Daily Painters of Texas: blue hydrangea flower painting

Pardon my pause button recently, I've landed safely in St. Louis and we are well into our second day of flower painting here in my hometown near the arch! Shortly after my feet touched the ground, I was whisked away to "flower row" downtown by my hosts and walked into a little bit of heaven on earth. These are the warehouses that fill an entire city block where fresh flowers are shipped in from around the country for distributors and flower shops around the state. Peonies, sunflowers, agapanthus, blue and white hydrangeas, larkspur, and more - my heart was going pitty pat and we loaded up wheeled carts of fresh flowers for my class this weekend. On Friday we painted red geraniums and today blue hydrangeas. Tomorrow - sunflowers and purple crepe myrtle as filler - what do you think, doesn't that sound like a yummy combination? Stay tuned to my art blog for more pictures, and a few stories of old St. Louis lore.

My talented students in the St. Louis sunshine!

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Morning Garden Azure Blue Hydrangeas by Texas Flower Artist Nancy Medina

Morning Garden Azure Blue Hydrangeas

by Nancy Medina

16X20

Palette Knife/Oil

I dusted off my palette knife and attempted to capture the dappled light, the warm blue purples and the chilly cold greenery of my back porch hydrangeas this morning. Morning Garden Blue Hydrangeas is packed with a punch of color, and I was in the mood for bright color, especially when I saw the back lit flowers with just a hint of azure coming through the fuschia pinks in my potted garden. I've been feeding my hydrangeas scandalous amounts of gardening fertilizer to give them a blue boost. I'm sure at some point I will learn when how much is too much, but for now they are thriving! I've shared a photo of one of the pots of blue blossoms on my art blog for you. See now why I could not resist painting them?

Morning Garden on the porch

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Color Burst Hydrangeas and a St. Louis Workshop by Flower Artist Nancy Medina

Color Burst Blue and White Hydrangeas

by Nancy Medina

16X20

Oil on Archival Panel

Do you ever get this urge to just make bright, juicy color in oils? Color Burst Blue and White Hydrangeas was a response to the big, fluffy flowers in my studio today, left over from my Dallas workshop this weekend. These fresh hydrangeas are not going to last much longer, so I wanted to take advantage of their perkiness while it lasted.

I'm very excited to announce my first St. Louis, Missouri workshop, Painting Florals in Oil, to be held July 12, 13 and 14. The workshop was posted this morning, and the organizer sent me a note a few moments ago excited about how many people have signed up already! St. Louis is my home town, so I'm delighted to be teaching there, in such a beautiful place with so much history and culture, not to mention great restaurants and a beautiful botanical garden! Meet me in St. Louis for a fun three days of making flowers bloom in bright color.

Paint Saint Louis

Painting Florals in Oils With Nancy Medina

July 12-13, 2013

9 am to 4 pm

Click Here to Register

The Color Burst hydrangea models take a bow!

Friday, April 5, 2013

SOLD ~ Little Bird Blue Hydrangeas and a North Texas Flower Painting Workshop by Nancy Medina

Little Bird Blue Hydrangeas

by Nancy Medina

SOLD

16X12

Oil on Archival Panel

What My Students Have to Say...

Little Bird Blue Hydrangeas is the newest small work, and I'm all set for my 3-day flower painting workshop that starts bright and early tomorrow morning! A visit to Central Market *sound of harps* today to pick over the best of their amazing fresh flower collection had my heart going pitty pat. I may have mentioned before, I can't take pictures of this flower market, because photos are not allowed, I was told by the flower security guard. I had my phone out at the time, and was clicking away like crazy, when she pointed up to the giant sign above my head that said NO PHOTOS in bold type. Once again, here I was, about to get kicked out of a flower market type situation. So alas, as much as I wanted to show you, I was not allowed because I chose to be a law abiding flower buying citizen. However, tune in to my art bloggy tomorrow and you'll see what I bought, as we paint flowers til the cows come home in North Texas.

Here's a link to what my students have to say, disclaimer, yes, I did ply them with fresh donuts!

Sunday, March 31, 2013

SOLD ~ Before the Storm Blue Hydrangeas by Texas Flower Artist Nancy Medina

Before the Storm Hydrangeas

by Nancy Medina

SOLD

16X12

Oil on Archival Panel

Two of a Kind Blue Hydrangeas on the porch!

