Purple Pinstripes
13×18″
Prints available through Fine Art America by clicking here.
Here is another iris painting from my series for the American Iris Society Convention in Victoria. I enjoyed the blues and purples. In fact, I didn’t want to paint anything else this week and I was even dreaming in these colors.
The only problem is that I can only find time to paint for a couple of hours each day. I have yet to figure out how some moms work full time! I have enough projects and commissions to be a full time artist but between kids, house, and dog, it doesn’t ever happen. I wish I had the energy to stay up late or get up early to complete these projects but it just isn’t there. Instead I get up early to take my kids to classes or stay up late helping them with homework. I love being a mom and I became an artist so I could be home for them. Instead I am feeling overwhelmed. I guess every mother feels that way at times.
The school project I did stay up late with my 10 year old son last night was a presentation on Watercolor Artists of British Columbia. He was so sweet to choose me as the artist. I helped him choose a few others as well. (Carol Evans and Harold Allanson). I then had him paint his own watercolors.
These are his purple irises:
Purple Irises
by Blake Redhead
Leslie, your iris is beautiful, love the colors! I can so relate to your struggles as a mom and finding the time to fit everything in. Left practicing as a veterinarian to be home with my kids, and they are older now, in middle and high school, but they still keep me running! I have enjoyed the painting though, nice to have some time to do something I am interested in and I figure I will need something to do when they head off to college….they said I can't go with them…go figure.
Lovely colors and composition, Leslie!!
Beautiful!
Leslie , you have my full comprehension, the job of a mother is one of the toughest…you are never free. Weekends? ?? Euhhh, what? But don't despair, it is also one of the most rewarding jobs…and everything has an end. I think a little more dust in the house won't bother anyone if they have a mother/wife who is more happy because she TAKES the time to paint.
Your Iris are really lovely, one of my favorite colors in the garden, and I see you have a future little artist in the house. Hugs
Thank you everyone for your wonderful comments and encouraging words. Yes, being a mother has it challenges but is also so wonderful. I tell my kids that we don't have dust bunnies in our house, we have dust buffaloes.
Leslie, when my kids were young, I worked half-time as a high school teacher and tried to weave full-time and be a full-time mother:-) I understand fully that you would feel overwhelmed. However, kids do grow up so quickly…my daughter is working in NYC and my son is studying at McGill university…we don't see them very often and I miss the time when they were young and kept me so busy. Looking back, I see that I was very productive in those days in spite of the lack of time. Now that I have been retired since December, I don't seem to find any more time for my art! I am just not pushing myself as hard.
Your art is beautiful. Tell yourself that before long you will have more time and the choice of how you want to use that time…Meanwhile, dust bunnies, dust buffaloes…who has time to notice:-)
What a beauty, your iris painting. Also, enjoyed the painting by your son. How wonderful to have a son that loves to paint. Hope he receives an A+ on his presentation.
This is a stunning painting – love the colors and the light! And your son's painting is pretty darned good, too!!
Thank you all for your kind words. Today was another challenging day trying to fit everything in. Thank goodness for frozen pizza.
I admire each and every one of you for being such outstanding mothers, women, and artists!
The painting is fabulous in spite of the pressures.
Thank you Asit:)