Mother's Day Surprise

My mother is no longer with us in this life. She loved these pale pink irises, given to her by a neighbor and friend at Mason Christian Village. I did too: they always bloomed around Mother's Day and looked like frilly pink party dresses. So my brothers and I planted them in our yards and my sister-in-law down south sent me a photo of hers, which bloomed a few weeks before Mother's Day.

I painted this watercolor for myself because I feared mine hadn't survived being transplanted into a friend's garden when I moved last summer. Figured I'd make prints of this to give both my sisters in law for Mother's Day this year: they are both dear to me and have always been generous about sharing their children with me so that I love being an aunt.

So guess what??! The friend whose garden we transplanted Mom's irises into brought me these blooms on Mother's Day -- they made it! The real flowers are so much more amazing and beautiful than I could ever paint. And if we can transplant those bulbs into the yard at my new home this fall, my nieces and nephews will be able to get them from there and enjoy them for years to come.

 

When It Rains Outside

 

The plein air painting group I belong to usually paints outdoors every Tuesday starting in April. But this year it seems like it has rained every Tuesday! And I still feel like I'm recovering from a recent health issue so I just don't want to paint outside in the rain.

Luckily we have a place where we can meet to paint indoors in April and May. So I have been working on some watercolor paintings, of which this is one. It's of the Harmon Museum in Lebanon, Ohio where I had a one-woman show two years ago. From Oct 18 to Nov 22, 2025 our Mason-Deerfield Arts Alliance Painters will have a show there this fall. I plan to display 2 large works in that: one oil painting of colorful bell peppers and a large watercolor of an iris in sunlight.

Not sure what I'll do with this painting when I finish it but it's been a good way to stay limber with my watercolors this spring, especially painting an architectural subject which is what I often do en plein air. I've been working on this from a photo I took a couple years ago.