Before the Storm Blue Hydrangeas is the newest small work in the studio, a nod to the beautiful blue hydrangea plant I found at the nursery this week, along with geraniums, petunias, and fluffy green hanging ferns for our back yard retreat. Howard and his brother and sisters helped me plant all our new flowers in the garden today, and I'm hoping for many blossom models this spring for new paintings. Happy Easter from the pugs and I in Flower Mound Studio!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

SOLD ~ Blue Swirl Hydrangeas and Spring Workshops by Texas Flower Artist Nancy Medina

Blue Swirl Hydrangeas

by Nancy Medina

SOLD

12X12

Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

Blue Swirl Hydrangeas is the newest small work in the studio, as I lay in pots and jars and glassware for a new large container garden painting that will be headed to my solo show in San Diego in April. Two of my workshops filled up this week, I think everyone is getting in the mood for flowers! The hydrangeas I painted this evening are based on the blossoms at the Dallas Arboretum, one of the most inspiring spots in Texas for those who enjoy seeing Mother Nature in her brightest spring attire. I would love to paint with you in 2013, check out all my workshops and nab your seat before it is too late! We paint from fresh flowers together, step by step, and artists who work in acrylics and water based oils are also welcome. Put a little joy in your brush and let's make bright color happen in big, loose, bold strokes this year!

Click here for workshop information

Blue Swirls on the easel!

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

SOLD ~ New Day Blue Hydrangeas and a Hydrangea Workshop by Nancy Medina

New Day Blue Hydrangeas

by Nancy Medina

SOLD

16X20

Palette Knife/Oil on Archival Panel

Purchase Information

Flower Painting Workshops
Nancy Medina Web Site
Follow Me Daily on Facebook

New Day Blue Hydrangeas is named in honor of my new life as a full-time artist, following my departure from corporate America in less than 24 hours! Due to popular demand, I'm holding a 2-day hydrangea workshop May 17-18 in Irving, Texas. We'll work from fresh flowers to make those fluffy florals and celebrate using bright, pure color with big, bold strokes!

Monday, March 11, 2013

Tabletop Tableau Blue Hydrangeas by Texas Flower Artist Nancy Medina

Tabletop Tableau Blue Hydrangeas

by Nancy Medina

20X24

Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

Tabletop Tableau Blue Hydrangeas is a mixture of a few of my favorite things - sunflowers, geraniums, hydrangeas, daisies and green apples! I've started work on a new four foot container garden painting for my show on Coronado Island near San Diego, California, coming up in April. I can hardly wait to visit this beautiful island during the flower show, and fill up my camera's memory stick and my computer hard drives with another few hundred flower photos!

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

SOLD ~ Herb Garden Blue Hydrangeas by Texas Flower Artist Nancy Medina

Herb Garden Blue Hydrangeas

by Nancy Medina

SOLD

Class Demonstration

8X10

Oil on Archival Panel

Herb Garden Blue Hydrangeas is a new small work created in my classroom paint-along for my Valentine's weekend workshop. Each morning I complete a large demo painting and in the afternoons, we paint flowers together, step by step. That big ole blue hydrangea plant I found at the grocery store almost 2 weeks ago is still holding up beautifully, and has contributed to the creation of over six paintings. These flowers have earned their keep! If this gorgeous early spring weather holds up, I'll move this plantlet into my hydrangea garden and give it a chance to bloom again.

Herb Garden Hydrangeas in my herb garden!

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Spring Hope Hydrangeas and a Dallas Arboretum Tour by Texas Flower Artist Nancy Medina

Spring Hope Blue Hydrangeas

by Nancy Medina

8X10

Oil on Archival Panel

Spring Hope is the newest blue batch of blossoms in the studio, while the studio models are still fresh! Today the hubby and I paid a visit to the Dallas Arboretum, a few weeks before Dallas Blooms Festival kicks off March 1. The daffodils are already making an appearance, and the pansies and decorative kale were so bright and purple and gorgeous. The hubby especially liked the decorative kale, mentioning more than once that he wished he had brought along a bottle of salad dressing... It was a bit chilly with the breeze off the lake, so we warmed up in the Tea Room with fancy cucumber sandwiches and Harney and Sons brand tea. What a treat! Get your comfy shoes on and a warm scarf and let's take the tour together on my art blog today - enjoy!

Thursday, February 7, 2013

SOLD ~ Skyfall Blue Hydrangeas and a Coronado Island Solo Show by Texas Flower Artist Nancy Medina

Skyfall Blue Hydrangeas

by Nancy Medina

SOLD

11X14

Oil on Museum Quality Linen Panel

What a thrill today to find one gorgeous blue hydrangea plant at the flower market! It was hidden way in the back behind the scads of price inflated Valentine's day flower baskets. I purchased about $100 worth of Rosemary brushes for a workshop in Scottsdale last week. Since the trip was canceled, I decided to break out those super fancy brushes and see if I liked them as much as my $1.50 each Royal bristlettes. The verdict is still out, but, just as advertised, these brushes DO NOT shed like the other high dollar types so many artists have wrestled with in the past.

