but summer is especially sweet. This afternoon the sun was coming over the garden wall and lighting up parts of the opposite stone wall. Catmint, climbing roses, and many other plantings grace the grounds of this area. It is always a treat to go paint there.

Tomorrow we'll have a little more time to visit with 'the girls' before we take them back to the airport. They are at that next turning point in life, turning from college grads, looking for what life holds for them at the next point. Of course, there are many of these points in ones life, each one an exciting point along the journey.

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $150 USD plus $12 USD s/h
Or, send me an email

Nobska Point Lighthouse, Woods Hole, Cape Cod, MA

8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel (Raymar)

"A lighthouse is such a potent image; practical, because lives depend on it, and at the same time, utterly romantic; this lonely building on the cusp of land and sea, sending out light into the darkness."
- Jeannette Winterson


Tuesday we took a little road trip with our daughters up to Cape Cod....for a tour of as many light houses as we could see. "Yankee" magazine had just run an issue telling about the 'best' ones to see. We decided this was a 'must-do' and for all the time we'd been up here in CT, we had not been to Cape Cod yet. We definitely look forward to going back. Every thing I had heard was true - it's such a beautiful place! The wild 'beach roses' (rosa rugosa) were mounded up here on the coast. And - since we went on a week-day, the traffic was not bad at all. I really enjoyed seeing all these places....and funny thing - it occurred to me why so many Irish have settled up in MA - the weather is so much like Ireland in the summer! The view from this point is so beautiful.....gotta get back there this summer!

Interested in this painting? send me an email roxannesteed@gmail.com