I Wish I Could Be in California

"Wish I Could Be in California"

Today I was inspired to paint the weekly challenge from the Daily Paintworks website. A photo was posted of the California coast and I have such fond memories of my recent visit to the northern coast of California. Last year I spent a week being a tourist and fell in love with the area. I stopped and picnicked with the sea lions, drove up a little ways and stopped to watch the huge waves breaking along the shore due the a big approaching storm. Photographed the the wild zebras for about an hour outside the Hearst Castle and soaked it all up. Spend the last two days with family which was the icing on the California Cake. I enjoyed reminiscing as I painted the weekly challenge. 

Photo posted for weekly challenge on DailyPaintworks.com

Daily Rain Lilies

Daily Rain Lilies

Rain lilies are in full bloom in my waterside gardens on Matlacha Island. I have been growing the bulbs from a mere start of ten teeny bulbs that I bought at a local dept. store. The package said it would take five years to bloom. Well, that was eighteen years ago. Now, there are over five hundred lovely delicate pink flowers blooming all at once right before it rains. Patience pays off and it only took me one hour to paint this small painting. Claude Monet planted flowers so he would have something to paint on a rainy day. I paint in the rain under an umbrella. 

"Rain Lilies of My Valley

These two paintings in this blog are small warm ups before I start my big day of commissions for Bealls Florida Dept. Stores. One per day. I find that warming up before I paint large helps me to stay true to my art. 

"My Rain Gauge"