Hydrangeas. We have them planted everywhere, and this time of year they are absolutely stunning! We don’t have the newer types that bloom all summer. Ours have a “season” of gorgeous, stunning blooms. They seem to be especially beautiful at dusk, it’s almost as if they light up!
Continue reading “How to get blue/purple hydrangea blooms!”Tag: flowers
Bright Flowers Against Dark Grey…
I have such fun with flowers. If I receive flowers I will take an ungodly amount of photos. I love experimenting with different backdrops. I’m partial to a dark background or a white background, each can be stunning in their own way depending upon the subject.
The Bud Stop… San Francisco… GORGEOUS flowers!
Aren’t these flowers just gorgeous? This photo was taken years ago while Fred and I were in San Francisco, CA. This is THE BUD STOP… wildly beautiful flowers! They’re located on Union Street right near Fillmore… Speaking of Fillmore Street… best place that we ate lunch… THE GROVE FILLMORE, I had done a previous post on this place, but it’s worth mentioning again!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
F L A S H B A C K
O N E Y E A R A G O… Majestic Crape Myrtle’s in Charleston, SC
T W O Y E A R S A G O… Foods that should never cross your lips – Part II
A “bouquet” of flowers in the most unexpected place… that’s Monhegan for ya!
Walking around Monhegan you run across the most unexpected beautiful sights… butterflies everywhere, gorgeous sunsets, happy flowers, the sea and a bouquet every now and then appearing in a spot you just wouldn’t think to see one. It puts a smile on my face every single time.
Catch you back here tomorrow!
My post from one year ago… Featured Artist… Stuart Fullerton!
My post from two years ago… I accept this award… hee hee… and I pass it on!
Dogwood tree’s and Easter… Happy Easter!
HAPPY EASTER to you!
I thought this photo was fitting for today… it’s the dogwood tree in our front yard, here’s a little blip I found interesting (from a past post):
Many Christians consider the flowering dogwood’s showy cross-like inflorescences (“flowers”) to be religious symbols, due to their four white petal-like bracts bearing red dots on their tips; these trees are often in flower during the springtime Easter season in the Northern Hemisphere. Christian tradition claims the dogwood as the tree used to make the cross on which Jesus was crucified, and further, that dogwoods grew taller and broader until the 1st Century AD, making them suitable for use as crosses. In response to Jesus’s death on one, God permanently stunted the growth of the dogwood species to prevent them ever again being used for the same purpose. Today, very few dogwood specimens would provide sufficient wood to manufacture a cross by the primitive means of the 1st Century AD.
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Tiptoe through the tulips…
Ok, is anyone old enough to remember Tiny Tim singing Tiptoe Through the Tulips (youtube link if you’re curious)? I happen to LOVE tulips… and it certainly can’t be because of Tiny Tim, ha ha…
Anyway, I think it’s going to shape up to be another beautiful day here in Charleston! Get out and enjoy it!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Head on down to the Ferry Building!
I took this photo years ago at the Ferry Building in San Francisco, CA. Have you been there? If you’re in San Fran, I highly suggest it. It’s a feast for your eyes! I’m not kidding, so many wonderful things, fresh food, drink, you name it! Here is a list of VENDORS. I’m not sure if the flower place is still there or not, it was magical! I could picture us living there, going to the Ferry Building each weekend for fresh flowers and produce… well, except for the $$PRICE$$ of living in San Francisco… oh well, I’m happy with my life here in Charleston, and the fact that Trader Joe’s, EarthFare and Whole Foods are close by!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Featured Artist… Shirley Novak!
NOTE: Yep, it’s me again, making changes to the way this blog looks…
Well now that we’ve had a tease of warm weather I’m loving all these bright happy flower paintings! Not that we go lacking for sunshine in the winter, but these are just so happy! I love Shirley’s use of color, how each compliments the next so nicely. Bright, happy and they feel as if they’re moving… dancing perhaps!
Shirley shows her work here in Charleston, SC at the Sylvan Gallery, so if you’re in the area be sure to stop by and check it out, otherwise her website is fantastic!
Read a blip about Shirley from her website, (I LOVE the Calvin Coolidge quote below, ha ha), what a fabulous write up… I love this!
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It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood…
I swear spring has sprung! We’re supposed to have mid to upper 70 degree temps today, crazy for JANUARY! Did I say January!? Get out and enjoy the beauty, it’s all around you!
This photo was taken last May… a peony… my absolute all time FAVORITE flower! Their simply elegant beauty is stunning! We can’t grow them here in Charleston, SC, but Harris Teeter carries them, thank goodness!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Featured Artist… Cynthia Reid!
Flower Mosaic by Cynthia Reid / Image: AddisonArt.com
How’s this to brighten up a dreary day? I love these nice bright colors, it’s so happy! We can’t complain here in Charleston, SC about gloomy weather… we had a day of rain, which was so nice… an all day gentle rain. I happen to love those kinds of days, but from what I can gather I’m some sort of anomaly when it comes to weather… I hear others say WHERE IS THE SUN after a day or two of clouds… I say WHERE ARE THE CLOUDS, hee hee… Fall, Winter and the beginning of spring are what we live for here in Charleston…
Here’s a blip about Cynthia from the Addison Art Gallery website:
Cynthia Reid left a successful career as a physician to pursue a passion for painting that had consistently increased while she was practicing medicine. Her interest in art began when she was young and painted with her paternal grandparents, both of whom were oil painters.
An avid gardener, Cynthia finds inspiration in gardens and in travels throughout the U.S. and Canada. Some of her paintings, especially those featuring poppy fields and lily ponds, reflect scenes from recent trips to France.
In working with oil paints, Cynthia uses a palette knife technique to juxtapose complementary, vibrant colors to recreate the joy, beauty, and textures of the natural world. She believes that painting is about trusting her intuition and the process, while being open to the unpredictable. Her contemporary impressionist style keeps mystery in the painting.
A member of the American Impressionist Society and Oil Painters of America, she has studied with Kevin Macpherson and abstract expressionist, Josh Goldberg.
Artist’s Statement
I paint because I have a passion for expressing the beauty of the natural world. Using a palette knife and oil paints allows me to capture that beauty by recreating nature’s varying textures, color, and movement. These three elements are seen in my recent works — bold sunflowers, vibrant poppies, dancing irises, and waterscapes.
My intention is that each painting allows the viewer to enjoy a sense of being in a particular place. I believe that the viewer completes every work of art and want my paintings to start a conversation.
Now THAT is a love of art! Stop by the Addison Art Gallery website to view more of Cynthia’s work, or stop by Cynthia’s website to see more great work!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
A Walk Downtown… (Charleston, SC)
How stately is this? Magnificent. Prestigious. Oh, Charleston is full of the most beautiful architecture dating back hundreds of years. Whenever I’m downtown I think what a wonderful city this would be to visit while on vacation… summer could prove a little humid for me, but it’s beautiful nonetheless! Everywhere you look there is a photo to be taken. So if you live here, grab your camera and head out! If you visit Charleston, bring extra batteries and a big memory card!
Catch you back here tomorrow!