Waterlilies

Today I took a walk on the wild side - at the nature preserve to be precise. It was a perfect day, cool, breezy and sunny. I stopped by the water to take in the beauty of waterlilies decorating the pond when a little red dragonfly buzzed past. He's a perfect addition to this painting.

• This painting has been sold.

Bermuda South Shore

What a color! The waters around Bermuda's South Shore never cease to amaze me. In this painting you see some of the local vegetation in the foreground, the pink coral sand and a coral outcrop in the water. The south shore has many of these outcrops, some very close to shore and standing in groups. But this one makes a singular statement standing alone in the midst of that beautiful blue.

Yellow Sunflowers

I love these stately and bright flowers and now is the time you'll find them blooming here. I was not aware how many types there are until I was given a lecture on sunflowers by a client at one of my outdoor art shows. The people who visit my booth sometimes know more than I do about what I've painted. I learn a lot!

I've done this painting at an 8x10 size to allow for more detail in the flowers.

• This painting has been sold.

Ruby Throated Hummingbird & Hibiscus

I love to see the hummingbirds visit my garden. Since I don't have time for all that a hummingbird feeder entails, what with keeping it cleaned and the food changed every few days, I try to grow flowers which will attract them. It works. At least one will zoom around the garden almost every day all summer long. Anytime there is more than one, though, they are chasing each other. Hummingbirds are very territorial, and no wonder. It takes a tremendous amount of energy to hover the way they do and a lot of territory to get the food they need.
Here this hummingbird is hovering and drinking nectar from a Rose of Sharon hibiscus flower.

• This painting has been sold.

Heavenly Blue Morning Glories

Whenever I show my work at an outdoor festival these days, people tell me about their morning glories. That's because I always have a painting or two of these extremely popular flowers. Theirs are either doing spectacularly this year or not blooming at all. I keep hearing the same extremes and am not sure what the reason is for the difference. Everyone is getting the same amount of rain (lots), and sun. It's kind of funny.

At any rate, mine are not growing at all. Not sure what's wrong, but I'll have to find a new location for them. Last year I had one which bloomed with one flower and the entire plant was only one inch tall! Considering they usually grow up to cover 7 ft. trellises, that plant was not an Olympic champion.

For this painting, I did not need to have any morning glories for reference. I've painted this favorite flower of mine so many times that I could paint them with my eyes closed. Almost. I hope you don't mind that I put a bumble bee in the scene. Morning glories always seem to have at least one buzzing among them. I've never sat outdoors painting them for more than a few minutes before one will come humming along to bury its head in one of the trumpet-shaped flowers. I like the addition of the bee. It helps make the painting come alive with activity!