Dahlia in Progress

I am sorry this is slightly crooked but it still is ok for this step by step. I finally returned from my daughters and got to paint a little today and thought I would post where I am. I am hoping to paint the sky a turquoise blue and so I am placing some of this color into the flower petals now. White flowers sure aren't white are they? That is what makes them a challenge and so much fun I guess. I have decided to leave the birds until the end because I am thinking that will allow me to think about them for awhile. I will paint them as if they are in sun...one is but the other I will decide in the very end where to throw a shadow over him so I sort of need to see the final painting before I do that.
Thank you for your patience...I still am not 100% at all but alot better than I was! Thank you everyone for your kind emails and words!

Dahlia Progession

While I have been sick I have not painted much at all but even a little slowly gets you to your goal. This is the lower left hand corner of a full sheet. I am working on the values of the leaves and adding some cool blues to reflect the sky color. Once I have all the shapes and the painting is pretty much done I will select what to move back into shadow. I like to keep my options open!
I hope to fly to Oregon on Tuesday and if I do I will be gone for a week so there will be no painting...so there will not be an update for several weeks now...thanks for being patient!

Happy Day!

My painting, "Saucey Grapes" was juried into the Missouri National Watercolor Show and I shipped it off just before the blizzard. Today they emailed and said that it is going to be the front painting for all the announcements. It is nice to be recognized in that way. I hope it does well in the show too!
Also today it is 47 degrees and melting like crazy! Two days ago it was -35 so quite a switch! Instead of painting I am having to shovel snow away from the garage to keep it from running in and flooding the garage. Strange how fast things can change...of course there still could be another blizzard but spring is trying to come! I also know spring is on it's way when I check out the hummingbird migration maps. I love to watch them come on shore off the Gulf. When they arrive they have expended so much energy they are half their body weight. If you want to see where the Ruby Throated Hummer is and figure out when to get your feeders out you can check it here! You can also see when they arrived in your area in other years. http://hummingbirds.net/map.html I cannot seem to make this an active link but you can copy and paste.

I Am Improving!

Slowly ever so slowly I am improving...still have plugged ears and a headache but a light is at the end of the tunnel. I do not know when I have been sick for so long! It will be good to be well.
Many of you have written and said they were surprised I was still painting. I was plugging along is more like it. Even if I could find one or two petals to draw and then paint the next day, it all adds up. I learned that while raising kids. I would do just one wash a day sometimes and complete only one painting a year maybe but it taught me that just like the turtle, I can win my own race if I just do not give up. So I encourage all of you to just do a little each day and you will be surprised at what happens!
My new problem is Blogger is not letting me upload pictures. I have had alot of people offering help and I am not coming up with anything so far...so I cannot post until this is resolved. Hang in there...we all have something to overcome...but with friends it is always possible.

Dahlia Continuation!

Well, ever so slowly I am advancing...at least I am finding the shapes and that will be a big help later. I might find only 1-3 petals in a day if I feel tough but it is all helping. Goes to show you that you can paint even a little each day and accomplish quite a bit!!! So no excuses guys! My colors I am sure are not great again but I did learn not to push enhance as that makes them blue which they are not! I am learning! So one will show more of the composition and the other will show the 3 I have been slowly working on.
As to my health...still coughing and very tired but I am improving and am very glad for that!!! I suspect that next week I will begin to feel much better! Thank you all for your kind words here and through emails as that really kept me going! I do have such fine friends here and you are greatly appreciated!

Health Update

Billie just wrote and I have been hearing from others asking how I am feeling so thought I would update you. I finally saw a Dr and I have bronchitis and ear infection...but it was close to worse so glad I went. I have been on meds for 3 days and very little improvement...that is how bad I was. But tonight I think will change things as it will be bringing me into day 4 and that can be a turn around day I understand. Needless to say that painting has been very hard. I have however tried and even if it is one petal, that is what I did. I will get a photo of where I am at when the sun shines again and I can go outside...I really feel bad as I needed to really pump this one out as I have another really great one partially drawn and will be gone for awhile in March to visit my daughter in Oregon...but the best laid plans....yup...interrupted! Ha! I have not been so sick in I do not know how long and I thank everyone for their concern...I am very blessed to have such good friends!