Friday, May 4, 2012

Holy Sweet Magnolia and Cinco de Mayo!

This little beauty was a dream to paint. "Sweet Magnolia" was inspired after the heady magnolias unfurled their spring blossoms in my neighborhood and all across central Florida!

©Victoria Page Miller, "Sweet Magnolia", 16"x20", Oil on Canvas

The original, prints on paper and canvas will be available this weekend at the St. John's River Art Festival in historic Sanford. I will be in booth number 16, right on 1st street across from the fountain. Don't forget to visit and leave your contact information for a chance to win one of my prints in a raffle!

With a Super Moon and Cinco de Mayo to celebrate, how can you not come by to join in all of our festivities?

"Pico de Gallo" Oil Painting

Sometimes the best paintings are inspired by what is right in front of you. I plucked this juicy jalapeño from our early springtime garden, and arranged it with vine ripened tomatoes and an onion.

©Victoria Page Miller, "Pico de Gallo", 27"x12", Oil on Canvas (Triptych)


Modelling objects has it's own challenges. With people, the ideal situation is to coax out their personality with a setting that they desire and to make the image a combination of the two. With vegetables, you are working with how you feel about them.

Once I chose my working image, I decided on a triptych (three canvases). Both still lifes and triptychs are firsts for me, and it was exciting to paint on three canvases simultaneously.

I love everything about working in a vegetable garden and seeing the fruits of my labor. It is a restrained process, full of planning and evolved over time. A garden is a symbol of patience and growth. This painting, which was inspired by the lone early jalapeño, means to share some of that love, restrained excitement and imagery.

Both the original and prints will be made available this weekend at the St. Johns River Festival of the Arts. Contact me directly for information on internet early sales.