Bright sunlight and long shadows evoke such a strong sense of summer. You know, those times when you ought to be inside washing dishes or doing laundry, but being outside is just too enticing to resist.

Currently, sitting on the easel is an early-stage piece inspired by those sensations. I fell captive to the scene you see sketched in here. Colorful bottles and marbles cast shadows with spots of glowing color so enchanting I fell completely in love and have succumbed to the temptation to recreate this scene on canvas. Stay tuned for updates.

Acrylic underpainting of bottles on an outdoor table. This piece is on a 36" x 24" canvas. — Underpainting of bottles and their long shadows on a warm summer day.

What should I paint?

While I work on the “bottles on the deck“ painting (name TBD), I’m already plotting my next piece, and I’d love to know what you think! Check out the three images below, then click on any of them to go to my online poll. You’ll click on a thumbnail to cast your vote.

I’ve got a 36” x 60” canvas I’d planned for these two…

…but not long after I decided to paint those, I shot these beauties. The coneflower’s colors are knock-you-off-your-feet gorgeous. And what wonderful, long and lanky landing pads. I decided to paint them instead.

Then I caught this carpenter bee on my lantana bush. Isn’t her black, shiny body next to hot yellow and orange micro-flowers just amazing? Now I want to paint these instead!

Help an artist out, would ya? I’d love to get everyone’s thoughts. Which one would you like to see? I’ll leave this poll open until Thursday, July 30th, when I should be just about done with the bottles you saw at the beginning of this post. By the way, don’t feel too pressured! I’ll likely paint them all eventually! But I’d still love to know the general consensus! I’ll send the results in my July 31 Email! Join my VIP list to be one of the first to know!

New piece TBD

Breakfast at Bellingrath