Lilies, 16x20

Yesterday......
.....I came downstairs barely awake and at the landing noticed yellow lilies blooming.  Truthfully, it was about the sixth day I had noticed them, always with the thought that 'Ya know...I should really paint those one of these days.'

Fortunately, I had been reading one of Guido Frick's posts.  (I know Guido from a long time ago at a Ron Lukas workshop and thoroughly enjoy his paintings.  His posts are HERE.)  In those posts he mentions an artist I hadn't heard of who lives fairly close down in Oregon, Sarkis Antikagian.  So I went and read his blog HERE.  Both these people are an enjoyable read because they paint out of the sheer joy of it.  Guido's take on an American community pool is also a hoot.

One of them mentions the tendency for artists to paint 'postage stamps'....you know, paintings on small canvases.  In my upcoming posts I'm showing a bunch of those small ones that I haven't posted before, but I do have to admit that I would much rather paint larger, and can do one in about the same amount of time as a smaller one.  They are just harder to lug around.

This is getting long.  Suffice to say that it was those blog words ringing in my head that made me pick up a 16x20 rather than an 8x10......and off I went to the garden.

It was freeing.  I could swing a larger brush, stand back at arms length, load up on paint and just have a good time, which I did.  The sun was barely beginning to light up the shadows and create sparkle on the leaves and petals.  After 90 minutes and a now intense light it was quitting time.

Thanks for looking.  I like sharing this wonderful struggle....