Cedar Lee June 9th, 2011

Here is the last of the Lotus paintings I’ve been working on.

I decided to try a new configuration for this triptych, with a larger center panel flanked by two smaller panels. Oils on 3 separate canvases. The panels are 10″ x 8″, 16″ x 12″, and 10″ x 8″, for a total size of 16″ x 28″.

Lotus Pond VIII

I love how vibrant this one is–in person it looks like it is lit from within!

Here are close-ups of the 3 panels:

This is officially the last painting to be added to my Nesting Sale, which ends on June 18th (only 9 more days!)

• New Works: Flowers
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Cedar Lee June 5th, 2011

Here is Lotus Pond VII, a departure from my other multi-panel Lotus paintings in that it is arranged vertically. It would be perfect on any wall that is narrow and vertical, like in a stairwell or foyer.

I wanted to capture how long and reaching the stems of lotus flowers are in real life–taller than most people! I love the symbolism of the lotus flower representing the human spirit’s ability to transcend ugliness, as they grow straight upwards from the swampy muck of the pond towards the bright, clean, hopeful sky.

I decided to make the colors very rich and dark in this one, and I’m pleased with the result.

This painting has been added to my Nesting Sale: ArtbyCedar.com/NestingSale and will be on sale for 50% off until June 18th.

Less than 2 weeks left now in my sale, and I am not at all ready for the Open Studio that I’m hosting on the 18th, which marks the end of my sale and the beginning of my maternity leave! (Well, after all the sold work ships out anyway.) In the 13 days I have left, I must print out tags for all the art in my show, prepare my magnets (which will be discounted for attendees) and posters (free for attendees!) and buy wine and cheese and all that good stuff you must have at a proper Art Soiree.

• New Works: Flowers
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Cedar Lee May 18th, 2011

Out of the 45 paintings I’ve discounted for my Nesting Sale, 25 are already sold! As I have been at many moments in the past several years, I am now blown away with gratitude for my collectors who support me, and for being able to practice my art professionally.

I’m now working as fast as I can to add more paintings to my sale page before the sale ends on June 18th, to give people more options within their price range and the opportunity to get some original artwork for a great deal. This new painting, as of now still on the drying rack in my studio, has just been added to the sale page.

Lotus Pond VI

Oil on Canvas, 12 x 36″.

Here are a couple of close-up details:

Because it is long and thin, it would be perfect above a mantel, sofa, bed’s headboard, or similar wide horizontal space.

Next I’m working on a new tree painting–gotta go get some time in at the easel now before Blazington rises from his nap!

• New Works: Flowers
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Cedar Lee May 4th, 2011

I am working non-stop preparing for the big Open Studio I’ll be hosting next month. It’s going to be a fun event–wine, cheese, art exhibit and sale–the works!

So this is just a quick update to show you my 3 new Lotus paintings! I have now done 20 in this series on 20″ x 20″ canvases.

All are oils on 20″ x 20″, gallery-wrapped 1.5″ deep canvases.

Lotus XVIII

Lotus XIX

Lotus XX

Here’s what they look like in a room:

• New Works: Flowers
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Cedar Lee February 27th, 2011

Going outside today to enjoy the (finally!) non-freezing temperatures! But first, a small new Lotus triptych for you.

Lotus Pond V

Oil on Canvas, 10″ x 24″ (Each panel is 10″ x 8″)

I’ve been playing with the color scheme again. For this one I decided to make the dominant colors a variety of greens, golds, and whites.

Here are close-ups of the 3 canvases so you can see some details.

This is the smallest Lotus triptych I’ve made so far, and I think I’ll do more in this size–to make some of my paintings more affordable to buyers but also for the simple sweetness of the Lotuses in a smaller format. You can hang this little beauty just about anywhere.

• New Works: Flowers
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Cedar Lee January 28th, 2011

Here is my newest Lotus triptych!

It’s oil colors on 3 separate canvases.  Each canvas is 12″ x 9″, for a total size of 12″ x 27″.  It’s meant to be hung with about an inch of space between each canvas.  The canvases are 3/4″ deep with the painting continuing around onto the edges.

