11″x14″ oil and acrylic on cradled wood board. This is my current favorite vase. Add a handful of bright tulips, and you have sunny summer all year long. I have painted it before, but the presentation here is a little different. Available here.
kicking’ it easy 2
I captured this moment at a rodeo several years ago, and have painted a similar version once before. I take multiple photos of scenes, so while they are similar, they are not exact. I love the casualness, the relaxed stance, the taking-it-easy vibe. 8″x16″ oil on stretched canvas. Available here.
Simple moment, simple colors, but all the sweetness of summer. My challenge here was in creating dynamic colors, without losing the realism. I painted from a reference photo shared by Nessa Town. I also have a painting of an orange I will be listing tomorrow. I’m trying to paint more fruit. 🙂 8″x8″ oil and acrylic on cradled wood board. Available here.
summer fox
A perfect moment of contentment on a warm summer day. I love all the different colors in the fur, and how the sparse brush strokes still convey its lushness. I painted from a reference photo shared by Virginia LaSalle. 6″x12″ oil on cradled wood board. Available in my Etsy shop.
The spectacular variety of birds almost takes my breath away. I painted from a reference photo shared by Retha Crocker. 8″x10″ oil and acrylic on cradled wood board. Available here.
Blue legs. This little guy has blue legs. Toothpick thin, spindly and delicate. What a wondrous thing he exists at all, and then painted all in most vibrant shade of blue. He’s a reminder of how magnificent the world is, down to the smallest detail. I painted from a reference photo shared by Terry Colby. 8″x8″ oil and acrylic on cradled wood board. Available in my Etsy shop. SOLD, thank you!
I loved this moment as a celebration of friendship. Who else is going to let you rest your head when you’re tired? I painted from a reference photo shared by Sabine Go. 11″x14″ oil and acrylic on cradled wood board. Available in my Etsy shop.
Some of the colors turned out a little different than I usually mix. The light blue on the tulip to the left is just the right shade–vibrant in person. Sometimes a little thing like that makes me so happy with a painting. I painted from a reference photo shared by Cindy Stahl. 12″x12″ oil on cradled wood board. Available here. SOLD, thank you!
so sweet, chickadee
There’s hints of gold peeking through here and there, adding a lustrous depth. The light has to hit the surface just right, and how noticeable it will be will depend on where you hang it. In person, the overall effect is very rich and warm. I painted from a reference photo shared by Wendy Hodgkins Corniquet. 8″x10″ oil on cradled wood board. Available in my Etsy shop.SOLD, thank you! 😀
What a little sweetheart. His many stripes and complicated pattern were quite the challenge! I painted from a reference photo shared by Kim Sheaffer. 8″x8″ oil on cradled wood board. Available here. SOLD, thank you!
and on it goes
I stuck to a limited color palette, and this one came out exactly as I imagined. So pretty! I painted from a reference photo shared by Eilidh Simmons. 8″x10″ oil on cradled wood board. Available in my Etsy shop! SOLD, thank you!
I’ve been concentrating on working with a loose style. I tend to try to paint too precise (whether or not you can see it) and letting go of “it has to look real” is difficult for me. The blue sky in the above painting looks especially bright, and is not captured well in my photo (or at least not on MY monitor). I painted from a photo shared by DeAnne Hope. 12″x12″ oil on cradled wood board. Available here.
renewal
Byes are so summer-y and engaging. I painted from a reference photo shared by Marcia Akhter. 8″x8″ oil on cradled wood board. Available here.
still waters
Every time I paint waterlilies, the result is entirely different. I come back to them to try and capture their serene stillness. I painted from a reference photo shared by Julie Kraut. 11″x14″ oil on cradled wood board. Available here.
I’m trying to list a painting a day through the summer, and don’t want to overload my subscribers’ (thank you!) email with too many posts. So I am stacking multiple paintings into one blog post. Would you rather see them as one a day? I know people can just delete, but one post a day seems a little rude to me. Please leave me a comment if you feel one way or the other on the matter.
Nothing says summer like a goldfinch. I painted him against a gray sunrise sky so his colors would pop; the orange glow in the lower portion is particularly pretty in person. I painted from a reference photo shared by Kaye Earney. 8″x8″ oil on cradled wood board. Available here.
so luxurious
I loved this guy’s fluffy tail, the title of the painting refers to this. The purple colors really make it stand out. Doesn’t he look like his parents were one red squirrel and one gray? painted from a reference photo shared by Les Liddle. 8″x8″ oil on cradled wood board. Available here.
I hope you are having a wonderful summer, with lots of time for gardening! The heat where I live is being brutal on my roses, even with daily watering. I’ll be glad when whatever’s causing the heat passes.
Sandra Spencer 