"Sunflowers Delight"

This time, there are four sunflowers. I am just awed by the beauty of sunflowers. It just takes my breath away.

"Lord, thank you and praise you, because you are worthy!"

What I find so delightful about watercolor painting is that it's so dynamic. Wow, ... wow!

"Teapot and Tulips"

In this painting, I experimented with using orange and violet to complement each other. I also tried echoing the violet with some tulips on the foreground. It was quite fun! Painting the teapot was an added pleasure. And then of course, the tulips... Fun, fun, fun!

"Thank you, Lord for this glorious day that you created. Thank you for the weekend, and the memories we make with our families and friends."

I liked this painting and I hope you'll like it too.

"Tulip"

Whenever I'm at a loss as to what to paint, I paint tulips. This was the situation today, so I painted a tulip. But I tried to make it interesting by making one of the petals kind of hanging out. Initially, I painted the background using light orange and lavender as wet on wet washes. But when I thought it was finished, the colors came out flat against the red tulip petals. So I glazed it with a rich mix of blue, purple and white. Also in this painting, I tried making dew drops. I think the cooler colors for the background gives a more striking contrast with the red of the flower. Do you agree?

"Thank you, Lord, for the gift of life."

By the way, thanks to those who emailed me their comments about this blog. Special thanks to my mom and my sister for their support and encouragement. I appreciate all of your kind comments.

"Four in a Row"

Not that I didn't want the apples to feel slighted after the banana painting... but here I am trying to get back in the good graces, so to speak. After all, apples are one of the most popular still life models.

I started doing this "en plein aire". I placed the apples in a row on the picnic table. But when I saw the first flash of lightning, I packed up my apples, brushes, paper and mp3 player and went back inside. Good thing I took a photograph of my setup after I heard the first thunder.

I'm still learning about the light and shadows technique, at the same time, trying to stay impressionistic... I liked it. But what do you think?

"Lord, thank you for the rain that quenches the thirst of nature's foliage... thank you for the trees and the green grass. Thank you, Lord, even for the storms. They remind us that in life, after the storm, the sun shines again."

"A Banana A Day..."

Bananas are supposed to be really good sources of potassium. "It's good for the heart", someone said. "It's good for the digestive system," said another. Guess what, it's also a good model for a still life painting. I think so.

I enjoyed painting this banana and learning more about painting light and shadows. It's not perfect, I know... But I kinda like it. I hope you like it too.

What if, instead of the apple, a banana a day could keep the doctor away?

We went to the company family outing at the amusement and water park today. It was awesome. My husband and I had lots of fun relaxing on the "Lazy River" at the Splash Beach. I liked the "Space Shot" ride. My family loved the "Zoomerang"! I, on the other hand, chickened out of this awesome roller coaster ride. The last one I rode was "The Hulk" at the Universal Studios in Orlando. Maybe someday, I will ride another roller coaster. Still, it was another great family day!

I'm always proud of my husband! I think I'm the lucky one between the two of us. Days like these, make me extra proud of my spouse and that he works for the company

"Lord, thank you for a beautiful day spent with family and coworkers! Thank you for all your blessings of good health, family and friends! God bless the company and its employees! God bless America! God bless us all!"

"Out of the Blue"

My neighbor and friend had flowers that looked (sort of) like these growing under her mailbox last month. I thought they were really pretty and they inspired this painting. My husband liked it. He said they were pretty. I'm so blessed to have a husband who's very supportive and encourages me to keep on painting. I'm doubly blessed because I've got a stepdaughter who's another great audience for my paintings. And so, I just keep on keeping on.

"Thank you, Lord, for the astounding beauty that surrounds us, and for the love and friendships we find in the people around us."

"One Sunflower"

I love sunflowers. I still have to learn to paint them well. When I started painting, I realized that God must be a painter. Whenever I see all the beautiful and colorful things around us, whether it's a flower, a petal, a cloud, a blade of grass...I am reminded of the lines of a poem I learned in childhood, "All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small... each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings...He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings..." God made them all, and Oh, how beautifully He made them.

"Thank you, dear Lord, for all your wonderful creations, ...for painting every thing just perfect."

Still I tried to paint me a sunflower. One sunflower. I like it. I hope you like it, too. Before the merry month of May ends, I want to wish all the birthday celebrants this month, Happy Birthday!