Why do I love painting flowers so much? They say that… Art and love are the same thing; It’s the process of seeing yourself in things that are not you. ~~Chuck Klosterman So somehow I think I see either what I am, or what I wish to be, in flowers. This one was glowing, even…
Morning’s Brewing
A couple of years ago, I had one of those dreams you have when you’re half awake. This wasn’t it. I did try to paint what I saw, but it never communicated the idea. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to try the concept again but in a different context–and it was so fun!…
Swash Your Way to Creativity
Recently I was delighted and honored to be invited to share a blog post to Unison Pastels blog. Here is the link. I’d love for you to click over, read it, and let me know what you think! Swash Your Way to Creativity by Esther L. Jones Subscribe to Blog via Email Enter your email…
Tea for Tall
Quite often, the visions in my head are whimsical and include tea cups or tea pots. Last August my granddaughter and I took a trip to the zoo. It was her wish (and this GrandEst was determined to grant it) to see EVERY exhibit. Which we did, even though GrandEst got too hot during the…
But Not So Far
I’m not sure how to begin this story. Do I explain about how I just bought the flowers because they were pretty and on sale? Maybe I should explain the significance of the date? Or should I start with sharing about my husband’s death 21 years ago? All week I’ve been painting gladiolus. I just…
Light and Silence
There’s a moment, a special moment, a few hours after midnight, early on Christmas day. The silence is drenched in peace and pulsing with sacred nuance. Few experience it, but if you have, you never forget the stillness and joy of it. At our house we have a tradition that on Christmas Eve only, the…
Gladness Breathes
How to get the beauty from inside to outside Gladness breathes. When you have gladness, let it breathe out into the world. God knows we can all use some! It is my firm belief that there are things inside us that need to come out. Many times these are things that will make the world…
Whiskers
This is Whiskers. She belongs to my very good friend Sandy, whom I visited back in June during the IAPS convention. She came and sat on my knee, and I couldn’t resist snapping a photo with hopes of painting her. There will be a short slide show video of the process on YouTube soon. No…
Promise of Abundance
Prickly Pear Jelly. AKA Cactus Pear Jelly. A light, transparent pink in color, sweet and delicate in taste. Nice but somewhat bland on toast. A veritable trial by fire to make. I mean that quite literally. Fortunately, our stove in the home where I grew up was powered by natural gas. First, of course, you…
Prayer of the Bee
I know I keep saying this, but it’s true: I learn so much when researching a painting! Usually it’s when I’m surfing the internet looking for inspiration for a title for the piece. Momma has a beautiful white wisteria vine growing at the corner of their house. This spring when it bloomed, the bees were…