Enjoy my Coronado Island Flower Painting Video!

I do have a bit of exciting news, my annual solo show on Coronado Island, near San Diego, has been scheduled for April 20, during the 88th Annual Flower Show. I can hardly wait to get over to the island and get a few hundred new photos of the cottage gardens there. The Island residents consider their annual Flower Show to be quite a serious competition, and the roses in the show are literally the size of dinner plates, with every color imaginable. I hope to see you at my show - I'll be painting all day in the garden at Art and Frames by Wood Gallery on Orange Avenue, the oldest gallery on the island. Stop by and say hi to Jill and the gallery family there, and see some of my four and six foot wide container gardens of flowers while you're at it!

My 2012 Painting Demo on Coronado Island

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Sun Seeker Blue Hydrangea by Texas Flower Artist Nancy Medina

Sun Seeker Blue Hydrangea

by Nancy Medina

8X10

Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

Sun Seeker Blue Hydrangea is a new work on the easel, as I pack up paintings to ship to Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland and Dallas, Texas this week. After all that packing I just couldn't bear to leave the studio without dipping into the paints, so I pulled up a few of my favorite Dallas Arboretum photos from last spring and found a fav blue flower in the bunch. Today the hubby and I spent the day with Mom. We toasted bagels, talked about our favorite recipes, and visited with my uncle and aunt who flew in from Wheaton, Illinois. Mom really enjoyed the company, and it was wonderful to see her smile. I hope you had a nice weekend, and spent it with someone who makes you happy, even if that someone is just a little fuzzy cuteypie like my AnnieBee (who got a bath today therefore she smells like roses!!)

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Blue Tango Hydrangeas and Roses by Texas Flower Artist Nancy Medina

Blue Tango Hydrangeas and Roses

by Nancy Medina

16X12

Oil on Archival Panel

I had quite a wrestling match with a batch of blue hydrangeas in the studio today. There was paint being slung hither and yon and at one point the entire painting was wiped out. This was not a painting session for the feint of heart, but I finally got them on the mat. I think the little oranges helped balance the blue cacophony. On a sad note, this may be the last appearance of my little bowl of cutie oranges for a bit, these are getting just a bit mushy! Here's to those brave, hard working little oranges - your contributions this past week will not be forgotten!

Monday, September 10, 2012

Sold ~ Mosaic Blue Hydrangeas by Texas Flower Artist Nancy Medina

Mosaic Blue Hydrangeas

by Nancy Medina

SOLD

12X12

Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

Mosaic Blue Hydrangeas is a new painting in Flower Mound Art Studio. After weeks of painting poppies and oranges and lemons, I felt the need to move into a blue spectrum. The last flower on my hydrangea plant is almost faded, and I'll be in the garden today, planting this one in the ground to give it another chance next season. With all the cool breezes we've been having lately here in North Texas, can you tell I'm looking for a great excuse to spend the afternoon outdoors?

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Farm Fresh Hydrangeas by Texas Flower Artist Nancy Medina

Farm Fresh Hydrangeas

by Nancy Medina

14X14

Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

My Sunflower Video

Farm Fresh Hydrangeas is the newest work in the studio, if you don't count the 20X20 larger version that's holding down the easel today. I found these white hydrangeas at the corner market, and have been pampering and spoiling them, spritzing them with water, giving them cool drinks, and storing them every evening in the coolest room in the house hoping they will last just a few more days. The best way to preserve hydrangeas is to keep them cool and wet, and it they are cut and in water, to put them in the refrigerator at night vase and all. Most of the hydrangeas in pots will end up planted in my hydrangea garden when they are done with their time in the studio spotlight. Someday they'll tell their hydrangea grandchildren about the glory days, and how they were memorialized in paintings and how they lived indoors and only drank filtered water.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Sold - Royal Blue Hdyrangeas by Texas Flower Artist Nancy Medina

Royal Blue Hydrangeas by Nancy Medina

SOLD

16X20

Oil on Linen Board

Royal Blue Hydrangeas is a new painting in Flower Mound Studio, and another painting starring my new blue vase. I admit I'm infatuated with my new blue vase. I've painted Sunflowers, then white roses, and now blue hydrangeas in it in the last 3 days. I think of the three, I like the blue hydrangeas the most. I first saw this setup during my Fredericksburg, Texas workshop a few weeks ago. Thanks so much to Linda for bringing this vase with her, and how lucky for me to find one just like it on Ebay a few weeks later!

The studio models looking a little blue....

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Double Duty Blue Hydrangeas by Texas Flower Artist Nancy Medina

Double Duty Blue Hydrangeas

by Nancy Medina

11X14

Oil on Linen Board