Lately I’ve been painting a lot of poppies and tulips. I was given a commission to paint red tulips and red poppies on separate canvases by a collector of mine, really sweet lady. Poppies are something I’ve painted often in the past. I’ll also mention that my friend Amelia, let me dig up some of her poppies to start in my gardens this year. I’ve grown them before, but not this variety, I’m excited to see them bloom.

My collector gave me this commission before I had my surgery and I was trying my hardest to get them done before the surgery. In between other paintings and life going on they finally were finished just barely in time before my surgery.

However, just as I was finishing up the last strokes, it occurred to me that these didn’t look quite like 8×10’s that my collector had requested. I thought no, surely I grabbed the correct size canvas but I got out my ruler any way.

Sure enough, I had grabbed 9×12’s and painted her paintings on them. Grrrrr! I was so mad at myself for letting that slide by without me noticing. I felt like she had waited long enough for these paintings and now, here they are the wrong size! Plus, I didn’t have time to re-do them before my surgery in April.

I decided to show them to her anyway and see if she would take this size.

Wouldn’t you know it, she had plans for them to join another commissioned painting she had me paint for her last year (red geraniums) and needed them to be the same size. Dang. But I totally understand. They were going in a certain frame and she wanted them to all match. So, as soon as I was able to get back down into my studio, several weeks after my surgery, I am just competing the correct size as I write this.

That just once again is life telling me to slow it down. Pay attention to the little things. In this case, I am happily left with two new paintings available for sale. The other one was the red tulips that I posted about a few weeks ago.

Speaking of needing to slow it down…

Tonight, my son has his high school commencement. Lately, it’s been a whirlwind of activities. Award ceremonies, class days, signing days and a lunch banquet for his new program that he’ll be in this August. It’s all been very exciting and busy.

He’s just beginning his life into early adulthood. *sigh* I’m excited for him yet still nostalgic for earlier times. It’s bittersweet.

This wrong painting size lesson is not lost on me. I’m trying to slow down and take it all in, because I know it’ll all be gone in a flash.

Here’s the finished poppy painting, “Wild like the poppies”.

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Learn more about me on the ‘About’ page under the additional links menu. I’m an artist – a painter mostly and an avid gardener. I paint a variety of subjects including birds, koi fish, my gardens, ponds and flowers as well as anything having to do with nature especially trees and tropical scenes. I also enjoy painting abstracts and have started created more and more of them. My most favorite thing to try to achieve in my painting is is mystery and telling mystical stories.

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