Zen in the garden

Stacked Stones 4x4 pastel, copyright 2012

Water Lily Blossom 4x4 pastel, copyright 2012

Piles of stones have been used for millennia to mark boundaries and trials.  In some Buddhist circles a stack of three rounded stones are said to represent three Buddhavistas.  To others it is a meditation, a symbol of balance.  More recently stacked stones have simply become a decorative element.  These three came from our creek; I'll let you decided the meaning behind them.

In many eastern traditions, water lilies are symbols of rebirth, renewal and awakening.  This particular one was blooming in a koi and goldfish pond at the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, one of my favorite places to find some zen and an excellent urban spot for land snorkeling.

Both of these paintings are available in my etsy shop.

White zinnia

White Zinnia 6x6 oil, copyright 2011
SOLD

I gave up on the pastel I was working on - it just wasn't working.  But the little oils seemed to be working just fine.  One of the things I love about working in several different media is that I can switch back and forth when things aren't going well.  The occasional change up seems to help me look at things with fresh eyes.

Since melting outside in this extended heat wave has no appeal to me, I've been cutting flowers to bring into the studio.  The perennials are also melting, but the annuals are doing quite well.  My zinnias are mostly reds and pinks, but I had a few surprises.  This large white one really stood out from its peers.  The biggest challenge for me was to make it a brilliant white without washing out all the color.  I think the bright yellow center helped with that.  I considered making the background more monochromatic, but I just can't seem to get away from the bright colors.