792 Art in Bloom

Because I renewed our Milwaukee Art Museum membership at Art in Bloom, I received a complementary bouquet of flowers, which was a pleasant surprise.  As you've probably guessed, I love to paint food and flowers, because to me, they represent the simple essence of home and life.  You may have seen my black and white Mackenzie Childs platter in some of my other paintings, and perhaps you remember that I won it in a charity luncheon raffle. For this painting, I couldn't figure out how to incorporate the platter.......  then, AHA, I remembered that napkins came with that wonderful "Black and White" raffle prize, and HA! one problem was solved.

Do you know that tulips grow after they have been cut?  The tulips in this little arrangement grew 2-3 inches overnight, which really messed with me on the second day of painting.  I loved the way the tulips danced on Day One, but they wouldn't have fit on the canvas had I started on Day Two.

"792 Art in Bloom"
acrylic - 16x20 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/792-art-in-bloom/467482

dianecampion.blogspot.com

"So Happy Together"

I know I'm showing my age, but do you know who sang this song and what year it was a hit?

"So Happy Together"
oil - 24x24 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/so-happy-together/465279
dianecampion.blogspot.com

783 Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

On these dreary days of winter, I long for sunshine and flowers.  I find myself checking my garden for signs of life. 

"783 Sunshine on a Cloudy Day"
oil - 14x11 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/783-sunshine-on-a-cloudy-day/451000

dianecampion.blogspot.com

774 Spring in a Bowl

This is a repeat painting.  The original was painted with acrylic and I wanted to try painting it with oil, much harder for me.  It took several days and I'm still not happy with it.  I seem to have more difficulty with flowers, landscape being a little easier.   One aspect of oil painting that was really fun was being able to sign my name with the handle of the brush, scraping it into the paint.  No matter, I am eager for Spring.

"774 Spring in a Bowl"
oil -

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/774-spring-in-a-bowl/445278

dianecampion.blogspot.com

758 Fresh Start

Here is another view of my New Year bouquet from my daughter.  It's still hanging in there, but not for long.  Painting flowers is a nice break from portraits, although I'm doing those too.

Please note, yesterday's post should have been 757 not 957.  Must have been subliminally wishful thinking. 

"758 Fresh Start"
acrylic - 6x6 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/758-fresh-start/438141

dianecampion.blogspot.com

757 New Beginnings

My daughter brought me this lovely little bouquet on New Year's Day, when we baked Nana's Chocolate Italian Cookies together.  Like any other living, breathing artist, I knew it would be the subject of a painting.  During these cold, winter days, it has been a bright spot, as flowers make me happy.  It was also rewarding and joyful for me to use the new Italian palette knife my son gave me for Christmas.  I was much happier with the painting after a little scraping and smearing.

"957 New Beginnings"
acrylic - 8x6 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/957-new-beginnings/437846

dianecampion.blogspot.com

718 Wishful Thinking

After working in the yard all day doing Fall cleanup, and having recently painted many Autumn paintings, it hit me hard that winter is coming, which I dread.  Maybe the subliminal wish for Spring, rather than Winter, moved me to paint this today.

"718 Wishful Thinking"
acrylic - 12x9 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/718-wishful-thinking/424004

689 Persistence

These little pansies have hung on in my yard since early spring.  They are scraggly and spindly, but I still love their sweet little faces. 

"689 Persistence"
acrylic - 8x6 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/689-persistence/412604

688 Veronica, Dalia, and Rose

These three "girlfriends," Veronica Speedwell, Dalia (don't know her last name) and Rose Campion are lingering in my garden after just about everything else is kaput.

"688 Veronica, Dalia, and Rose"
acrylic - 8x6 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/688-veronica-dalia-and-rose/412089

687 Three's a Crowd

"687 Three's a Crowd"
acrylic - 6x6 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/687-threes-a-crowd/411796

686 Partly Sunny

This is the last of the sunflowers, sad to say. 

"686 Partly Sunny"
acrylic - 8x6 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/686-partly-sunny/411630

685 Lingering

The magic vase with different designs depending on the turn was made by Courtney Hancock and purchased at Off the Wheel Pottery in Egg Harbor Door County.

"685 Lingering"
acrylic - 8x6 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/685-lingering/411394

684 The Party's Over

Company has returned home, and the sunflowers aren't sunny any more.  The petals are dropping everywhere.  They are such a happy flower until that happens.   Painted from still life in my studio.
The Van Briggle vase was purchased many years ago, is my all-time favorite, and painted many times
for daily paintings.

"684 The Party's Over"
acrylic - 6x6 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/684-the-partys-over/411172

682 Drama Queen

I really love this new vase with these Rudbeckia my husband bought for our patio.

"682 Drama Queen"
acrylic - 12x9 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/682-drama-queen/410433

642 Sweet William

Bouquets of Sweet William were plentiful at the Farmers' Market.  I have never grown them but suspect they must be early bloomers.  The sunflowers were from the Chicago Farmers' Market, but possibly were grown in Indiana.

Meanwhile in my garden, the big fat rabbits are eating my favorites---bachelor's buttons, liatris, and several others---even marigolds!  Aren't rabbits supposed to dislike marigolds?  I have put three different repellants down.  I wish the owls would come grocery shopping in my yard.

"642 Sweet William"
acrylic - 7x5 in
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/642-sweet-william/393915

589 Retail Therapy

I've been away from home for a few days but  I brought my watercolor paints with me so I wouldn't go through painting withdrawal.  This is another floral arrangement from Crate and Barrel in Lincoln Park/Chicago, peonies, lime green tulips and lilies.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/589-retail-therapy/368368

409 Gladiolas

I am very fond of gladiolas because a favorite aunt grew them each year in one of her beautiful gardens.  She included them in expertly crafted flower arrangements throughout the house.  It always felt special to visit there---something I did for10 summers.  I know I did not do these flowers justice, partly because I spent too much time researching and categorizing my feather collection, which continues to grow, and not enough time painting.  I painted these from real life, and found them difficult to manage. 

406 Cheer

369 Lilies in a Little White Vase

Color corrected photo of this painting.

368 Marigolds, Chives and Hosta

"Spring" is at least a month behind schedule.  This Memorial weekend I enjoyed working in the garden, feeling my hands in the dirt and planting a few plants, among them marigolds and chives, hoping to keep the rabbits away.  It's a constant battle: Diane vs. The Rabbits.