WAx…glorious wax…glorious cone flowers..great shapes/colors..they dance

In Florida where I have painted this series I am surrounded by hibiscus so when I get tired of looking for flowers in my book I just look up and voila! they’re all around me!!!

The best thing about wax is that it just organically creates itself…meaning…I don’t really have much control when I turn the blow torch on..I like soft edges as you can see here…

I like the abstract quality of this painting…up close it is interesting but looking at it on this blog…well it is kinda pukey colors

I had a wonderful teacher Charles Gruppe…he taught oils/acrylics and really loosened me up with his fly by the seat of your pants approach…I went to Europe several times with the ‘group’…Portugal, Spain, France, Italy..and Greece…it was all fun being with a bunch of artists breakfast/lunch/dinner…we’d be dropped off in some random little town in these foreign countries and just set up shop…with some pretty ridiculous results…these people who we didn’t understand would come stand behind us and add comments..it was hard to stay focused…well, the reason I mentioned Charles was because he never used yellow…he said it ‘scared’ him…I have found that little piece of advice true…I struggle making yellow a meaningful color…I don’t know why

You know…I never get tired of painting..and that is the truth…I think that is because I am in control and not…responding and then taking ‘control’..so I start with an ‘idea’ and really paint that idea…and then the painting takes over…I get so excited at that stage and if I can stay quiet and jus really listen…well, that is when something can happen

so can’t you feel what I was trying to do with this flower? I call it ‘reachin to the stars’

More tulips..we’re gathered together to ask the Lord’s blessings…

soo tulips…now I dont plant tulips for one reason and one reason only…they only bloom for a short period and then you have to put up tith their stalk the rest of the growing season…but I do love them when other people plant them..but then this really is all about painting shapes and colors and using adecent composition to keep the viewer interested

I USED TO NEVER PLANT BLUE FLOWERS AND NOW IT IS ALL THAT I LOOK FOR AT THE NURSERY…there are really a lot once you commit