Daisy Dear

"Daisy Dear"  (Watercolor --  6.5" x 8.5"),  C. Eastwood © 2016

It's that time of year again for the annual Daisy Miracle Benefit and once again I am donating a painting to the cause.  This one isn't very large.  Sometimes I like to change it up so that someone can still enjoy an original painting that tucks nicely into a smaller space.  I hope that it finds a good home and brings someone much joy.

"Mau Loa" (Forever)

"Mau Loa" (Forever)  (Watercolor, 8" x 10")  © C. Eastwood 2016

"Mau Loa" (which means "forever") was a commissioned piece that took almost forever to actually paint.  I was humming right along with the painting when life was diverted down another track due to a leak under the slab of our house.  In my haste to pack everything up so that work could be done to repair the damage, I neglected to hold out any of my painting supplies or work-in-progress.  While frustrated, there wasn't a thing I could do about it because it was one of a vast number of boxes stacked with furniture into a three-dimensional puzzle of a mountain covered by tarps filling our garage.  Little did I dream that it would be almost three months later before I would be able to pick the work back up and complete it.

I was in the midst of trying some new techniques, which had just really started to fall into place, when the hiatus hit.  So incredibly frustrating and, once everything was unpacked again, frightening. What if I couldn't remember what I was doing???  What if I'd forgotten how to paint???  What if I ruined what I'd already done???  It's amazing the places your head can go and the level of anxiety those trips can produce.

One of the new techniques was to have escaped edges (my terminology) where part of the images escape the edges of the the boundary created by the painting.  I'm sure there's a proper term for this -- I just don't happen to know what it is, nor am I curious enough to research it.  I'm happy with the results and will probably do this again on some future paintings when the subject matter lends itself to this technique.

But I'm happy to report that I was able to complete the work and it is already off to it's new home.

Time to start a new painting!

A Rose is a Rose

"A Rose is a Rose"  (Watercolor, 8"x10")  C. Eastwood, © 2015

So I've joined this watercolor painting group on Facebook that issues a challenge each month.  I haven't been painting in watercolor recently and had decided that the next painting I did would be in that medium before I forgot how to use it.  I don't paint a lot of flowers, and I don't believe I've painted roses before (if I have it's been so long that I've forgotten about them), so this was a challenge on several levels.  My initial reaction was to wait for next month, but then I heard the sound of clucking in my head and realized I was exhibiting definite "chicken" tendencies.  So it is, with a nod to Shakespeare for the title.

....And here it is...matted, framed, and at it's new home.  It's always fun to see the work when someone has purchased it and found a place for it in their hearts!

Fried Egg Poppy

"Fried Egg Poppy"  (Watercolor, 8"x10")    C. Eastwood, © 2014

The first time I saw one of these, it stopped me in my tracks.  There's something delightfully fun about this huge, frilly poppy that looks like a giant fried egg.  So when it came time to make a painting for the 7th Annual Daisy Miracle Benefit (http://www.daisymiracle.com) which supports the UCSD Neonatal Intensive Care Unit -- this was it.  For the last couple of years, I've painted pictures of little girls, and I just felt like it was time to change it up a bit.  Et voila!  This is my fourth year donating art and I am so pleased to be able to contribute to this very worthwhile cause.  I hope you'll visit the website and read about Miss Daisy and the legacy she leaves behind.

Simple Succulents

"Simple Succulents"  (Watercolor)  C. Eastwood, © 2014

I read a decorating article just the other day that declared "grout is out!"  Who knew!?  But that makes this even more fun because this painting was actually done for the purpose of floating it in a clear acrylic frame and placing it as the back-splash over a kitchen sink.  (And that was before I read the article.  I feel so smart!)  The goal was to create a pop of color for a kitchen that has white cabinets and a subdued palette of neutrals on the counters and walls.   When my daughter-in-law and I began discussing what to do with that area, the discussion eventually morphed to putting a painting up.  She loved the idea and so I set to work painting one of her favorite plant types -- succulents -- for the kitchen wall.  It's about to go to its new home and I hope to add a photo when it's in place.

Great Expectations

"Great Expectations"  (Watercolor)    © C. Eastwood, 2013

This is just a small study (approximate 4 1/2 " x 6 1/2", cropped) that I did for a friend's birthday.  I hope she likes sunflowers and ladybugs!  I saw this little bug crawling onto the flower like it was some kind of buffet table and just knew that in this bug's tiny world, there were high hopes for something yummy upon which to dine -- that it had great expectations!

Daisy Gazing (SOLD)

"Daisy Gazing"  (Watercolor)  © C. Eastwood, 2012

If this little girl looks vaguely familiar, there's a reason.  (And it means you've been reading this blog!!)  The original painting, "Daisy Dreaming," which was donated for the Daisy Miracle charity auction held earlier this month, generated a commission to do another "Daisy" painting.  So how cool is that!  Yay!

Daisy Dreaming (SOLD)

"Daisy Dreaming"  (Watercolor) © C. Eastwood, 2012

So what do you get when you mix ballerinas, daisies, and a western theme?  You get a little cowgirl in a pink tutu -- of course!  This painting has been done for a charity auction benefiting the Daisy Miracle Brennan Endowed Fund in support of the Infant Special Care Center (ISCC) at the University of California, San Diego.  Daisy Miracle was an angel on loan for a very short period of time, but she continues to touch others and help them through this fund.  This is my second year donating art, and I am so pleased to be able to contribute to this very worthwhile cause.

Calla Lily Crazy

"Calla Lily Crazy"  (Watercolor)  © C. Eastwood, 2011

More calla lily paintings!  They don't just come in white!

Calla Lily Trio

"Calla Lily Trio"  (Watercolor)  © C. Eastwood, 2011

Having some fun with the calla lilies.  Just did two of them -- this one and "Calla Lily Crazy."

Calla Lily

"Calla Lily"  (Watercolor)  © C. Eastwood, 2011

I find myself fascinated by white flowers.  They're so very striking!

Sunny-Side Up

"Sunny-Side Up"  (Watercolor) © C. Eastwood, 2011

These are the most amazing poppies.  They're about 5 inches across with bright yellow centers and ruffly white petals.  Their common name is a "fried egg" plant -- hence the name of the painting.