brushstrokes, etc.: July 2026

Thursday, July 9, 2026

Garden Guardian

Garden Guardian
8x10" oil on gessoed panel
©HelenCRead

This painting comes from the same reference picture as the previous posting. I wanted to do a visual comparison of the same reference photo, done in watercolor and now in oil paint.

The reference photo comes from a photo I took at the Chicago Botanical Gardens.
The sweeping limb of the tree seemed, in the moment, to be standing guard. A gate keeper for the garden beyond!

It will soon be ready to send to it's new home, to grace it's walls with the peace and beauty of summer woodlands.

Find out more about this painting at my website

Wednesday, July 1, 2026

This painting, Emerald Archway, comes from a reference photo I took at the Chicago Botanical Gardens. I was intrigued by the wide sweeping branch and the beautiful hues of green. It measure 5.5 x 7.5" watercolor on watercolor paper. Below see it matted in white matting - ready to drop into a 8x10" frame.

See more details about this work at this link.

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ARTISTS! Join me~ We are on this journey together!

I'll bet you are like me... You need creative encouragement and tips and motivation! As an artist and fine arts teacher, I love to bring help and encouragement to all of us! I'd love to send you my interactive worksheet "5 Small Steps You Can Start Today, to live a more artistic life" and you'll also get a note of encouragement with tips and ideas right in your inbox every week. Just click here and you can download the worksheet right away! Signing up is FREE!! Don't worry! Your information is never shared. But, your creativity will be inspired and we'll get to stay connected!

The Convergence between My Art, Life, and Faith

This may seem an unusual item to post on an art blog - but - hey... I get to "customize" my blog! So - I'm putting my thoughts out there, for you to read!
Its really important to me not to compartmentalize my life into different realms, but rather to integrate all of it into a whole. Therefore, these areas cross boundaries and influence one another in interesting ways.
For me, my life is a whole lot about my faith... but not much about religion. That sounds sort of cliche, I guess. What I mean to say is- its about relationship and going into an ever deepening relationship with Christ, rather than a set of rituals and ceremonies. That kind of faith, I am finding, is never fully finished... always broader, deeper, fuller than I'd imagined. I am also finding out that God is bigger than my box for him... and he, in fact, won't be "contained". He's wild and untamed and beyond my ability to understand ... but entirely good.
So - how in the world does that impact art? Thinking about who this wild God is - I'm convinced he is creator and artist by just looking at the world in which I live. And he absolutely celebrates the impulse of creativity he's given to me! Visual art is a language... a language without words. So with visual expression, I can worship. I can explore. I can imagine. And, I can speak without words a celebration of my creator and all that his world contains.

What's a "Daily Artist" ?

You may have heard of the Painting-A-Day movement, which is one that the artist paints a small painting a day and offers it for sale. The online auction format is often used. The subject matter varies from artist to artist, but is frequently of common objects.
With a full-time job - teaching art at a high school level - I do not complete a painting a day, but I do work as an artist every day and I complete a set of small paintings or sometimes a larger painting a month. (Usually 1 - 2 a week). Some of these paintings are made into notecards and prints. More of that here on my blog. Most of my original works are for sale - and depending on the materials and size, the price varies. You can see more about pricing and availability at my website
HelenCRead.com

brushstrokes, etc.

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Thursday, July 9, 2026

Garden Guardian

Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Emerald Archway Watercolor

See more details about this work at this link.

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From Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage