Beginning to paint

I have decided it is time to get back to painting. Well, I have been painting, but on grand children’s nursery walls, which I love, but, when I wasn’t painting on walls, nothing to do but I decided I would make a couple of small quilts. What was I thinking? Well enough is enough, I have to start a new piece. I miss my time in front of a canvas. It is my opportunity to use the talent that God has given me, to attempt to capture his magnificent creations. As Erma Bombeck said ” When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I would have not a single bit of talent left and could say, “I used everything you gave me.”  I hope I can say the same thing.

This new piece will be called “The Art of Gardening”, it is a 36″ x 48″ gallery wrapped canvas and has some of my favorite things in it. There are the Morning Glories on our back fence, sunflowers in our side garden, my old cobalt blue and yellow bottles, my potted plants, and not to forget a butterfly! So here it is sketched out, it’s kind of rough, but the painting has started! I’ll keep you up to date on it’s progress.

The Sketch

Clematis

I have finally finished my painting of the Clematis in my side yard. I was inspired by the beautiful Spring Clematis blooming in mass on our side yard trellis. These Clematis are perennials that come back ever year, they love the cool spring and fall and will bloom twice a year, spring being their most showy bloom. They grow best when another plant shades their roots and their tops receive full sun. Interestingly enough the Clematis is famous as a flowering plant, but its true flowers are in fact very tiny, the parts that we think of as the colorful flower petals, are actually the sepals. The blooms and sepals eventually fall away, leaving a cluster of seeds and tails. These spring-blooming clematis, flower on the previous year’s stems, summer/fall blooming clematis bloom only on the ends of new stems, and twice-flowering clematis do both.

So here is the finished image and I am so excited to read the creative and heartfelt names you folks come up with for this painting.

You Could Win This Painting as an Open Edition Print!

How to Enter:

1. Leave a comment against this post with your suggestion of a name for this painting.
2. Sign up for my monthly newsletter, only those people who have signed up for The Art of Smiles Newsletter will be eligible.
3. I will choose the winner and that person will get a free signed and numbered, open edition print of the Clematis painting.
4. The contest ends on August 31st, 2010 at 8PM CST, so what are you waiting for, get creative, leave a comment with your name for the painting and sign up for my newsletter, you could be the winner of this wonderful signed print.

Summer II by Sharen Chatterton

Our city is in the planning stages of a community garden, called Common Ground. I am so excited about the ability to have a larger garden plot than we have in our small side yard. This community garden will provide the opportunity for people to participate in a venue that will not only allow them to grow some fresh vegetables, yum, but to educate folks about organic gardening, beneficial and harmful insects, plant diseases and organic controls, as well as getting kids involved in gardening and becoming better stewards of our earth. We are, as I said, in the planning stage, but I am so excited to be getting in on the ground floor of what promises to be a wonderful adventure. There has also been talk of an art component to the garden, which would allow me the opportunity to do some of my work in a format that could withstand the Texas weather; providing vibrant colors in the Common Ground Garden all year long. Can’t wait to see the end product. The city is planning to break ground in October and be ready for spring plantings. I’ll keep you up to date on the progress.

Homegrown by Sharen Chatterton

Things are really warming up in our North Texas Garden, as we ease into summer. So many of our flowers are in full bloom and the butterflies are beginning to appear. We had several black swallowtail caterpillars on our fennel and dill, in fact they consumed most of the plant, but once they moved on, it has put back out. Just yesterday I saw a black swallowtail gliding around our patio. Our Black-eyed Susan’s are in full bloom and our zinnias are beginning to come up from last years seeds. Our yellow and red yarrow are blooming and providing food for visiting butterflies. The grapevines are loaded and we already have tomatoes ready to eat and more on the way, that’s if we can keep the mockingbirds from eating them. I really enjoy spring and summer in our garden, there is so much going on. There are plenty of photo opportunities, just gathering references for future paintings. Here is a great web site for butterfly gardening, check it out.

Yellow Yarrow

http://www.ourgardengang.com/Butterflies.htm

Check out more of my work at www.sharenchatterton.com

Painting at Texas Discovery Gardens

Had a great weekend, full of painting. Saturday was so much fun, painting at the gallery, meeting and visiting with the visitors at the “Nature of Flowers” exhibit in the Gallery of Texas Discovery Gardens. I also went through the butterfly house and got some great photos. I spent time painting in the beautiful botanic gardens in Grapevine, had a great spot under a shade tree, met lots of people and enjoyed painting outdoors, what a beautiful place.  Sunday, after church I went over to my son and daughter-in-laws to paint on the nursery wall. Almost finished with the giraffe. I think Duncan is going to love it! Well, I have a full week of work ahead, best get to it.

