All three of these paintings were inspired by photos that I took while visiting Arizona.  The scenery is full of architecture and colorful pots of flowers.  It takes you back to the old world of Spain and early Mexico. 

 I love the archways and the courtyards that you find in many areas of the architecture.  Looking through the archway to see gardens with statues and trees. 

The use of rod iron for gastes give the old world feeling.

Prints of the paintings are $15.00 with a matte frame plus shipping.
Size of painting is 8" x 10"

I love flowers and fruit to paint.

I love flowers and fruit.

I'm always looking for ideas to paint with flowers and fruit.

The idea for the first one came from a magazine.  It was an advertisement for something but I liked the striped table cloth draped randomly and the clear glass pitcher with tulips and fruit bowl.

 Fruit and Tulips

Roses, Sweetpeas and lilacs
The idea for this one also came from a woman's garden magazine.  The vase is also clear glass and it is both a challenge and fun to paint the reflections and stems in the glass.

Tulips and Daisies
Again I've painted a striped cloth around the vase.  The arrangement was made up of silk flowers but it served well for the composition.

LANDSCAPES

Aspens in Winter

This watercolor was done after I had had fun practicing how to paint aspen trees.  It was from my imagination and influenced by different scenes in the mountains I have seen.

8" x 10" copy $12.00 with a matte frame $15.00

Swamp Lake

This watercolor was inspired by an Art teacher I had many years ago.  He had painted something similar and in memory of him I painted how I remembered his artwork.

8" x 10" copy $12.00 with a matte frame $15.00

Landscapes can be a fun experiment like these two paintings which were from my imagination but with the knowledge of techniques that I could apply.  Some of the techniques that were used were wet in wet so that there seems to be a mist rising from the islands in the lake. The same wet in wet was used for the brown hill and islands.  In the both the aspen painting and the lake painting the trees in the hill and islands are actually done by scrapping with a wire while the paint is still wet.  The aspens are done in the isolated method which is painting water within the shape of the tree trunk and then loading the edge of the brush with black and carefully paint along the wet edge and slightly touching the dry edge.  The black paint will bleed into the wet to give that pealing appearance of the bark and also give a nice line for the edge of the tree trunk.  The fence was also painted in the isolated method with brown paint.  The flowers painted in the marsh was done with acrylic paint.

Autumn Countryside

I got the idea for this painting from seeing something like it in a painting book.

This watercolor is also using a lot of wet in wet technique with dry brush for the grasses and sponge for the tree leaves.

8" x 10" copy $12.00 with a matte frame $15.00

Composition:  When I arranged these pansies I wanted them to look as natural as possible.  I also wanted to capture the true look of pansies.  For composition with the flower bowl on the right side it was important to balance the picture with the flowers on the table which creates an informal balance and a more natural setting

8" x 10" copy $12.00 with a matte frame $15.00

When setting up a still life it is important to group the objects in such a way that they overlap and are connected some way instead of everything sitting separate from the other.  When painting bottles you have to remember that they are transparent and should not be painted solid.  The bottles reflect light, what is around them, and behind them.  They are a challenge and this was my first try.  Metal cans are like a mirror.  You should only paint what reflects onto them and allow the white paper be base color of the can.

Still life with fruit again must be grouped together so that there is some overlapping.  When you do this it is always interesting to allow one or two objects to sit separate such as the garlic and the small branch of grapes.  Also in a composition you need to indicate a surface or your objects will be floating in the air.

Birds are a great subject for watercolor.

You can find examples in magazines, photo books and even calendars. 

 Bird on Iron Gate

Birds on a Wire

Bird and Larkspire

Bird and Apple blossom

8" x 10" copy $12.00 with a matte frame $15.00

or 5" x 7" copy $8.00 with a matte frame $10.00

Iron Gate

These three paintings are from magazine pictures that I used to create the compositions.  The great thing about anything you might find to give you an idea is that you can add or take away what is in the picture and make it your own design.            

8" x 10" copy $12.00 with a matte frame $15.00

                                                                                                             

Canoe by the Pier

Stone Wall and Gate

Ideas for landscapes:
On location can be the very best way to capture a beautiful landscape.  However, weather can be a hindrance.  You may also be far from the subject that you are interested in painting.  The second best choice would be take a lot of photos of areas that you visit for a good reference later.  Then I find inspiration from art books and magazines.  These paintings come magazine pictures which I have changed to be more artistic.

Rose of Sharon
These three paintings were from photos that I took in my sons yard at the end of Summer. The first one from a Rose of Sharon bush.  The second and third were from his fruit trees.

 Peach Branch
When you photograph objects that you want to paint it is best to take several views so that when you are putting your composition together you can use things that you like in more than one photo. Then create the arrangement the way that you feel looks the best.

8" x 10" copy $12.00 with a matte frame $15.00

Pear Branch
Composition works the best when you have uneven numbered objects in the arrangement. For instance odd numbers such as one, three or five and so on.  It is much more pleasing to the eye.

All of these paintings are available as 8 X 10 prints.
$12.00 and $16.00 with a matte frame.

Examples

This is an example of painting on  location.  I sat at the edge of the river with my watercolors and paper and painted the scene.  I felt like van Gogh may have felt while painting trying to catch all of the colors and textures that my eyes could see; juxtaposing  the paint strokes of color.

8" x 10" print $12.00, with a matte frame $16.00

This is another example of painting from real life.  My amerylis flower was in full bloom and I was inspired to paint it and capture it's beauty.

8" x 10" print $12.00, with a matte frame $16.00

FINDING INSPIRATION FOR SUBJECTS TO PAINT

Do you have difficulty being inspired? Or, finding a subject you want to paint? The best way to paint and be inspired is to paint or draw on location. Look around your area for an appropriate subject; the mountains, the canyons, farmland, old barns, the woods, spring flowers, interesting trees and even tree stumps. If is too difficult to be outside for long take a camera.  Take photos on vacation, or just in your surrounding area.  File these photos away for future inspiration. 

Another on location is where you set up your own display or still life.  These displays could be of fruit, bottles, vases with flowers, plants in pots, even books, purses, shoes, and keys.  Look around your yard or others yards for flowers, blossoms, pets, and fruit on branches; do close up photos of them.

I also get inspired by other artist's work. I also resort to going through home magazines such as Martha Stewart, Victoria, and even Better Homes and Garden.  I hope that you will try some of these approaches when you are needing to find inspiration.

About Mimi's Artiques

I have always loved drawing, painting and creating with my hands. I would like to share that love with others.

The purpose of this blog is to share art techniques that I have learned and continue to use, also to share and sell my art work and to inspire. I have been doing art since I was a small child and art has always been a part of my life. I just retired from teaching art and now I am enjoying actually doing more art than teaching it. 

At this time my main focus is watercolor. I will also be sharing about other media such as acrylic, oil, clay, drawing, pastels and pen & ink. I will start this blog with watercolor techniques and examples which will have prints and greeting cards available.

I am a mother of five lovely and talented children, one son and four daughters.  I also have 12 wonderful grandchildren and one great granddaughter. I grew up in Northern Virginia and now live in the west.  I have been able to travel a lot, especially Europe which has had a lot of influence on me.  I love to share the beauty I see and enjoy by placing it on my canvas and creating it with my hands.