Wedding Bells

First and foremost - Samantha & Morgan are getting married! The "French Contingent"are all coming to Upstate New York for Christmas, and we are going to celebrate! In the meantime, I get to play "wedding planner" which has been really fun this week. I find the options, send them off to them and they decide how they want to do it. Sam and I use Skype which has been a lifesaver because we can talk for free and it all seems so close now.

So, in the meantime, I am painting, and worked on this small piece of one of the artists at the Florence Academy. She graciously posed for some pics while waiting at the school - and I just loved the "Beehive"!

"Beehive" 16x11 oil on board

Lotus Obsession

Three years ago I was out looking for a spot to paint some haybales and barns in Upstate New York where my Mom lives. I went over the hill to turn around and paint some nice red ones, and discovered this amazing Lotus pond. These things are the size of cabbages, and the leaves as round as tree trunks. They are glorious, and I have had an obsession with them ever since.

So when I went back home last weekend, we went to see if any were in bloom - and while they weren't all out, there were enough to take some more pictures and make me very happy!

I would have loved to have stayed for the week and paint them there on location, but since that couldn't be done, I am now home in the studio working on some nice big paintings of lotus blossoms.

Life is good.

"Poppies in Tuscany"

I just finished my first larger painting of the poppies in Tuscany. Due to rainy, cold weather before we got there, we were lucky enough to have them scattered all over the olive farm. We were thrilled, and the Italians were just as thrilled that we brought the sunshine with us.

As a painter, they are just wonderful to paint and a joy to use all your reds and oranges! You'll probably see more of these...

Detail of "Poppies in Tuscany" 30x15 oil on canvas