Third Time's the Charm

“Let the beauty we love be what we do.” 

Rumi, 1207-1273

hydrangea 3 | oil on cradled panel | 6" x 6" | Flanegan | $150

There are paintings in an artist's studio that beg to be revisited. So when a friend surprised me with hydrangeas, I was convinced it was a sign to paint over my shy attempt from a few years back. : )

hydrangea 2 | oil on panel | 6" x 6" | Flanegan 

one more day

Love is our true destiny.

We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone, we find it with another.

Thomas Merton

one more day | oil on panel | 6" x 6" | Flanegan 

This bouquet was given to me after a wedding rehearsal dinner. Isn't young love grand?

Then I got to thinking of other recent events celebrating love like my mother's birthday or the love for a friend who was taken away from us too soon or another friend's love for his family who lived a full and rewarding life - to whom no one was a stranger in his presence.

How powerful for Love to forever pulse within, thereby gracing us with more love to share with others.

unconditional

Jeannie's Rose | 6"x 6" oil on wood panel | Flanegan

happy birthday

white on white | 6"x 6" oil on panel | Flanegan

"Yeah we all shine on, like the moon, the stars and the sun." 
John Lennon

orange you happy?

Zinnia with Gomphrena | 6" x 6" oil on panel | Flanegan | nfs

I was asked to look after a friend's home and cat while they were on vacation recently. What a joy it is to explore another's garden, especially those of my creative friends. Zinnias have always been one of my favorite flowers. They're a festive little firecracker of a bloom.

Zinnia's make you smile and so do good friends.

: ) 

Umlauf's Pond

Umlauf's Pond | 11" x 7" oil on panel | Flanegan | sold

I began painting this outdoors and finished it in the studio yesterday, a year and a half later.  A friend's comment had given me pause, rightfully so. It's good and necessary to periodically discern what we're trying to say with our work.

Some say water lilies have already been done. This may be true, but I learn so much while painting them. And I'm not competing with the Masters anyway - what if we all gave up painting subjects that have already been painted? What a loss that would be.

Hopefully we learn from the Masters, but make each composition our own. I love that the sound of rippling water from the fish surfacing for food still lingers with this painting. 

Here's her twin {I chose to split the panel} posted in January of last year.  In my painting above I used a reference photo with the sun behind the clouds as you can see with the tighter range of values as compared to the sunny skies with the linked painting.

Happy to see that I've loosened up a bit, with a little help from my friends.

: )

orange

6" x 6" oil on reclaimed wood panel | Flanegan | commission

chartreuse

6" x 6" oil on reclaimed wood panel | Flanegan | commission

I am joyfully convinced that a New Years Eve Pajama Party is the best way to celebrate a closing 2012 and an opening 2013. I couldn't help but smile throughout the evening...have you ever been so blissfully aware of the gifts of friendship before you?

One of my favorite Christmas cards I received this season had this message inside, "The very best gifts are the ones we already have." 

So true. Here's to counting our blessings and living in the moment.

: )

pink

6" x 6" oil on reclaimed wood panel | Flanegan | commission

One in a commissioned series of five - wee!

What a whirlwind of a year - 2012 was sprinkled with many exciting firsts for me. I feel like these blooming echinachea!! Thank you for visiting with me this year and sending your encouraging words.

A new year filled with love and joy to all.

26 : blast off!

blast off! | Flanegan | 6"x 6" oil on reclaimed wood panel | $90 + t|s

25 : the bloomers

the bloomers | Flanegan | 6"x 6" oil on wood panel | DPW Hurricane Sandy Auction

Glorious rain is to flowers as kindness is to the soul. I feel like I'm in bloom, blessed by some of the most precious friends on the planet.

This second take of the cone flowers was painted after studying with talented and accomplished artist, Laurel Daniel at the The Art School at Laguna Gloria. She is wonderfully confident and generous with her knowledge and experience. The class (a birthday gift from a friend) was very fun and quite helpful in keeping my values in check. It's so easy to be distracted by color.

The garden was sprinkled with contrast and saturated color as the sun came out after a much-needed steady rainfall. If flowers could smile, this is how I imagine them...

: )

24 : buds

buds |  Flanegan  |  6"x 6" oil on wood panel 

what a joy to look after a friend's garden.

: )

4: Hya Cinthia!

Hyacinth in Blue   |  Flanegan  |  4"x 5" acrylic on panel

you're in bloom!

2: Blossom and Leap Day Sunset

Blossom | Flanegan | 3"x 3" acrylic on wood panel | $50 plus s+h

"Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."

- Hans Christian Andersen

you make me happy when skies are grey

6" x 16" x 1" oil on blended wood panel | sold

Once a tonal study from a previous post, this composition took on a life of it's own, blossoming into a 3d construct. I'll try to shoot another angle to better illustrate this in future entries.

My talented poet...my muse.

flower study

6" x 8" oil on wood panel | sold


This began as a tonal study, but the bloom of this wild flower/weed was so beautiful that I added a little color. It's amazing how they seem undaunted by the drought. A delicate, yet unwavering spirit.