STRAWBERRIES! Our first of the year.
They’re almost ready to eat. We can hardly wait, just hope Ms. Mockingbird doesn’t get to them first 🙂
Jack and I have taken tons of reference pictures over the years. BDC (Before Digital Cameras) we mainly took slides. We have some great Poplar Tree 2x2s, just have to pull out the trusty slide projector to view them. You can see my set up above. I project the image on the wall behind my easel. That’s Jack’s painting over the mantle, he did it especially for me. Don’t you think Peace in the Valley is beautiful? You can click on the image to enlarge it!
Watch the video above to see how I paint the Poplar Trees!
The leaves of the Red Corn Poppies are painted first, opposite of my usual method. Then the thick brushstokes of the brilliant flowers are gently “Laid” on top of the underlying paint. If I pick up any of the green I immediately wipe it off the brush, I don’t want it to muddy the intense color of the blossoms.
I go back to my regular sequence of Flowers First, Leaves Last to block in the White Daisies in the foreground.
Chimayo Morning    14 inches by 14 inches
Yellow and Orange centers finish out the Daisies shimmering in the early morning sunlight. Isn’t it amazing how the warm flowers in the foreground make the cool colors behind them drop back? Thanks for following along. Hugs,
Tags: Art instruction, Art Lessons, Chimayo Mission, Chimayo New Mexico, Daisies, Free Art Lessons, Impressionism, New Mexico Missions, Oil Painting Tutorials, Painting Daisies, Painting Poplar Trees, Painting Poppies, Poplar Trees, Red Corn Poppies, Strawberries
Mikki Senkarik 
April 22, 2015 at 5:16 PM |
Yummmm! Strawberries! Hey Mikki, I tried clicking the image of Peace in the Valley. It does not enlarge.Have a great evening! Hugs,Phyllis >
April 22, 2015 at 6:59 PM |
Hi Phyllis,
COMPUTERS! ARGGGGGHHHHH!!! I reloaded the image and it seems to be working now. Thanks, Mikki
April 23, 2015 at 6:19 AM |
love this painting, I have been there two times and it is very special, thanks for your blogs
April 23, 2015 at 11:04 AM |
I have a question for you. I know I spend way too much time either on the computer or TV, instead of painting. How much time do you spend painting? Do you have a schedule that you keep to, like taking a certain time out of the day devoted to painting, or do you paint when you “feel” like it. Do you paint every day, or what? Do you paint during a specific time in general?
April 24, 2015 at 7:50 PM |
Hi Nancy,
I love painting but it is still MY JOB. My daily schedule goes kind of like this. I’m up about 5:30 AM and work about an hour and a half editing Jack’s books. I love the early morning, it’s so peaceful and quiet, no interruptions! Then I get Jack up about 7ish. After making coffee I’m out in the garden til 8:30 or so, he begins clacking away on the computer working on his current book. Back in for our breakfast and shower. I get to the easel about 10ish to start painting. We take a lunch break, then I paint ’til about 5PM. In the evening I photoshop images or edit the videos for the blog and write it. Of course there are some days we might take off early and go to the grocery store, Home Depot or the Garden Center (that’s Dangerous!). Or we may go out and get some dinner. Like any job, I step up to the easel whether I “Feel Like It” or not. We are professionals and that’s what it takes.
Hope this helps! Hugs, Mikki
April 23, 2015 at 3:03 PM |
Mikki, Take some small rocks, paint them to look like strawberries, and put them by your plants. The birds will peck them, and hopefully decide they can’t be eaten and leave your real strawberries along.