Finishing up this oil of one of the last hydrangeas in the garden. It’s going to be 90 today, and everything is looking a bit tired and too hot (me too!). The garden colors are shifting to more subtlety, which is quite lovely and peaceful. May you stay cool, healthy and happy.
20 X 20”, oil on canvas, homegrown peonies
Commission Work-In-Progress, Catherine Twomey
Working on this commission, I selected a couple of homegrown burgundy peonies from my garden. They are willingly posing for their posterity. The energy of the petals is simply wonderful.
"Dogwood Herd" Oil by C. Twomey
When I moved to Asheville, North Carolina, in 2016, I had no idea what was going to come up in the spring garden. As a nature-loving gardener, however, I knew the long-neglected property needed a lot of tender loving care to be brought back to life. I nurtured a small, scraggly dogwood in the front yard - and it thrived. I've been working on my oil painting, aiming for more translucency and texture. I've been painting abstracts for a while, but for some strange reason I only want to paint realistically now - just the facts, Jack. Boy what a difference the correct brushes make! This "Dogwood Herd" is 6 X 6" and custom framed, on archival board. These dogwood blossoms were right from the home-grown garden and posed very patiently. Neither of us had anywhere else to go - pandemic and all - so we spent several days exchanging oxygen and contemplating the current state of affairs. This painting is beautifully custom framed in a greenish-green patina. It is ready to hang.
Available:
"Missing The Garden" by C. Twomey
It’s kind of a melancholy day with the coolness and the rain. To cheer myself up, I’m working on this abstract showing memories of the summer garden. I have some azaleas that are this deep, gorgeous pink that just popped out of my head. Think I’ll keep going with this one as the days improve.
On a lighter note, plaase check out my print sale! Prices are 30% off for all prints:
https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/catherine-twomey
Happier Monday!
Catherine
"Falls of Catawba: Blue Ridge Mountains" by C. Twomey
“Falls At Catawba”; the sound hits you before you can smell the water; the reward is climbing to sit near the soft ferns as the water finds its way down. Is there anything more peaceful than sitting beside a gently flowing waterfall in dappled shade?
The headwaters of the Catawba River are beautifully scenic. Just east of Asheville, the river tumbles through a rolling forest, cascading in a series of waterfalls and flowing over a mossy riverbed set in a shady, scenic stretch of the Pisgah National Forest. This fantastic day hike explores waterfall after waterfall in a sun-dappled valley, hiking just over two miles through a shady forest to the seeping wall of vibrant green moss and tendrils of water known as Catawba Falls.
This painting is original, and is wired and ready to hang. It is unframed. It was painted on raw canvas, allowing the beautiful stains of the paints to saturate and spread. It is enhanced with metallics such as silver and copper.
Offering: "Sunflower Quad" Watercolor by C. Twomey
“Sunflower Quad” watercolor, 15 X 20” on Crescent board.
Near where I live is a 10,000 acre estate that was once owned by Cornelius Van der Built and family. It's a fantastic, still privately owned "castle" of a home. I have an annual pass, which means any time I want I can go there and pretend I'm a Van Der Built.
At the end of every summer, along one of the main roads, they plant a very large, 20' wide path of sunflowers. I ride my bike there all the time just so I can enjoy them. This summer, however, I had foot surgery. A friend, knowing my love of these flowers, delivered this bouquet - which of course I had to paint. These delightful flowers really kept me focused as I recovered, for several hours a day I could experience the joy of painting them as the hours whiled away.
Helianthus or sunflower is a genus of plants comprising about 70 species. Except for three species in South America, all Helianthus species are native to North America and Central America.
Purchase here: https://www.catherinetwomey.com/available/sunflowers-quad
Watercolor, Work in Progress; 15 X 20” on illustration board
Summer and Sunflowers WIP by C. Twomey
My foot is slowly healing from some recent foot surgery. I’ve pulled out my watercolors and can paint at the dining room table since I can’t reach my studio. A dear friend brought these flowers as a healing gift, and I think they’re working! I’m thoroughly enjoying depicting the personality of each flower; each petal. I’ll continue to show the progress as the work comes alive.
Sunflowers Work In Progress by C. Twomey
16 X 20”, watercolor on illustration board.
Work In Progress, Sunflowers coming along. It is definitely the Dog Days of August, and unfortunately I can’t walk without a walker yet. Surgery is hard! The foot is healing well, however, and I’ve gotten a lot of delightful gifts for recovery. These sunflowers were just so yellow, so alive, I had to paint them. Watercolor seemed the best way to go since i can’t climb stairs to my studio. I’ll continue to post updates to this challenging work.
"Last Glad of the Season" by C. Twomey
5 X 10.5”, watercolor on Winsor & Newton #120 paper; Available HERE
Slowly recovering from some foot surgery. Got a good prognosis from the doctor on Thursday, but two more weeks of slow walking and elevating. In the meantime, the kids next door are getting ready for school and the garden is looking weary. This beautiful stalk popped up this week and I had to paint its portrait. I will miss the flowers, but the Black Eyed Susan’s are going strong.