Thank God for great weather - painting on the patio

Fortunately, (or not), my consulting (left-brain) work has been slowish this month so I've completed a boatload of paintings lately, including a 48 x 72 inch triptych of water/golden sky.  My largest so far, this posed a number of challenges to make sure I got the horizon lined up right, etc. I'd intended to lay something in the foreground of this, but the colors are so captivating, I chose to leave it simple and serene as is. 

On top of all the painting, since it is gorgeous weather, The Satchell family held part two of our garage sale on Saturday to unload all the clutter that remained piled up in our garage that wasn't sold off last Friday.  It's a great feeling to thin things out and working in tandem with David always ensures it is done well (he's the tidy one!).  Once we got the garage cleaned out, I turned the remainder of the day spent as "cashier" of the yard sale into productive painting time by bringing an easel in the garage. It gave me a chance to get started on something I know is going to be lovely once I've gotten it fine tuned - Nashville's Centennial Park with the Parthenon building in the background. 

Yesterday I had a friend over that paints gorgeous scenes from a village in Mexico she stayed at for several months years ago.  She painting at one easel and I at the drawing board with my Centennial Park one and on the picnic table where I got started on my most ambitious project yet:  a 36 x 80 inch piece on wood -- I told you the Restauranteur told me to "go big".  I gessoed it twice and decided to go lighter - an ice blue background.  Then, I was stuck and a form of "painter's block" hit.  I'd intended to do a grand cannas design since I love the pattern in the leaves but cannas are tall and I needed short and squat.  I was tempted to do just outlines and the veins but really am troubled by the short and wide format... Time is running out and I've got to get this big one done! Wish me luck!