I am really digging the new color scheme I decided to try out (more of a pale green in place of my usual deep red.)  I think it turned out looking fresh and delicate, qualities that lotus flowers have in real life.  As always, I really just enjoy painting this series–some of my other paintings, though of course always satisfying to complete, sometimes feel challenging to work through.  Not so with the lotuses–they always seem to flow from my brush so effortlessly!

Lotus Pond IV

Here are close-ups of the 3 panels so you can see more of the details:

I’m planning on doing more of these soon.

Today I delivered this painting as well as 4 others to RiverView Gallery in Havre de Grace, MD.  I just love working with them!  If you live in the area, definitely check them out.

Now, I’m off to get my little one ready for bed and then to the airport to pick up a friend who’s visiting for the weekend.

• New Works: Flowers
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Cedar Lee October 20th, 2010

I’ve had these 3 paintings finished for a long time and I’m just now getting them up online. Barring special orders, I’m going to take a break from this series for awhile to get other things done.  So many things to paint, so little time!

The latest 3 in the Sunflower Heart series: Sunflower Heart XV, XVI, and XVII.  All are oil paint on 16″ x 16″ wood panels, 1.5″ deep.

Here are a couple ideas for how you might display them:

I’m getting ready for a trip to North Carolina this weekend–I’ll be delivering new work to Twigs & Leaves Gallery in Waynesville.  It is such a beautiful gallery space and one of my favorite galleries to work with–I’m very thankful for them!

A friend of mine drove by Twigs & Leaves recently and was excited to see my work in the window display–she took these photos for me:

I’m looking forward to visiting the gallery owners this weekend and spending some time with my family who lives in Asheville (this gallery is about 30 minutes away from both my parents and my in-laws.)  I’ll update after I get home next week!

• Art Gallery Representation , New Works: Flowers
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Cedar Lee October 10th, 2010

Here is the latest group of 9 sunflower oil paintings on wood panels (finally!)  Golden sunflowers against clear blue skies–I am calling these the “Summer Gold” series.

They are all 16 x 16″.

They are intended to be displayed in a grid of 9:

But, like all my sunflower paintings, they are meant to be versatile in their arrangement–pick and choose, mix and match, hang them alone, in rows, clusters or grids.  (Can you imagine a field of 100 of these paintings?)

Here you can see them in indoor light, laid out on the floor of my studio:

And displayed in a light, airy bedroom:

And in a sunny living room:

As I painted these, it brought back memories of seeing rolling hills filled with fields upon glorious fields of sunflowers in Kansas (or was it Nebraska?) during a road trip my family took across the U.S. when I was 10.

There was a lovely blurb about me in a local newspaper this week.  A reporter came to my studio to interview me–it was fun!  Click here to read the article: “Local Art to Improve Your Health.”

• New Works: Flowers , Publicity & News
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Cedar Lee June 21st, 2010

Happy Summer Solstice!  Hope everyone is enjoying the longest day of the year  (assuming you live in the Northern Hemisphere.)  I’ve got some appropriately sunny art to share with you on this first day of summer.

Here are the 3 latest creations. I get lost in the details as I’m painting each one.

Sunflower Heart XII

Sunflower Heart XIII

Sunflower Heart XIV

I have several more in progress as well, and they’ll be released soon.

• New Works: Flowers
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Cedar Lee May 19th, 2010

I’m so happy with this painting–I just love looking at it and hope I get to keep it around for a little while!

Lotus Pond III

Oil on Canvas, 16″ x 36″ (3 separate 16″ x 12″ panels)

Here are the three panels closer up:

Left panel:

Center panel:

Right panel:

And what it looks like in a room:

Although I’ve always loved painting my Lotus series, this painting is my favorite so far.  What I love about this one is the vibrant sparkly effect I’ve created by using very thick splatters of yellow paint as accents.

It was fun to drizzle the paint playfully and just see what happened with it.

I also really like this little frog. 

• New Works: Flowers
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