40 - Midsummer's Night Dream

Midsummer's Night Dream 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

Cerulean deep blue
Glowing orbs that mimic stars
What is that rings true?
- I

I adore mystery and spiritual art as it can mean differently to anyone with their unique experiences. Mystery makes things interesting.

39 - Earth Blooms

Earth Blooms 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

I wanted to do an experiment with these flowers by changing its hue to a more blueish teal color and give contrast to the background to give it a sense of deep Earth. This painting reminds me of someone waking up in the deep woods and finding these strange beautiful flowers blooming in the moist dark soil, as if to give hope. Where all seem to go wrong, there is still beauty in the midst.

38 - Red 50's Chevy Pickup

Red 50's Chevy Pickup 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

I was in Atlantic City with my girlfriends and there was an antique car tour right on the boardwalk! This is a beautiful shiny red 50's Chevy pickup truck.

37 - Hibiscus

Hibiscus 8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord $100 - Buy it here.

Lovely hibiscus
drop of dew on its petals
there's beauty in us
- I

I would walk outside where all the potted plants and flowers are and see my mother watering her hibiscus. She had a variety of them coming in different colors. One in pink and white, and others in purple with dark purple specks. They are so delicate and beautiful.

The painting results: I made a mistake of adding too much dull tan paint color in the petals but then quickly resolved it by adding brighter cream colors. It looked much better. I'm also content with the way the purple/pink flower in the top right corner appears. It just looks bright and fresh! Adding hints of bright orange/yellow really brightens up the piece. I picked bright green and teal for the background because it is a contrasting color to red/pink. This would be a great addiction to any bedroom and be reminded to smell the roses once in a while.

36 - A Rose for You

 36 - A Rose for You 8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord $100 - Buy it here.

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Have you read
that I love you?
- I

Roses are lovely to paint and fun too! I enjoyed adding bright colors to enhance its vibrancy and saturation. It's my first to do an 8 x 8 gessobord and it was easier since it's bigger. I hope you are all excited to eat chocolates tomorrow. :)

35 - Pink Rose

Pink Rose 5 x 7 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

and if you don't 
like me, as I do you;
I understand.

because who would
really choose
a daisy, in a field
of roses?

-Julie Martinez


Valentine's Day is coming! There's flowers and hearts everywhere! I'm fortunate enough to be able to go out on a romantic dinner with my fiancè...we're thinking Thai and then eat some raw chocolates. :)

Painting flowers are a bit of a challenge as there's dramatic lights and darks in the petals. This is my first time doing a 5 x 7 Gessobord. It was odd at first since I'm no longer doing an even square but a rectangle! I had to keep in mind the composition and not have the subject to be in the center as it's more interesting not.

34 - Oopsie Daisy

34 - Oopsie Daisy 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

I want daisies in my hair,
green tea in my hand, and
love in my heart. - K

I noticed this has more bold colors and intensity than the other paintings. I really like how I've used more reds to make it more rich. To make it dark, like shadows around the petals, I used blue and that was a good choice rather than mixing the usual grey of white, red, blue, and green. The results really made me proud. I'm getting there! So to make colors darker, try using more of the same color or some blues. Adding yellow can make the hues lighter. This is the guide that can help give you an idea.