Lilacs and Memories

 

This painting won't exist for long, so I thought I'd give you a look at it before it goes. 

I had very nearly considered the painting finished at this point and painted it into some sort of Farmhouse or camping background. I have a lot of fond memories of this old coffeepot and I want a reminder as I get older and things begin to slip away.

This is the last photo of it. Through various moves and things over the years some of the parts have gone missing so lately it's been a watering can and a vase out in the garden. There I's usually filled with lilacs, sunflowers, lilies or Iris.

Since there were lilacs in the photo I thought they should be in the painting too.

I had made one attempt before this but felt that the scale was wrong so I will include photos of that as well and let you decide what was the best approach. 

While I was thinking about this painting I thought I'd use it to decorate some of my outgoing mail and got a bit of practice painting leaves and flowers at the same time.

Lily Painting and Color Changes to an Old Painting

 I've been working on this old painting for 10 or 15 years, maybe longer but some of the lilies just didn't seem right.

You see it here in the middle of the change. It started with 2 yellow lilies and I decided yo make them white so they would balance better with the vase.

Here's a close look at the yellow one.

Here's a detail view where you see it with the others.

This is how it hangs on the wall now. I can't promise not to change it again but for now, I'm satisfied.

Fun and Easy Lilac Birdhouse

I was so carried away painting this one that I forgot to stop and shoot some step by step photos along the way.

Exterior Paints Used:

Purple, lavender, dark green and light yellow

Step#1. Paint entire birdhouse purple.

Step #2. Use The dark green and yellow to mix as many shades of green as you want to paint leaves and stems on it.

Step# 3. Use lavender paint to make lots of tiny 4 dot flowers to look a bit like lilacs and put yellow dots in the centers.

I'm pleased with the results and think that you will too.
Happy Painting!

Raising Butterflies, Painting Lilacs

The easiest way to start painting lilacs is to lay in shades of purple and green, don't think about this part too much. You're just looking for a general background to work the leaves and the flowers over.

Paint flowers over the purple areas and leaves and branches on some of the green ones.

After the branches and the flowers the way you want them to be put center dots in each flower with bits of yellow and brown.

We're going to be  raising and releasing butterflies in the garden off and on throughout the season this year so I've decided to start teaching myself to start painting them on everything too.

The Chrysalides were next.

I'm looking forward to our butterfly year and think you'll enjoy it too.

March 3rd was moving day and we put them into the habitat.

They were out and beginning to fly on May 7th.

I've  promised my sister that she can release them so they may have to wait until the weekend and warmer weather to be free.