This is my ode to Spring in the Northwest. While we do have many beautiful blooms this time of year, the weather can be very unstable. Warm and sunny one minute and then a torrent of showers, maybe some hail and a thunderstorm or two. Then all of a sudden the sun bursts forth and everything is set aglow!

Oh Spring! Original watercolor by 
Sandra Yorke

Blue Hibiscus

I love being an artist! I can paint the way I feel on a certain day and express my feelings through colors, line, shapes, etc. Even painting realistic scenes (as opposed to abstract paintings) allows a person to express their feelings for what they are painting. I have painted to music with wonderful results I may not have had otherwise. You have the freedom to create and express yourself through art. Try it and I guarantee your life will be brighter. We all have a creative spark within us and it's good to let it out and play!   SOLD

Here's another painting done this summer with the "Plein Air" painting group. These nasturtiums were growing in the gardens at McMenimans Edgefield in Troutdale, Oregon. There were lots of interesting things to sketch, paint or take pictures of there. I enjoyed the quirky buildings and the many gardens and views on the property. This is just a small part of it, but I thought they were so beautiful!

I did this quick painting of lilacs after a tour of the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens in Woodland, WA. There were so many wonderful varieties, some in colors I had never seen in lilacs before. I kept the image simple, relying mainly on the lighting, colors and textures to convey the feeling of seeing the lilacs on a bright, spring day. My scanner wasn't big enough to scan the whole painting so part of it was cut off!

Lilacs, 10x11 watercolor on Arches paper  SOLD

Spring

Spring is not too far away and I was thinking about tulips and other flowers and created this design of red and white tulips. I wanted the back ground to be something a little different so decided to add the geometrical shapes later. I love the way the large circle appears as a moon in the background and goes along with the theme of nature and the changing seasons.

Spring, 20x26 watercolor SOLD

Summer collage

This is my summer collage. First the entire full sheet of watercolor paper was painted with a warm golden color mixed with splashes of turquoise and white acrylic. After this dried I added the collage pieces (sunflower painting, leaves, ocean painting, dragonfly stamps, music sheet, feathers, and letters.) Try doing a summer collage of your own!

22 x 28 watercolor,acrylic collage

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This painting of nasturtiums in a blue vase was done loosely in watercolor on Arches 140lb paper. I mainly wanted to capture the brilliant color of the flowers and by pairing the orange and yellow with the blue vase and shadows the flowers really pop!

Nasturtiums and blue vase, 11x14 watercolor

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Yellow hibiscus

I have been working on several paintings, but am having problems with my scanner so haven't been able to get pictures up on the blog. I did manage to get a picture of this one, though. I'm not sure it's totally finished yet. I may add a touch of blue around some of the petals.

Yellow hibiscus, 15x22 watercolor

Trilliums

As I walked back in the woods on our property, I noticed the trilliums in bloom again. This is the first sign of spring in the Northwest! The trillium is a simple, yet beautiful flower that covers the ground beneath the fir trees in wooded areas. I kept the background simple and loose for this painting by tilting the paper (on gatorboard) and letting the paint run.

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"The purpose of art is not a rarified, intellectual distillate--it is life, intensified, brilliant life." Alain Arias-Misson

My Irises

I talked about painting on Yupo paper in an earlier post. Here is another watercolor done on Yupo paper. I love the way the colors float on top of the paper- they stay so much brighter! I am thinking of posting some painting demos and "paintings in process" on this blog in the near future, so stay tuned!

My Irises, 20x24 watercolor on Yupo

Island Celebration

I have been so busy I haven't posted for awhile! So here's another tropical painting (I'm really feeling the need to go back to the islands with all this cool, rainy weather we've been having!) I liked the way the palm trees in the background turned out - kind of distant and fuzzy. This is a watercolor on 140 lb. cold pressed paper.

Island Celebration, 14 x 22 watercolor SOLD

Poppy Passion

I recently tried painting on a new paper called Yupo. It is more like plastic than paper, as the paint (watercolor) sits on the surface and creates many beautiful, stunning effects. This painting of red poppies is one of my favorites.

"Remember that you are not painting a picture, you are creating a painting." Peggy McGivern on giving advice to artists in Finding Your Visual Voice.

Poppy Passion, 14x26 watercolor on Yupo, unframed

Tropical Natives

I liked the idea of combining a native tropical flower (plumeria) and the Hawaiian petroglyphs found throughout the islands. It is an intriguing combination celebrating two different natives.

Tropical Natives, 12x16 watercolor

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Tropical Greetings

As much as I love the Pacific Northwest, the beauty of Hawaii is also awe inspiring. Kauai is my favorite island and I have visited it several times, each time gaining new inspiration for paintings. The hibiscus flower comes in several colors, but I think the red ones are my favorite.

Tropical Greetings, 18x24 watercolor

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Painting Adventures

The simple wild beauty of sunflowers has always said "summer" to me. This is an original water color painting of a field of sunflowers in Clark County, Washington from a photo I took several years ago. The field is gone now, having been turned into a housing subdivision. But the beauty of the sunflowers and sky will remain forever with me and in this painting.

Dancing with the sunflowers, size 28 x 20