Cherish

'Cherish'
Original acrylic on cradled panel art block.
6 x 6 inches.

This is the first in the painting series I'm working on cradled art panels.

'Cherish' is an affordable original art that you can display, give or collect.

Available at my Etsy shop.

Trail Tales

I love biking and the way it allows me to explore new places. Last weekend, we drove to Geneva and biked along the Fox Riverside Trail.




This is where our adventure brought us to. The historic Fabyan Village, where an old Japanese Tea Garden rests.

How timely for my ongoing 'hundred gardens' project. I can't wait to jump to the seventh painting. Right now, it's time to resume working on the sixth.

But wait, you still have to see the fifth.

- Posted from my iPhone

Saturday Secret - Straightening Doors

Novice and professional painters alike occasionally come across the challenge of painting straight edges. Let me share you one of my tried and true technique - masking. With what else, but a masking tape!

As I was working on the fifth painting, trying to straighten a brush stroke with a tired mommy hand wasn't just happening. Plus, I didn't want to lose the 'impressionist' feel of the painting by restricting the movement of my loose, freehand strokes.

Masking tapes are plein air artists best friend too. Here, I just put a three-inch tape to achieve a somewhat straighter edge. By doing it, I was able to continue painting loosely without worrying about the edges too much.

Voila! My door frame looked like what it's supposed to be. It's not perfectly straight. But painting isn't about photographic illustration. For me, it's about creating shapes, strokes and smudges that represent 'something'.

Focal Shift

Working on the fifth. Right now, I'm deciding to shift the focus from the obvious focal point, which is the blue door. I want to lead the viewer's eye to something unexpected.

Stay tuned to see where it will be. But while you're here, why not tell me what you think. I'll be happy to hear your suggestions.

- Posted from my iPhone

4. Garden Companion

'Fletcher and the Geums'

Acrylic on canvas. 11 x 14 inches.

Posted this afternoon at 5 pm.

I'm heading out to the door, but I wanted to share this to you. I'll be posting the details and inspiration behind this painting when I get back. See you later!

Update tonight (It's 9 pm right now here in Chicago).

I'm back. So, you're wondering who our furry friend is. Say hello to Fletcher. He's one of Mark Delepine's garden companion. Mark is a math teacher and self-taught master gardener from Berkeley, California. Ever wonder how to grow a lush garden in drought-prone area? Mark has the answers in his blog A Garden for a Serial Plant Fetishist.

Thanks Mark for sharing this adorable shot of Fletcher. And thank you Fletcher for keeping me company for the past few days.

Brushing the Hair

The day is almost done, and so is my painting. My boys took quite longer naps this afternoon, which allowed me to paint a little longer than usual.

Tomorrow, I'll post the photo of the finished painting.

Hope you like it and I'd love to hear what you think.

Mystery Subject Revealed

I posted this inverted image last Saturday to ask readers what they think this is. One reply I got from my Facebook Page is that it could be a vintage upholstery. Now, let me introduce you to my newest subject - Fletcher.

I'm getting more excited to finish this painting. It's a step outside my comfort zone, since I don't usually paint pet portraits. But when I got this image for the 'hundred gardens' project, I knew instantly I have to paint it.

Stay tuned as I keep you posted on how this painting develops.

Right now, I'm making the darks darker using a mix of phtalo green, burnt umber and alizarin crimson.

- Posted from my iPhone

Mystery Subject

Can you guess what I'm painting next?

- Posted from my iPhone

3. White Garden Room

'White Garden Room'

Acrylic on Canvas. 11 x 14 in.

Welcome to Boxwood Cottage's White Garden Room. This is our third stop in our Hundred Gardens tour. Carola welcomes us in her lovely cottage in Bremen, Germany. Take a seat and savor the delectably designed white room in her garden.

Pebble Patio

Almost done, just dry brushing the pebble patio. I intentionally didn't worked too much on the pebble details, so as not to take the spotlight out of the focal point.

Are you able to tell which is the star (focal point) of this painting already?

- Posted from my iPhone

Fluffing the Seat Cushion

It's Sunday morning & I got to squueze in some painting time before the boys get up.

I'm moving on to the next garden, thousands of miles away. You can't see much of the two wrought-iron vintage chairs I'm painting yet. I'm spreading the purplish cream paint to create an impression of a seat cushion today.

Tune in tomorrow to see where our 'Hundred Gardens' tour will lead us.

Enjoy your Sunday! Thanks for stopping by again.

- Posted from my iPhone

2. Rose Gate Garden

'Rose Gate Garden'

Acrylic on Canvas. 11 x 14 in.

Happy weekend everyone. Today, I'm bringing you to a lovely seaside cottage in Nantucket beach in our 'Hundred Gardens' tour.

The subject for this painting is contributed by celebrated photographer and teacher, Paul Schwartz from Rochester, New York.

We left the rose trellis gate unlocked for you. Come inside and explore the gardens with your imagination.

Window Treatments

Finishing up the fireplace bricks and window panes.

- Posted from my iPhone

Growing the Roses

It's past ten in the evening and everyone's asleep. Now, I'm back to the canvas to do some of the last finishing touches on my second painting for my 'hundred gardens' project.

I enjoyed smudging the highlights with my finger, it creates a nice Seurat-like marks on the painting. Try it next time you paint, you'll definitely enjoy it too. Think 'finger painting'.

Tune in, 'cos tomorrow I'll let you know where this beautiful garden is. Good night for now, I got a painting to finish.

Thanks again for joining me in my late nights and mornings here in my blog.

- Posted from my iPhone

1. White Cheeked Songbirds

'White Cheeked Songbirds'

Acrylic on Canvas. 9 x 12 in.

First stop on our 'Hundred Gardens' tour is Manama, Bahrain. The sweet image of these white-cheeked bulbuls resting on a bird's bath was contributed by photographer and writer Mahmood Al-Yousif.

The Himalayan Bulbuls are medium-sized passerine songbirds which are commonly found in Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Tajikistan.

The Beginning

'A thousand steps begin with one', so goes an ancient Chinese proverb. Today, I officially embarked on my 'hundred paintings' project featuring garden themed subjects.

I chose to paint these two white cheeked birds as to start with, as a symbol of the new heights I'm taking. Why two? Because this project is a two-way collaboration between me and the garden enthusiasts across the globe.

If you love photographing gardens or simply enjoy them, I invite you to join my project by sending your photos.

Tomorrow, I'll post the details about this painting.

See you at the gardens!

Hundred Gardens Project

Photographers and Garden Enthusiasts Wanted! Want to see your gardens turn into visual art? Then join the hundred paintings project.

I'm starting a new painting project: 'Hundred Gardens'.

How you can participate: Send me a photo of your garden and I'll paint it. Even if you're not a professional photographer, you may send your digital or scanned photos. You will be given credits if your photo is selected. The artistic the shot is, the better chance it will have to be chosen and painted among the firsts. Let me know which town, state or country your garden is located. Consider it a virtual global garden tour for online viewers to see.

Thanks and I look forward to seeing your beautiful gardens. It's time to show off your green thumbs and let your hard work be seen.

Have a question? Just drop me a line.