Orchids and Oranges - with thoughts on Wise People from Alexandra Stoddard

30"x24" x1.5" deep gallery wrapped canvas

For more information, or to purchase, click here.  

"Love is exactly as strong as life." - Joesph Campbell

"The wise people who accomplish much in their lifetime know the secret of happiness, which is to act out one's own interior stirrings and make them concrete. There is no greater joy than to find and bring forth personal truths."

- Alexandra Stoddard, from 'Grace Notes'

One more bloom opened on my orchid, and it makes another wonderful shape for me to notice. Each day there is more to see as another blossom slowly reveals itself in its gentle unfolding. The light follows the smooth curves until they bend into shadow...gracefully, in some small grandness.  

Peonies and Pears (large)

30"x24" oil on 1.5" deep gallery wrapped canvas

For more information, or to purchase, click here.

The peonies have been heavenly this year! My only 'beef' is that they don't last long enough...especially if it rains! Right after they first opened, we had several days of rain...so of course I started cutting bouquets (trying to save them). Umm, yeah, several bouquets. Well, perhaps more than several. My husband was sure I had lost my mind. A neighbor kid coming around to get a petition signed, saw the table full of bouquets and asked, "Wow, are you a florist"? 

Okay, it's official - I am obsessed with peonies! Is there a support group?

Blue Hydrangea and Pears

24"x18" oil on stretched linen

For more information about this painting, click here, or contact me here.

Cool blues of summer....

fresh juicy pears.  

This painting was started outside on my back patio, 

hydrangeas cut from the garden;

finishing touches done in my studio.

Peonies And Pears

30"x36" oil on stretched canvas

I'll be re-photographing this one under better light tomorrow, or as soon as the rain stops! The color isn't quite true on this shot.  For more information about this painting, visit this link or- contact me here.

It's been interesting watching things in my garden this year. First every thing is about two weeks early, that's okay by me. I anxiously await these white peonies each year as they have the most wonderful fragrance! If I could bottle it, I would bathe in it!

Well, just last Wednessday, they were all open and standing up straight and tall as I painted this scene on a gray cloudy day:

yep, that's them to the left of the bench, right where you can sit and bask in the fragrance!  The very next day, they were plopped over on the ground, their heads so heavy, they just couldn't hold them up any longer!

So....I cut them while they still looked good and fresh, and put them in large jugs and vases! Initially they were holding up really well, but I couldn't start this painting until Saturday evening.  Continued it on Sunday, and finally finished this afternoon, just in the nick of time!  The blossoms are dropping their petals, in big plops of petals whole blossoms at a time! It's hard to believe they go by in such a short time.