the tulip tree painting

this is my come-back painting, the first of this size(22"x30")that i have finished in a couple years. i am very happy with the results. it will be making it's way to it's new home in chicago soon.

passion

the purple passion vine painting

these are pictures i took quite a few years ago and have just come across them again tonight. they are some of my favorite pictures and also one of my favorite plants--these have led to one of my favorite paintings, a small one but still a good one. my passion has been reignited to paint these again, we'll see how a large format come out. see the small one above.

inspiration

the lotus flower. a symbol of hope, beauty, the ability to overcome adversity, to come thru a mucky path and end up somewhere lovely. i really don't think there are many things more beautiful and inspiring, literally or figuratively. i came across these today in an unlikely place and i'm so thankful i had my camera with me.

austin plant discovery

spiderwort--sounds like a plant i would want NOTHING to do with. i have a near-phobic fear of spiders and most things with more than four legs(bumble bees and a few other exceptions). *shiver* however, i love this plant--all the curly, furry blooms are so cool looking. i haven't been brave enough to try to paint this yet but i'm sure it will happen. the first time i saw this was on the first ever austin garden blogger spring fling. since then i have seen it at a couple nurseries around town. supposedly it can be invasive but i am going to plant some anyway, maybe in a container....

GIGANTIC peony

wow!!! i started working in the floral business about 13 years ago and in all that time i have NEVER seen a peony as big, beautiful or perfect as this one!! i can't wait to start a painting, or two, or more, of it!! it really was almost as big as my head. and it's one of my fav colors that peonies come in, i think the really dark salmon color might be my other favorite. what is your favorite flower?? maybe i have already painted it...

yes, my entire hand would have been hidden behind it...

tulip tree blooms

here are some very preliminary views of a new painting i am working on. it's based off of some pictures i took of some tulip tree blooms--very cool, you will see those next. anyway, there is still a long way to go with this one but so far so good.

i have never actually seen one of these trees close-up and now i know why people go crazy over them! the blooms are amazing! i think they come in different colors, someone i knew in new orleans had a tulip tree but i never got to see it in bloom. these branches came from a local florist here in austin. i am working on a painting of them right now, it's still in the early stages but it has promise....

bonnie's yellow plant

my good friend and awesome gardener, bonnie, introduced me to her jerusalem sage last week. i can't believe i have never seen this plant before!! i instantly fell in love with the full, bushy shape of the plant, the wonderful yellow color and the amazing shapes of the blooms and pods. it reminds me of a cross between a lion's tail plant and a yellow shrimp plant--both of which i absolutely love. along with painting, my gardening urge is also being revived. it is amazing what divorce can do to you and how long it can take to let yourself love the things again that are most dear to you. all in good time i suppose. you can definitely be looking out for a painting of these beauties in the near future.

love

i have found my painting mojo again, thank goodness. it really is the love of my life and i am so glad to be back in action. painting for me is like meditation, a different kind of meditation but still, i find it grounding and it makes me feel just a little bit saner and relaxed when i am doing it on a regular basis. here are a couple of my most recent gifts from the universe.

Verbena, #9 Jefferson Square, Austin, Texas 78731

These are pictures from one of my very favorite stores in Austin, which also happens to be my place of employment! I'm really not biased though, the minute I walked into the store I loved it and immediately applied for a job. It's worked out wonderfully since then and if you live in the Austin area and haven't been here you must visit. We do floral designs for delivery and weddings and have an amazing boutique shop packed with all kinds of goodies... here are a few samples.

glass sea urchin vases

little wooden hands

horn bangles

Tokyo Milk perfumes and bath products

recycled juice glasses, or adorable little vases

faves in austin

this post is for a good friend who may be moving here and hasn't been to barton springs, i figured some pics of the cool, clear water would be tempting--even if it is closed for the season.... always something to look forward to for next summer!

another one of my fav things is flip happy crepes just off barton springs and lamar where i will take my sister when she comes to town for a visit--something i can barely wait for! it will be an eating festival for sure!! yum! this was the peanut butter something... whatever it's called it was delicious! sugar coma for sure.

and some shots of the cute trailer and colorful picnic tables.

keep austin weird

we have a saying for our fabulous city here, "keep austin weird" so i thought i would post some of the stranger things i have photographed lately. these first couple aren't weird at all, just cool things i saw in shop windows downtown on 2nd street.

these hanging paper decorations were super cool--extra fancy origami.

and then there was the rat... ha ha!! i couldn't resist. but i think it's really a stuffed rat. yikes. i wonder if it was someone's pet?

then everyone's fav animal, the lovely armadillo... these are outside Threadgills cast in concrete. i actually think they are really cool looking.