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!