Form and grace: irises

Hoping to find a place with fewer distractions, I walked down a shaded path to the older display gardens at Schreiner's Iris Gardens. There I found an intimate setting for me to study the structures of these amazing flowers.

Many photographers found their way back to this area, and I had several stimulating conversations with them about composition, lighting, style, and perspective. So much for not being distracted.

That's another thing I love about art: it brings people together. And that is a wondrous experience! Even if it is a distraction. Maybe it was the most important part of my painting day.

Iris Garden painting day

It seemed like it would be a gray day in Salem, OR at the Schreiner's Iris Gardens. But, it was a sometimes sunny day and the flowers were in their glory. I just couldn't resist the giant Oriental poppies. Here you get an idea of my set up and how the under painting looks.

Flowers are like people, with faces and graceful gestures. The poppies have a tissue paper like texture and a slight breeze lifts the petals in a graceful dance.

Beginning a Blog

Beginnings are magical. And I feel the excitement of that magic as I begin this blog.

It may not look like much now, but I hope that with time, it will become an interesting log of my journey in the arts.

Just this week I was at the Schreiner's Iris Gardens painting plein air. It was a gray day but the flowers were lovely. Even better were the ladies who arrived in their red hats and purple jackets. You can see a couple of them taking a break near my painting.

I think that life is good when you have a red hat. I'll have to get one!