Tulip time

Bonney's Bachelor Buttons

"Bonney's Bachelor Buttons"
Original Watercolor by Michele Cooper
Size: 3x5"

I recently had lunch with some fellow artists. These bachelor buttons were in the garden path as we walked up to the house. I now have a few added to my blue and white garden.

Hmmmmm. The background greens are much more yellow green than they look here on my monitor.
See yesterday's post.

Still life Composition and Concept

These are two still life set ups that I composed for my classes. The assignment was to create two compositions that expressed different concepts and/or approaches.

These floral still life compositions can be approached with theses suggestions:

1. This has a more formal arrangement with geometric shapes, quiet meditative color, subject matter, and more serious concept. It was inspired by a documentary that I recently viewed, "The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom", about the effect that both had on the people of Japan. I painted this in line and wash to express the clarity and gratitude that you would feel after an experience like this.

2.  This one has a much more lighthearted concept: The simple joy of picking flowers from my garden and setting them in a marmalade jar in the window. The cheerful complementary colors, plain white cloth and simple jam jar communicate  the idea of a moment of  beauty and joy. It was painted simply and loosely wet on wet.

I am posting the reference photos now and will update with my watercolor paintings soon.

Watercolor Florals in a Glass Container

"Garden Flowers in Glass Jar"
Original Watercolor by Michele Cooper
Size 15"x11"      Price: $200

Sometimes you just have to put down the gardening tools and pick up your brushes!
And eat the last of the pickles so you'll have a jar to hold the flowers.

My Paintings in the Window at A Guilded Gallery, Stanwood, WA

I have 3 new framed pieces in the front window at A Guilded Gallery during the annual Mother's Day Tour on Camano Island.

You can see the large blue "Delphiniums" here on the right side of the photo, but you'll just have to visit the gallery for a better view of the small tulip fields with barns (lower left) and medium size "Hollyhocks with a View" (above right). :-)

Please let me know if you got to visit the gallery and/or enjoy the tour.

Pink Flower Basket

Pink Flower Basket by Michele Cooper
15x 22" image
22 x 28" framed

I liked the contrast of the soft, colorful pink flowers against the rougher, earthy basket.

Three Pink Tulips

"Three Pink Tulips" sold
Original Watercolor by Michele Cooper
Size: 8x10"  Price: $120

I'm still using line and wash with this series so far, but now becoming more interpretive, less botanical. I wanted this composition to be higher in key and "poetic". I'm listening to Claude Debussy's "Claire de Lune" as I paint.