floral – Heni's Happy Paintings

Tuxie with Sunflowers

Published on July 31, 2021August 1, 2021 by henishappypaintings6 Comments

Tuxie with Sunflowers is my most recent painting. I had the pitcher of sunflowers on the chest next to the window in my studio that I used to do my last painting, Sunflowers in Mom’s Silver Pitcher. Over the days it took me to do that painting, Tuxie would jump up and lay next to the pitcher. I took several photos with my phone and sent them my daughter. She loves getting texts with photos of her beloved kitties. I took a blend of two of those photos to create this painting.

Tuxie’s face is challenging to paint because of his asymmetric patterns on his symmetric face. I worked at getting his face to work for quite a while. Tuxie and his brother, Truffle keep me company as I paint. Their birthday is coming up in August. They will be 12 years old. We just love them both!

I have note cards and framed prints in a display at the Westside Market in Toco Hills. The cat with still life note cards are big sellers. I think this one will be a nice addition.

Sunflowers in Mom’s Silver Pitcher

Published on July 17, 2021July 17, 2021 by henishappypaintings9 Comments

I felt like taking a break from my abstracts to do a still life painting. For several years now, around my Mom’s birthday, I have painted one of her pitchers in her honor. I skipped this year as her birthday was in January, but recently I’ve been clearing out many of her antique items from the estate which we’d kept all these years. I’ve sold some of the silver and have taken boxes of tinware and depression glass over to the Treasure Mart, a local consignment shop. This has gotten me feeling quite sentimental.

I’ve kept her small silver-plated pitcher which does not have much value, but I love the shape. It was down in our dining room and I thought to myself I’m going to do one more pitcher painting in honor of Mom. I also liked the challenge of trying to depict silver. Since we are in the heat of summer, I chose sunflowers. I’ve been thinking and appreciating my three sisters lately and thus I chose four flowers symbolizing the four daughters that Mom had.

It was a fun painting to do and now I’m starting a new painting with the same pitcher next to my cat Tuxie to add to my cat still-life series.

Magnolia Flower in Mom’s Ginger Jar

Published on January 29, 2014January 30, 2014 by henishappypaintings8 Comments

Magnolia Flower in Mom’s Ginger Jar a new still life that I painted in honor of my Mom. Her birthday was on Monday and I try to do a painting with her in mind around this time of year. The ginger jar was hers. I’ve always loved it and now it graces our dining room side board. Mom collected antique ginger jars and I can remember her telling me that the Chinese filled them with ginger and other spices to export to the West. This particular jar was made in the early 1800’s. She also had many pieces of antique willow ware with the blue painted landscape scene depicting a love story. We heard the story from mom many times of a young couple in love. The wealthy girl’s father would not allow her to marry the poor boy so they ran away together and sailed off on a boat which sank in a storm and they were turned into love birds to live happily ever after. My Mom was quite a romantic.

I enjoyed working on this painting, it was challenging for me to get the colors to work with the white of the magnolia flower along with the white of the porcelain ginger jar. It was a fun puzzle, I am pleased with the end result and I think that Mom would have loved it. Happy Birthday Mom!