Sometimes, I find something stuck away ... something I started a long while ago and never finished.
That was the case with this small watercolor. Just started and left unfinished. I'm not even sure when I started it ~ it's been several years! It was fun to add some more vivid color to the structure that was already there.
This colorful painting is going to be given away! That's right! Every few months I paint a small painting to give to one of my friends. The details are all found in my monthly email newsletter. I've sent my little free paintings (literally) around the country and around the world!
All the details are in my newsletter, which will come out in the first few days of April.
Don't miss out on the colorful, fun and uplifting email I send. Every month, there is something fun and exclusive ~ just for my friends! (Like a give away, or free art to download, or a friends discount)
Sign up here ~ Art Lover News
UPDATE! This lovely little painting has found its new home in Texas!
A 2-part painting (Diptych) where much of my creative energy has gone in March!
As I was
working, that is the thought that came continually to mind - God's
creation that "sings colorfully" each spring. New life in abundance!
Each panel measures 14x11", and when seen as a diptych, the overall size is 14 x 22". Painted in oil paint, the painting is a memory-generated painting of the landscape I remember from my childhood in Texas. It is in the spring when new life bursts forth in the beautiful colors of the rainbow.
My process began with an underpainting and then I painted these panels simultaneously in order to achieve continuity. The challenges included compositional questions. How to make this work as a whole, and yet, each panel also work separately. Color questions also presented themselves. I worked with a limited palette, but I wanted to make my color bright and vivid without becoming garrish. Yet, even when viewing the wildflowers in person, they are almost over the top in color vivacity!
It is almost finished. I still need to paint the sides so that the panels can be framed in a floating frame. It will be posted on my website soon!
The beautiful jewel tones of the garden are, to me, like gemstones!
They catch the light brilliantly and sparkle in the sunlight.
Add to that a lovely cobalt water jug and the whole arrangement glows!
Floral Assortment, 12 x 9" oil on panel
© Helen Read
There's no shortage of color in the floral world! I'm thankful for that.
But, flowers fade and become only a memory.
Vibrant and brilliant, these flowers will not fade or fail to bring colorful cheer to the room.
They are ready to send to brighten any room where they are found.
Shown below framed in a solid wood frame in black.
Either framed or unframed, domestic shipping is included.
(IL residents please add 8% sales tax)
See more of this painting at this link
Two New Paintings
Still Drying
Painting them is therapy. And enjoying them between painting session is good for the soul!
The top painting, still untitled, is 12x9" oil on panel.
The bottom painting is 7x5", oil on panel.
Both of these feature the bright and vivid colors that are so missing as winter lingers.
They will be ready for their new home as soon as they've dried.
This lovely watercolor, Red, White, and Blue, is part of my 2023 Valentine's Suite. Flowers have long been associated with love and Valentine's Day, but they fade and wither after a few days. How about giving a gift of love that never fades!
Just through Valentine's Day, this new original watercolor painting is available at 45% off what it will be after Valentine's Day! There's still time to send it out to arrive for the 14th, if ordered quickly.
It is sold unframed, but matted as shown. The painting measures 5x7" and is matted for a standard 8x10" frame. Oh, and domestic shipping is always included!
Visit here to see the painting and it's Valentine's Day discount!
This lovely watercolor, Garden Pinks, is part of my 2023 Valentine's Suite. Flowers have long been associated with love and Valentine's Day, but they fade and wither after a few days. How about giving a gift of love that never fades!
Just through Valentine's Day, this new original watercolor painting is available at 45% off what it will be after Valentine's Day! There's still time to send it out to arrive for the 14th, if ordered quickly.
It is sold unframed, but matted as shown. The painting measures 5x7" and is matted for a standard 8x10" frame. Oh, and domestic shipping is always included!
Visit here to see the painting and it's Valentine's Day discount!
This lovely watercolor, Daisies in Lavender, is part of my 2023 Valentine's Suite. Flowers have long been associated with love and Valentine's Day, but they fade and wither after a few days. How about giving a gift of love that never fades!
Just through Valentine's Day, this new original watercolor painting is available at 45% off what it will be after Valentine's Day! There's still time to send it out to arrive for the 14th, if ordered quickly.
It is sold unframed, but matted as shown. The painting measures 5x7" and is matted for a standard 8x10" frame. Oh, and domestic shipping is always included!
Visit here to see the painting and it's Valentine's Day discount!
Distant Mist, watercolor on paper
(Shown framed in a solid wood frame w/cherry finish.)
To see all the info for this painting, please visit my website.
Winter doesn't mean snow everywhere! In fact, this winter has been quite mild.
We usually have snow on the ground from late November until February or March. Not this year!
And there are some trees that don't shed their green leaves until spring.
In the case of this painting, it is live oak trees. The rest of the woods is brown, the grasses are dry and brittle, but live oak trees remain green a little while longer.
This painting depicts that chilly wintery mist that can descend in December and January.
It measures 5x7" and is matted to fit an 8x10" frame.
COLOR!
An exercise to understand the characteristics of different colors within a color family.
Even though I have worked with color for decades, I continually have more to learn!
This is an exercise that brings more understanding to the variety of color within a single color family.
Get more tips on painting and drawing: HelenCReadArt.com
Still drying on my easel, this painting is about to be completed. It's been a journey outside my comfort zone, using a very intense color of rose for the underpainting. Working with that undertone to provide warmth. but challenging to also give a sense of daylight waning.
My inspiration/reference photo came from an early evening walk along a canal in Idaho. It's interesting to me that much of farming there (not at all like here in the midwest where I live) is dependent on the canals along the fields to water and irrigate. There was a pathway alongside, which really was a little bigger than a foot path.
Color is an area where I'm exploring and growing artistically. I've gotten a little bored with my very faithful to nature color use, and found that using brighter, more vibrant color is exciting to my eye.
Now Available!
Beautiful Giclee prints with several options!
I've had a number of requests for a print of this original oil painting, Nest Eggs. And now it is available in several sizes, with several options including sizes, print surface, framed or unframed. Follow the links below for more information and pricing.
Giclee printing is state of the art professional printing done on archival surfaces with archival inks. The print has beautiful color and the texture of the surface creates a very close likeness to the original. In fact, it may be difficult to tell that it is a print! If the framed option is chosen, it will come ready to hang. If the unframed option is chosen, it will come ready to drop into your frame!
Prints are a wonderful way to add fine art to your home at a very affordable price, well below that of the original.
