"Flowering Kale" -- oil on canvas -- 30x40" -- Margie Guyot

A couple weeks ago I attended a "fungi/fermentation" workshop when I saw this huge, frilly, flowering kale. It gave me GOOSEBUMPS! Some people's heart skips a beat; for me, it's goosebumps. I went up to the workshop organizers and said I wanted to either "beg, buy or steal" it. Ended up making a $5 donation to ISLAND.

I loved the colors in the top part of the kale and selected a cloth from my fabric collection to echo those tones. The people in JoAnn Fabrics must think I'm cuckoo for the garish fabrics I buy.

The red-striped vase is from Pier One. That wonderful grape-shaped wine bottle I found at a flea market for $10. As soon as I saw it -- yep -- you guessed it: goosebumps. And that polka dot bag is so cool! It came from some hoity-toity boutique over in the Leelanau Peninsula last summer. I thought the polka dots work well, echoing the bumps on the wine bottle.

It was a bit of a challenge to get the sunlight and shadow patterns and colors. Usually I have to use my studio light during the cooler months, as it's mostly cloudy along the NW coastline of Michigan.

"Red Vase" -- oil on canvas -- 9x12" -- Margie Guyot

I started this little still life yesterday and just finished it this afternoon. The vase is from Pier One. This is the first attempt at painting it. I just love the way the colors are so intense! I want to do another, bigger still life using this vase and maybe some oranges or melons (other things "orange"). The little frogs are favorites of mine, and I loved the shadows they threw in the bright sunshine. We've had 2 days of sunshine in a row here and it's very unusual. Ten degrees below zero this morning, with a high about 10 above, so it's a good day to stay inside and do still lifes.

"Pink Tulips No. 2" -- oil on canvas -- 12x9" -- Margie Guyot

I did a painting quite similar to this a couple days ago, thinking the tulips were about to drop all their petals. I'd finished the "Red Vase" painting this afternoon around 2:30 and noticed these tulips were looking even prettier than before. So I basically painted the same thing, all over again. I never thought I'd finish it this afternoon. I painted as quickly as possible, using my #8 brush as much as I could. I think I like this version even better than the one I did this weekend. It's supposed to be bitterly cold again tonight and tomorrow, so I'll probably be looking for something new to paint tomorrow again. Another tulip painting?