The cards are here!

A bit of excitement as my cards for Christmas are here! I did them on the computer and then they were printed off at Apple. Originally, I decided to do the sunflowers on the front - but I couldn't have a vertical card and also pictures on the inside- and I didn't like it really chopped horizontally - so I ended up with it being one of four pictures on the front. The others are the dahlia bouquet, Isabella, and Nicola Valley. It looks quite good - if not terribly "Christmas-y". I don't do really overly "seasonal" paintings anyway.  So there is Isabella on the front- but Digby made it at the top of the left-hand column inside. It is fun choosing a selection of paintings and drawings. I put two pastels in too. I guess it will get harder to choose another year- unless I really produce a lot. Who knows? I can include pastel drawings again another time too.  Right now I'm working on a different "Lanterns" painting. I used one a few years back and it was a good painting of the miner's lantern but the lantern "flowers" were too much on one plane. This time, the miner's lantern is more obscured - and there is even another lantern there too, not too visible - and many more of the lantern plant going back in depth. I think it is a more interesting and complex painting- even if, currently,  not completely finished.  I think I will take it to the critique at our Christmas meeting and see what the verdict there is.  The Sunflowers, above,  are 40 inches by 30 inches. As a tribute to Van Gogh, I signed my name on the vase, as he did on his painting. They were painted from life- only the vase has been changed a bit. I painted it for myself and have it over my desk downstairs. I suppose I would sell it - but then I think I'd have to get more sunflowers next year and paint a different picture for myself. Cross that bridge when I get to it.... I think I am getting more into a floral mood again - although I keep looking at mandarins and thinking I'd like to paint another mandarin picture. Maybe I am in an orange-colour mood as I recently did a small pumpkin and some gourds. Those are too recent to be on this card. On the card, inside- Digby, a Roman street scene, floats hanging at Finn slough, a section of the "pots" painting, pastel of Wanda as a '30's singer, pastel of Ariel in a costume--right hand column, my Grand Prix painting, a small Terra Nova painting recently re-done and recently sold, the Danish Danish pastry picture, seedheads -alliums, Helene in costume, pomegranates, "22 Owls" from the GuessWho? sale. Definitely a variety of subjects! No card shark or rum runner as those paintings are still down at Phoenix art store and haven't been photographed. So maybe next year there will be the rum runner- there is a certain seasonality to that!