May Apple
#66

© A.K.SIMON - May Apple - oil on linen panel

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Another spring flower that is found in Ohio at the edge of wooded areas. They just look like little helicopters that landed on the ground. Unlike most flowers, this one comes out below the foliage. I'm guessing it is built in sunscreen.  

Trillium of Ohio
#65

© A.K.SIMON - Trillium of Ohio - 6x6 oil on panel

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Back from vacation in Maine, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia - how lucky am I? I feel so fortunate to have taken this vacation this year because we were able to make it all the way up to Cape Breton and I was blown away. Check out the National Geographic article about it - it really is that awesome! When I tell people I took 1,000 pics they say, "oh, but how many did you really take?" I literally took 1006 photos on this trip. Standouts of the "vaca" were: scenery, awesome rental car (we flew into Portland and drove north - leaving from Halifax) and the unbelievably nice Canadians. We did not encounter any grumpy, grouchy people. If you ever get the chance, make this trip into Canada, you won't be disappointed. 

Back to work: This little piece I finished yesterday. The trillium is the Ohio state flower and someone requested that I paint it. It really is pretty small but I wanted to showcase it so I focussed in really close. 

Spent 3 hours in one of the Metro Parks today working on a plein air piece for the upcoming  10th anniversary show for OPAS. 98 degrees today - need I say more! 

©A.K.SIMON - Trillium of Ohio -  6x6 oil on panel 

Jack is in the Pulpit Today
#64

© A.K.SIMON - Jack is in the Pulpit Today - Oil on Linen - $60


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I had heard about the Jack in the Pulpit plant many times in my life and had probably seen it but didn't really pay much attention to it until this past spring when Joann Swartz invited me on her property to see hers. She knows that I love flowers of all kind so she invited me to come to her land (much is very wooded) and view some of the amazing spring wild flowers. The plant grows in the shade of the woods and looks very "chartreusy" when the sun is shining through it. The stamen (Jack) actually stands behind the curled over leaf. Huh maybe it should be Jack hides in the Pulpit and that could have a whole new philosophical meaning. Regardless, another one of nature's amazing plants! 

Black-Eyed Susan
#64

© A.K.SIMON - Black-Eyed Susan - oil on linen - $45

There was obviously much more to this set up than I included in this piece. Somedays you show up to paint and you don't really show up to paint - do you know what I mean? I didn't really study the scene and make a plan before I started this one. I was bellyaching about being lethargic because I'm sick of the heat this summer and not interested in tolerating another "scorcher".  Funny thing is by the end of this one I was satisfied with the outcome. There is no doubt what this painting is about - I like simple and direct. So I guess the moral of the story is, "somedays just showing up is all it takes." One of my favorite sayings is, "just show up and shut up." Good advice!