As summer was turning to fall most of my painting was focused on florals and learning to create with acrylics. I’m not sure I like it as much as watercolor yet, but I see its potential. My first attempt was a blue vase of red roses from our garden. It’s sitting on a table near a window. I wanted to capture the simple, feminine shape of the vase and curling petals against the angular background, that cool blue surrounded by all that warmth.  I liked that I could paint over mistakes better with acrylics than with watercolor, and I loved the brilliance of the colors. It was painted on a student grade canvas “skin.” What I don’t like is how it seems to sit on the surface rather than being part of the paper, as you get with watercolor.

Next was a landscape on a canvas panel, which I’m fairly happy with. For a first attempt.

After that came a couple of abstracts, neither satisfactory, as least “yet. ” I think there’s some potential at least with the abstract landscape below. Something’s still missing. The upper left-hand corner is calling to me. We’ll see.

Then I turned back to watercolor, some wet-on-wet work, which I’m not altogether happy with. I think the composition is too linear. I wish I had allowed some of the flowers to spill down on the right side toward the bottom of the page. Maybe I’m not done with this one either.

Finally I turned to painting a companion piece for a watercolor I already have on the wall, one of my first florals. I think this yellow one will go nicely with the pink and I’m happy enough with it to find it “wall-worthy.”

In the meantime, I’m still working on my office/art studio conversion so I have more room to spread out and work on more than one piece at once.