Cottages and Roses Paintings #1

Before the main event below begins, let me say one thing.

For quite a while now I've wanted to do a tutorial on photography. I've made notes and note of things and narrowed it down to a few very simple points that might help other women on their road to taking excellent photos. I didn't do this with an air of superiority because the Lord knows how lacking I am in anything "superior" but I truly did it with the intent of helping women achieve beautiful photos for blogging and/or ebay or whatever your intent is with your photos. With that intent in mind I've finished it after several months of note taking and thinking and about a week of actual "working" on it intensely and came up with it yesterday. With that being said, you'll now find it on the right sidebar just below my laundry room. It is not meant to criticize! It is truly intended as a help to those of us who struggle through this relatively new experience of blogging, selling, digital cameras and all things 21st century. I say go forward, chicks, and conquer this one because there will be a new one by a new entrepreneur any day now. How wonderful it is to live in these times of new inventions!! As Charles Dicken said and it is certainly true in our times today: "It was the worst of times and the best of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness." I don't know about you gals, but I have a bright future ahead for me. I'm positively loving living at this time of the world. Be of good cheer, be happy, be kind, be prayerful, be a friend, be a doer. We have much waiting for us if we get through with the help of our Lord. I don't fear because I know he is in charge - no one else.
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I was searching the web a couple of weeks ago for some cottage or roses prints and came across this artist and just adored her work. In some of her paintings she seems to replicate the old masters, but in some she's just as froufrou-y as the rest of us. She even has a few "country" or "primitive" paintings. Those aren't my favorites so I didn't include any of those in here. So take a look at the first of many I'll be displaying in the next week or two. I think you'll love her as much as I do. Her name is Barbara Mock if you'd like to "google" her paintings.
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A lovely white picket fence with a rose arbor along a stone path.

A bouquet of dusky pale pink roses.

Some victorian women on a lake watching a regatta through a garden gate nearby.

A country shelf with pansies, tulips, a gardening sign and a bird nest.

The quintessential garden shed.

Potted flowers.

Another "old masters" looking painting of lush flowers.

A garden spot most of us dream about from time to time.

A spot to repose inside a potting shed.

A tablescape vignette.
More to follow soon...........

Pursuing Your "Passion"!

It was about 2 years ago now that I first gave any serious thought to painting roses. The first picture below was my first attempt at viewing a video while pursuing a fluffy kind of rose. I flunked royally!! I've said it before and will say it again that my roses will never rival the popular artist of the day. They need have no fear of me! Trust me on this, I'm no serious threat to anyone, but I do have an aim/goal in life and that is to satisfy this passion in me to at least paint a decent rose painting. I want them a bit shabby and sort of impressionistic–oh, not in the true sense of impressionism, but in what I would call just a "hint" of being a rose. I think I've succeeded in that. It may not be everyone's "cup of tea" but I don't aim to please anyone but ME. ;-) It has been a real struggle, especially since we have no artists in this area who can or will teach a class and I have absolutely no inherent talent. ;-) Even Michael's recently told me they've cut their painting classes for anything. That was hard to take, but I could get a class on making Wilton roses outta nougat or paste or some such thing. Nuuuuuuu, I told the lady. I wanna paint a rose. She looked at me sadly and said, "Good luck." So I just practice, practice, practice and show my incredibly "unartistic" "ROSE." You can see my "progression" below but just bear in mind that the colors I use are for practicing and I can see how the colors form the rose. I am doing this on that awful ole newsprint and it's kind of a grayish recycled color background so I've made little dabs of color to see how it looks on different colored backgrounds. Some of these practice pages I've shown before but I've gone back over the roses with other colors and "redone" them - such as it is. I'm becoming more satisfied with the "consistency" of them anyway.

Now, why do I post this to show you??? Well, it's not about becoming perfect as an artist; it's about pursuing your passion. I'm a "passionate" person by nature and don't give up very easily on much of anything. But I have a passion for painting a rose or at least giving it a try. If you have a passion - no matter WHAT it is - pursue it. Don't give a hoot what others think or say. Don't even ask for their opinion; although, there are many who will give it without you even having to ask. But don't ask! It is your passion and yours to pursue. Don't listen to them or let them deter you from your passion to do whatever you want. (Within legal limits, of course. I mean I don't want you to become the perfect bank robber!) So that's why I post my "roses" for you to see and to keep me humble. I truly only care about what "I" think. Others can say whatever they want but I don't care one whit. Although, I have to admit my ebay group has been extraordinarily supportive and kind in their comments and encouragement of me. I probably drive them nuts though at times!! LOL Go forth and pursue your dreams. Enough said!!





I have to admit that this one pretty much looks like my hair on a "bad hair day" though!! LOL

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