Spring - again

Spring ends up being a very busy time of year in the life of a teacher.
In fact, there's hardly time to breathe as we finish the school year and get our graduates out the door and batten down the hatches for summer... 

So, I'm posting a couple of my favorites from Spring 2016! 
And I will be back in my studio producing Summer 2017 paintings very soon! 
Both of these, by the way, are still available!  

I don't know about you, but I never get tired of spring's arrival and the beauty it brings !

Spring Awakens, 12x9" oil on linen panel
SOLD

 

 

 

Lincoln Marsh Pathway, 12x9" oil on linen panel
SOLD

The Cat on the Wall

The Garden Wall, 6x9" oil on gesso board

© Helen Read 

 

Almost lost in the shadows, watchful eyes see all that happens in this shady garden!
Should a bird or butterfly happen by, there might be some drama ~ otherwise, all is quiet and peaceful! 




This summer scene is ready to frame and send to it's new home! 

Summer Bouquet

Summer Scents (peonies),  7x5" oil on gesso board
©Helen Read 

 

SOLD

What speaks the lazy days of summer as much as a casual bouquet of peonies in an old fashioned mason jar?  These pink and white beauties are have such sweet aroma and that lovely pop of color, set against the beautiful blue of a country window and shutter.  I love the sense of calm serenity they give.

Perhaps that speak that kind of serenity to your heart.

This lovely little painting is ready to find it's new home!  

The Charm of Blue Doors

Street of Blue Doors,  6x6" oil on Clayboard
© Helen Read

How charming!   A country village, a simple street made beautiful by the robin's egg blue of its doors and windows.    Further adornments are made by the lovely container gardens along by every window and doorway.
A small delight for the eyes.  A place of peace and a quieter pace.

This painting is ready to frame - it is done with oil on clayboard which gives it a matte finished.  The colors are reminiscent of what you might see in a quaint French village.  Maybe it is just the right pop of color for your home!  (Or the home of someone you know!)

Roses and Wine

Roses and Wine, 7x5" oil on gesso board 

©2017  Helen Read 

Another Small Gem!  The table is set!  Are you ready to be seated?
A little outdoor picnic on a warm spring day.  Roses casually set into a pitcher, wine glass and plates ready to be filled, laughter and conversation with family and friends.  Perfect! 

Small Gems

During these last few wintery months, I've been experimenting and trying some new things - and I've nicknamed these small, but brilliantly colorful little paintings "Small Gems".  They just remind me of gemstones, in a way; mostly because of their clear and brilliant color.  Sparkling!    They have been a lot of fun.  Colorful, and using a free and looser style than I've done in a long while.  Also, each of these is done on gesso board - which is a smooth, rigid surface and it allows for some very beautiful brushwork as layers are built up and the texture of the strokes shows through.

I'm interested to know what you think!  Do you like these bright and happy colors?  Do you like the looser style?  Leave a comment for me...finding out what you think is very important to me!

Some of these have already found their new home, but please scroll down and see the ones that are available.  Each is ready to ship and to frame.  (Of course, if you really like one that has found a home, a similar one can be created!)

French Peonies,  5x7" Oil on gesso panel 

©2017 Helen Read

SOLD

Spring Tulips, 12x9" Oil on gesso board 

©Helen Read 

Sunflowers in Cobalt, 7x5" Oil on Gesso Board

©2017 Helen Read

SOLD

Poppies in Bloom, 6x12" Oil on gesso board 

©Helen Read

Lavender Fields, 5x7" Oil on gesso board
© Helen Read

Chicago Flower Market, 7x5" oil on gesso board
©2017 Helen Read
SOLD

French Peonies

French Peonies,  5x7" Oil on gesso panel 

©2017 Helen Read 

SOLD

Such beautiful color - like gemstones in bloom!   Beautiful restful colors of blue and pink.  You can almost smell their delicate scent.  A reminder that it is a wonderful thing to slow down, breathe deeply, and find delight in the colors of springtime.

A Field in Bloom!

Poppies in Bloom, 6x12" Oil on gesso board 

©  Helen Read

Late Spring brings about beautiful blooms.  And this small landscape boasts a field of red as poppies dance in the wind.  This painting is created in a long and thin format that lends that sense of wide open spaces. 
It is ready to send and will bring a bright spot of color with a touch of Old World charm.

Sunshine and Blue

Sunflowers in Cobalt, 7x5" Oil on Gesso Board
©2017 Helen Read

SOLD
 
Color!   Beautiful color all around us - in the simple things - in the everyday things - in creation.
And not just 1 color can be seen in a particular thing, but a whole world of colors!
To me, this is a joyful thing - a celebration for the eye.  (And for the spirit, too!)

I've always been attracted to the bold beauty of sunflowers, and here, they are off set by the deep blue of a cobalt pitcher.  They seem to have been made for each other!  

February was a busy month!

It's always fun to look back a little bit and see what has happened in the past few weeks.  I've done some smaller paintings on gesso board.  Working out some new ideas in color and in brushwork.  Here's a little sampling of some of my explorations

I love the brilliant colors and experimenting with new ideas...  What do you think?  Do you love color too, and a painterly effect? 

Spring is on it's way!

Spring Tulips, 12x9" Oil on gesso board 

©Helen Read 

Ah... spring time.   In the northern part of the country, it can be a long wait.   The beauty of spring flowers reminds my heart that spring will soon be here in all it's beauty.  Tulips are one of the first messengers!
I love their soft colors and the simplicity of a simple jar of flowers.   This composition is clothed in soft colors of spring time, with luscious passages of texture in the brushwork.
It is ready to send to it's new home! 

Coffee Anyone?!

Last summer.... 

I was contacted by a design firm in San Francisco.  They were interested in the drawing you see above, Curvature. 
I did this colored pencil drawing about 6 years prior...and had sort of forgotten about it!
They thought it would be just right for a coffee company to use on their packaging -
was I interested in selling the rights to it's use? 

After some discussion, that's just what happened - and now, these months later, the bags have been printed.
You can see the background of the coffee bag is a how they used my work.  (And, I've been told that they are using the image on boxes too, but I haven't seen those yet)

It was only after our agreement that I found out it was Peet's Coffee that was the buyer! 
I couldn't be happier!  They also bought the original work. 

All of this came about rather unexpectedly, but most happily!
I think that's called Serendipity! 

Flowers for Valentine's Day!

Give Your Valentine Flowers that Never Fade!

For my friends who are on my newsletter list, I'm offering a special 20% discount on these floral paintings until Valentine's Day.  Now would be a great time to join my list and get a little Valentine's Day love! 



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Winter Blossoms, 8x10" Oil on canvas panel
©2017, Helen Read

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Sunspots on a Summer Afternoon

 

Sunspots,  12x9" Oil on linen panel

©Helen Read

On a warm afternoon in late summer, most of the terrain is in shadow ... except for those few brightly lit spots of sunshine that seem to beckon.  I was drawn to the beautiful reflective water with those distance spots of warm sunshine being the perfect complement to the shadowy greens.

Peaceful, serene and yet quite alluring. 

Have you ever wondered how a painting gets started?   

You can see the beginning steps for this painting by scrolling down a few entries or just click here!
The research and the preparatory steps may surprise you!