Grapevine Art Project

Texas Discovery Gardens

Almost finished with Duncan's giraffe

Beginning at the GAP Show

I started a new painting last weekend at the GAP Show in Grapevine.  I was inspired by the beautiful Spring Clematis blooming in mass on our side yard trellis. These Clematis are perennials that come back ever year, they love the cool spring and fall and will bloom twice a year, spring being their most showy bloom. They grow best when another plant shades their roots and their tops receive full sun. Interestingly enough the Clematis is famous as a flowering plant, but its true flowers are in fact very tiny, the parts that we think of as the colorful flower petals, are actually the sepals. The blooms and sepals eventually fall away, leaving a cluster of seeds and tails. These spring-blooming clematis, flower on the previous year’s stems, summer/fall blooming clematis bloom only on the ends of new stems, and twice-flowering clematis do both. Enjoy my first video, it won’t be hard to tell it’s my first; it gives you a little more insite into my new piece, try not to laugh too hard!

Putting on the paint, beginning to build the flowers

Hanging the exhibit on Sunday

Last weekend was a flurry of artistic activities. We hung my exhibit “The Nature of Flowers”  at Texas Discovery Gardens Sunday before the opening on Monday the 22nd. After a ton of things to make it happen, Friday night was upon us, and the reception for the exhibit. I’m not going to lie, I was pretty nervous, flashbacks of a Christmas Caroling party Karen and I had as kids, where no one showed up, except our best friend, kept raising its ugly head.  All the worry was for nothing, it was a “fantabulous” night. There was such a great turn out, I meet so many wonderful people, all of whom really loved my work. So many of them said the paintings brought smiles to their faces, they truly made them happy. Exactly what I was hoping for, each piece has been my attempt to capture the beauty created by the Master Artist.  I had such wonderful support from my family and friends. My husband seemed to be everywhere, helping out, my son in law took pictures, my mom got everyone to sign the guest book. There are just not enough thank you’s to show my appreciation to my family for their support. I also appreciate everyone who came out, I meet so many nice people. Elsie and her daughter, Penelope and her Dad, Alma and her husband, and so many others. Thank each of you for braving the traffic to spend the evening visiting and viewing my art. Saturday morning I did a little painting and visiting in the Gallery. What a joy to share my work and get the added bonus of meeting and speaking with so many different folks.  Enjoy the photos from my week.

Childrens Group that came through during the week

My Husband and my Mom

Great conversation

Great Music by Mr Martin

Great Food

Painting and visiting Saturday

Demo Painting Saturday

Sunflowers a little more free flowing

I’m working on a sunflower painting I started awhile back and kind of put to the side. I’ve picked it back up and My hope is to loosen up a bit on this piece and let it flow a little more. We’ll see how that works out for me as I go along. I want to catch the movement of these vibrant sunflowers as the sunlight flows around them. We’ll see how it turns out. I’ll keep you posted, now back to work.

The beginning

I started my next Zebra Longwing painting. It has a spectacular Zebra Longwing, with wings fully open, sipping nectar from a Deep Pink Penta Flower. Once again, my inspiration for this piece came from one of my visits to the Butterfly house at Texas Discovery Gardens. I love the contrast of the massed pink penta against the black of the Zebra Longwing. This is evolving into one of my favorite pieces, but who am I kidding, all my paintings are each my favorite piece, in there own special way. The Zebra Longwing is the mascot butterfly for Texas Discovery Gardens. It is actually a poisonous species due to the host plant it feeds on, they advertise this with their brilliant black and yellow- white markings. Slow but dignified, the Zebra Longwing is a weak flier. Long antennae and a slender body are typical of these butterflies, which are at home in the tropics, but can sometimes be found as far north as Kansas. The Penta, is an evergreen bush (Alas, not here in North Texas) that, in warm climates, will light up the landscape all year with colorful star-shaped clusters. Hummingbirds and butterflies will often visit the Penta blooms before they visit other flowering plants. Although penta can survive an occasional light frost, it won’t tolerate a hard freeze. If you live in a cold climate, either grow Penta as an annual or plant it in a container and bring it indoors for the winter. These plants are great nectar plants for most any butterfly or hummingbird. Plant some this spring, the rewards are endless! Enjoy a work in progress:

it's taking shape

Zebra Longwing and Jatropha

I have almost finished my piece “Zebra Longwing and Jatropha”. This is the piece I am doing for the Organic in the City event for Texas Discovery Gardens. I was able to get pictures of the Zebra Longwing and the Jatropha plant on one of my visits to the Butterfly House and Gardens at Texas Discovery Gardens. The Zebra Longwing is the mascot butterfly for Texas Discovery Gardens. It is actually a poisonous species due to the host plant it feeds on, they advertise this with their brilliant black and yellow- white markings. Slow but dignified, the Zebra Longwing is a weak flier. Long antennae and a slender body are typical of these butterflies, which are at home in the tropics, but can sometimes be found as far north as Kansas. According to Wikipedia, Jatropha is a genus of approximately 175 succulent plants, shrubs and trees, from the family Euphorbiaceae. The name is derived from (Greek iatros = physician and trophe = nutrition), hence the common name physic nut. Jatropha is native to Central America and has become naturalized in many tropical and subtropical areas, including India, Africa, and North America. As with many members of the family Euphorbiaceae, Jatropha contains compounds that are highly toxic. Below is a glimpse into the work in progress:

Just beginning to paint.

Working on Jatropha flowers.

Filling in color.