TamandaArt

I've had this thought at the back of my mind for ages that I was going to purchase some peonies and do this massive scale photoshoot where I'd have more photos than I knew what to do with. Anyone who has bought them knows they're pricey so I finally went in and ordered some.  Well, they weren't exactly what I had predicted (even though they're what I asked for). It was that they were all in full bloom. All of them. Not one was smaller, they were all the same size and colour. I was frazzled.  I went ahead and took photos, stressed and came up with more ideas and compositions and every day, I hated them all. Finally three days in I managed to get some shots. Needless to say, I managed to get one good photo at least and here is the result. I figured that I managed at least ten decent compositions but was so stressed that I'm going to be putting them away for a little while. They'll pop up here and there. Reflections 10" by 10"

I started this one yesterday. It's a composition that I've worked with several times, each time taking different elements of the still life and giving it a new life. I think the colours here are more vibrant. I suppose it looks and feels like a celebration. Perhaps it was the influence of so many fireworks blasting off over the weekend.  Berry Blast   9" by 12" oil on canvas board Click to Buy With all my canvases, I now paint the sides at the same time (except bottom, I do that 2 days later) so that they match exactly. It just continues as the painting.  Kendra (my wonderful daughter) helped me with the canvas name.  She is always so much better at those things than me. 

This morning I told myself that I was going to finish a painting.  It didn't matter which one, just any. There are so many started and not finished, so I didn't think about it and just started painting the one that was on my easel.    I kept going.  Did a load of laundry. Got back to it. Coffee? Sure, drank it and kept going.  Walking dogs, and more dogs (have three). More laundry. Painted some more.  Finally, three loads of laundry, dishwasher done, walks with dogs, kids home from school and a whole lot of painting later, it is born. And I felt like I'd given birth.  Tired but gleeful.  Peony Pyramid 10" by 10" oil on canvas S OLD

Last Monday I started this painting (I finished it Friday) I had intended to do a serious still life with dark shadows and depth but the daisies were too happy. It became another painting about colour. I guess I've been in a good mood because they've all turned out like it this week. Perhaps, not a bad thing. Painted Daisies 8" by 8" oil on canvas board Click to Buy I think I should have called it "The Shy Lemon".

The weather has been all over the place. We've had a long winter, then a brief glimpse of summer and then it got cold (spring?). Nobody can keep up. Good news though is the tulips were able to survive all this, until my dogs got them (for dog lovers - they don't eat them, they just destroy them and I remove the plant until the next year they try to grow).  Red Tulips 8" by 8" oil on canvas board SOLD So I thought I would give painting them a try. I like the composition. I hope you do too. 

It's been a long week.  I've painted every day but I didn't have anything to show for it until today. There are more in process but like so many artists I can't show them until they're done. Floral 101 8" by 8" oil on canvas board Click to Buy Red and Pink 8" by 8" oil on canvas board Click to Buy

I took so many photographs that it has taken me two days to sort through them.   me My husband took this pic because he said that was all he saw. He actually has a video and he's not wrong, if the camera wasn't on my face I was scouting out compositions. But I loved it. I took over 6000 photos (who could blame me? look at the view). These mountains were breathtaking and the fresh air (cannot describe the air enough!) Love the colours! Wishing I was back there (but with hubbby, the kids and the dogs this time). This was a pre-storm photo. The wind was hustling and the clouds (didn't come out as dark as it felt at the time) I wasn't sure that I was going to get to the beach on time before it poured. When we got there and rushed out of the car we realized that there were people already down there taking photos too. (I have lots of these stories. I always think I'm so creative only to find 50 others have the same idea.) You can

Last week I was in British Columbia taking thousands of photos (not an exaggeration) of landscapes for future paintings. I would have loved to try and paint plein air (except on the rainy days) but seven days are short and there were so many things to do (and so many we didn't get a chance to do, so little time). It took a little bit of time but here are some of the different places we went.  From the airplane while descending to Vancouver. We had a really good view of the mountains. The airport was full of native art that was gorgeous!  Stanley Park   Vancouver                                                                             The Vancouver Aquarium Breakfast coffee at Medina. The fancy coffee was                                               highlight of my morning here in Vancouver. Horseshoe Bay where we caught the ferry to Vancouver Island (Nanaimo).  Nanaimo waterfront Neck Point Park (Lantzville) MacMillan Park (C