FRESIAS

                                                       11X14 oil on panel

Spotted these bright yellow Fresias at Trader Joes's (my favorite flower store!)  on a cold, wet, snowy day   and just had to paint them.  They were a reminder that spring is coming...someday!

I love my mercury pot with the yellow Fresias. I added  violet and light purple in the coloring to compliment the yellow flowers.

This is another triangle composition.  I think it is one of my favorite 
styles.

THE WHITE PITCHER

This is the final version...I  added a small berry towards the front and brightened the berries on the left.

This was more pleasing to me.

THREE AMIGOS

                                                             8X10 OIL, ON PANEL

I am painting these days with a new brand of oil paints...MICHAEL HARDING.  He MAKES them!.  They are so smooth and silky and last a long time on your closed palette.  I haven't had a drying problem on the canvases, either.  I love them!  I am slsowly collectikng the entire range of colors.  You can now get them at Jerry's Artarama.  My first ones came from England.

These three peppers were calling my name the other day.  I was looking for flowers and saw them instead..I enlarged my design three times before I got the right positions (for Me) to paint.

TANGERINE

                                                              6X6 oil on panel

I love painting with these two colors....makes me happy.  I am now sing Michael Harding's paints and I absolutely LOVE them! In fact, I will be ordering more colors this morning.  luckily, I can now get them at Jerry's Artarama online!

I am (trying) painting 30 in 30 days! This is day 6 of 30 and today is the 16th.  I have to paint when my great granddaughter (now 4 months old) sleeps.  Maybe I will be painting 30 in 60 days!  LOL  The main thing is that I am painting when I can!

CHERRY AND DELFT

I wanted to do the 30 paintings in 30 days, but, this is #3 and today is the 14th.  I have a lot of catching up to do!

Just finished three illustrations for book covers. I did the illustrated stories last summer.  There were  five stories, but, these 3 are the first to be published.  They are stories her grandfather told her and she wanted them for her grandchildren.  I can't wait to see a real copy of each!

LATEST PAINTING: THE WHITE PITCHER 9X12 OIL ON PANEL

Received these wonderful , juicy pears as a gift from my son and daughter-in-law.  They are Harry and David blemished pears.  You literally have to eat them over the sink as they are SO juicy and have a marvelous taste! If you have never had any of their fruit...you don't know what you are missing.

Decided I had to paint them.  I worked on the set-up for 2 days.  I have more pears, a bird on the left, etc.
Would add, then take away.  Finally, my daughter (who is my best critic) said get rid of the bird....this is the result.

I plan to enter them in several contests..so we shall see how it goes.  Will keep you posted.

GINGER LILIES

I had one plant ...then four.....then 12...!  I have given them to friends and I have used the ginger root...but how much ginger can you use??? The flowers are very fragrant and lovely. I have to move mine to another spot this week as they are beginning to emerge with tiny green shoots.  They seem to outgrow each spot I plant them in ......I really will have to search this time. 

SPRINGTIME BUNNY

I had a friend whose bunny use to sit in her flowers all the time! he was an inside pet, so I suppose he was missing the outside! He did not eat the flowers, luckily.

DELFT AND WHITE TULIPS

I usually paint red or yellow tulips, but, these were so pretty, I changed my mind.
The Delft bowl is from my extensive Delft collections......my favorite of al my collections. 

DELFT AND STAR MAGNOLIAS, by Dottie Martz, dottiefromvirginia

                         original oil on 9x12 Italian linen            http://dottiemartz.com
 This is another look at my star magnolias....they are blooming like crazy!  They last on the tree about 3 weeks.   I take tons of photos and cut many branches for live set-ups.  It is a slow growing tree, so thankfully I can still reach the lower branches!                                           

RATATOUILLE FIXING'S

  Finally done, I think..  I am ready to cook anyway.  I have been painting a wall mural up in Yorktown for the past 5 days and then coming home (1 hour drive) and painting on this piece.  Then I collapse.  I plan to get into a hot tub tonight and soak my poor knees.

day 2 - RATATOUILLE FIXING'S, 9X12

Got a lot further this time....will lighten the upper left when I return to the easel.

the final stage will eventually have red and white tablecloth.  That will perk everything up!

SUNNY FEELINGS by Dottie Martz, dottiefromvirginia

                           Original oi on 8x10 panel       http://dottiemartz.com

I think I will darken the lower left....the light spot draws your eye and it should not do that.  Funny, I look at these BEFORE I post, but, I always see something after it is on the screen and out there for everyone to see! back to the easel....

A HINT OF SPRING

8x10 oil on Italian Linen Panel.  When I saw these Forsythisas starting to bloom...I was overjoyed.  I quickly selected some and rushed into the studio and started painting.  Cannot get much fresher than that!  They were forcasting snow, but, we did not get any, luckily.

day 1 "HINT OF SPRING" 8X10 OIL

 

1. I spotted these tiny forsythias  beginning to bloom in my yard and it called to me to paint this little "hint" of spring.  Spring really is coming.  Then what does the weather do...it snows!  Just a few flurries, but, it is snow.  Oh well, I will look at my flowers and know that they will all burst into bloom.  I have a large bush down by the street and it is magnificent when in bloom.

1. I

SOUTHERN KITCHN BASICS

While cooking Ratatouille the other day ( and showing day 1 of a painting of the "fixin's")...I realized that I use these all the time:  onions, garlic and green peppers..(we call them  bell peppers).   I could not cook with out them.  Being a true southerner (from Mississippi) they are my basic-basic ingredients!

Day 1 of RATATOUILLE FIXIN'S

I saw an eggplant in the grocery and thought..oh, i"ll make some ratatouille.  I had a zucchini at home plus everything else, so I was good to go.  While laying everything out on the counter....I saw a painting set-up!  I see I forgot the Canola Oil bottle....I will add that. It is always a project in progress. LOL

A SOUTHERN MAGNOLIA

Painted on 11x14 Italian Linen Panel.  Of course, if you have read any of my blog postings you know how I love painting magnolias.  This inspiration came from my bedroom wall.  I have this crooked willow branch that is 6' long with magnolia on each end.  It is above my bedroom mirrored closet doors.  I have looked at it for the last 20 years and one morning, I said..I will paint that!

Day 2 Magnolia

I am almost there.  I cannot decide if I want "suggested small flowers" in the background..or not.  The inspiration came from the decoration above my bedroom closet doors.  The creator used crooked willow with the magnolias and filler flowers.

DAY 1 OF NEW MAGNOLIA PAINTING

Original oil on 11x14 Italian Linen Panel.  I can't wait to finish this....I love painting magnolias. This one is hanging over my mirrored closet doors  in my bedroom.  It is part of a 6' grouping on crooked willow.