Green, by Canadian Artist Kim Blair

Eaten and cultivated since prehistoric times, onions were mentioned in the first dynasty of ancient Egypt, circa 3200 B.C.E., and have appeared in tomb paintings, inscriptions and documents from that time on.  Some paintings depict onions heaped onto banquet tables, both the robust bulb onions as well as green onions (scallions).  Of all foods in the plant kingdom it seems that onions set the record for the most frequent appearance in ancient Egyptian art.  They were the staple food of the common person along with bread and beer... not much has changed it seems.

Over many centuries the onion occupied an exalted position as a work of art as well as a food.

SOLD
10x10 oil on canvas




Orange Fire

Vibrant exotic flowers, strelitzia reginae remind me of a vacation we took in Maui a few years ago.   While in Hawaii we met numerous people who told us they vacation there for a few weeks almost every winter, some said they have been returning for the last 20 years... and after spending two weeks there, I can understand why.  A tropical paradise, full of exotic flowers.

SOLD
12x12 oil on canvas.

Strelitzia I & II


Strelitzia I






Strelitzia II





Strelitzia I & II 
Strelitzia Reginae, or  bird-of-paradise is native to South Africa where it grows wild in the eastern Cape. The flowers emerge from the green spathe, and consist of 3 brilliant orange sepals and 3 bright blue petals.  When the birds sit to have a drink of nectar, the (blue) petals open to cover their feet in pollen.  During my career as a floral designer I could hardly wait to open the box of 'exotics' that arrived weekly from Hawaii.  The box was packed tightly with anthurium, protea, heleconia and 'birds' (as we liked to call them), plus exotic foliages.  A visual feast...
Sterlitzia I & II can be hung as a diptych or purchased separately.
 for each 10x10 oil painting (they each need a bit of drying time)

Both are SOLD

Floral Headboard

One of my collectors from Calgary purchased 3, 10x10 canvas to hang on her bedroom wall above her bed, creating a floral headboard.  The wood framed, ornate metal piece hanging above the 3 canvas creates a nice vignette.  I have seen something similar in House & Home Magazine, where they use 3 or more canvas, depending on the size of the canvas and width of the bed.
Square format canvas make an eye-catching statement, whether they are hung horizontal or vertical.

Warhol Pink, French Ivory and Pink Light look lovely hung together... nice combination.

Thanks to one of my Calgary Collectors for sending me these photos, it is always fun to see where people decide to hang their art.

Gloxinia

Gloxinias were discovered in Columbia and Venezuela in 1739.  A relative of the African Violet family it prefers similar growing conditions, so when your gloxinia plant stops flowering, just be patient, it will soon be flowering again.  If you have a green thumb with violets, you probably will have good luck with  a gloxinia.  Velvety bell shaped flowers with scalloped edges, and broad fuzzy green foliage add up to the unique characteristics of this luxurious plant.  The blooms are gorgeous... I found myself compelled to touch them... they feel like a swatch of fine silk velvet fabric.

(Click on the image to see a close-up of the impasto paint that creates the blooms.)

SOLD
12x12 oil on canvas.

Lemon Light

My tin foil series just keeps on going...
Depending on how smooth the foil is you can see some vivid reflections.  These lemons on their own were a brilliant yellow, but once I placed them on the tin foil the reflection became a blaze of light... lemon light.

Here is a little something to brighten up your day... or kitchen or...

SOLD
12x12 oil on canvas.  (the thicker yellow areas need some extra drying time)

Salt Spring Lavender Fields III & IV

Salt Spring Lavender Fields III, SOLD


Salt Spring Lavender Fields IV, SOLD


As promised here are III & IV of the Salt Spring Lavender Fields Series.
Lavender was used in ancient Egypt for embalming and cosmetics and the Roman soldiers took lavender on campaigns with them to dress war wounds. This aromatic herb which is a member of the mint family, experienced a renaisssance in Tudor England where lavender was traditionally planted near the laundry room and linens and clothing were laid over the plants to dry while absorbing the fresh odor of lavender.  Then during WWI it found its way back onto the battle field where it was used to dress wounds because antiseptics were in short supply.

Lavender is a good thing...

BOTH ARE SOLD
Each painting is:
18x24 oil on gallery profile canvas.

Salt Spring Lavender Fields I & II

Salt Spring Lavender Field Grouping


Salt Spring Lavender Field I, SOLD


Salt Spring Lavender II, SOLD


Salt Spring Island is one of the largest Gulf Islands off the west coast of Canada, near Vancouver.  Not far from Fulford Harbour on Salt Spring Island, is a magical lavender farm where I took the reference photos for my series of lavender field paintings.  Last fall I painted (and they are all sold) a series of small lavender field paintings.  I decided to paint a series of four larger versions... today I am posting the first two which can work as a diptych and tomorrow I will post larger versions of III & IV.  The photo of all four of them hanging together makes a nice statement too...  And if you have a wall long enough, you could hang three,or all four together in a row.

I love creating painting combinations that can work in multiples, or can make a lovely statement all on their own.

BOTH ARE SOLD
Each painting in this Salt Spring Lavender Field series is:
18x24 on gallery profile canvas.