I painted the same view of my sister's garden several times while I was in Phoenix. In this one, the colors are more intense and I included the view outside her garden wall. This being Phoenix in June, it was very hot, and I wanted to capture the intensity of the heat and sun.
I'm posting a series of small watercolor paintings I did while in Arizona from May through June. I went back home to be with my mom. She spent her last month in the Hospice of the Valley in Phoenix as the cancer took over the rest of her body. I was with her every afternoon and night. I saw her pain and confusion and struggle, but also I became aware of a grace I didn't know she had. In the mornings, I painted on my sister's patio and walked her dog. The emotional anquish and impact of this time affected me deeply. I became aware of some changes I needed to implement in my own life, which I have started since returning to Florida. It's not easy. Anyway. Painting is my grounding and my outlet. I need to paint. The next few posts I'll put up some of the little watercolors and sketches I did while waiting with my mom for her next journey.
Honeymoon Island continues to be one of my favorite painting spots. This view is of a path leading to the beach on the south side of the island. I am always drawn to places near water, and the gulf here is a beautiful turquoise blue. 
Here I am next to my painting, "Near the End of the Cotee River", which won an Honorable Mention at the Tarpon Springs Art Association show. The painting is in an exhibit at the Heritage Museum, located on Spring Bayou in Tarpon Springs, FL. You can see this painting in close-up in the previous entry below.
My daughters and I rode through Starkey Park, Odessa FL when they still offered trail rides. Because of ever-mounting insurance (what else is new) they can no longer rent horses out to the public. We have always loved horses, but can't afford to own them ourselves. It's still a dream of mine to someday have a ranch with many kinds of animals, especially horses.
This oil painting was done mostly in plein air at the beach in Tarpon Springs and I finished it up recently in the studio. The view is looking west toward Anclote Key in the Gulf of Mexico. This beach is a local gem, one of many I've discovered since moving to Florida a couple of years ago.
Green Key. Painted in plein air at the beach. I was impressed by the colors and reflections in the low tide that day. The beach was nearly empty except for a few of us painters out there trying to capture its beauty.
Green Key, 9x12" Oil on hardwood panel. $250.
Contact me at jennalovesparrots@yahoo.com if you're interested in purchasing this painting. Thanks for visiting!
A snowy egret searches the shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico near sunset. These egrets have black legs and bright yellow feet. I think one of the most amazing things about Florida is the great variety of birds here. And if you know me at all, you know I love birds. 
A Great White Egret looks over a salty marsh, searching for his next meal. Click on button below to purchase, or contact me at jennalovesparrots@yahoo.com. Thanks for visiting!
A great blue heron stands near mangroves in an estuary leading to the Gulf of Mexico.
Pastel painting of drive near Clearwater Library. Path, Pastel, 9x12"
$300. You can buy it through Paypal by clicking the button below. Thanks for visiting!
I painted this looking northwest along Tampa Bay.
, with 1 1/2" deep edge also painted. $200.00.
Country Store" by Jenna Star. This store is one of the many restored old Florida buildings that are a part of Heritage Village in Largo. I've spent a lot of time painting there. I painted this on site a few months back, but was never happy with the sitting figure. I put the painting away for a while and recently got it out and touched up the man again. I like it now.
Palm by the Bay by Jenna Star
Lake View by Jenna Star
Pelicans of St. Petersburg-- by Jenna*
Back at the Ranch
I painted these cheerful little houses from my backyard. It was late in the day and I was struck by the way the sun shone between them. They are located on a deep canal that runs out to the Gulf of Mexico. It has always been a dream of mine to live in a little cottage by the sea and I am grateful every time I look out and see the water. I know I am lucky to be here.
I painted this en plein air on a hot muggy day. Fortunately there are usually nice winds blowing along this beach in St. Petersburg so that really helps with the comfort factor. I like the subtle lights in this scene.
Painted en plein air at Heritage Village. A woman sits weaving on the front porch of a narrow little house in the Florida woods.
This caboose sits on on an old track in the woods in Heritage Village. I painted it there. It reminds me of my grandpa who used to work for a railroad in the Midwest. It's also just the right color for a caboose."Old Caboose" Oil on Canvas, 8x10" $100.00
A trail in Florida woodlands.
There are many osprey nests here on the Gulf Coast. Some are built on top of tall electrical poles or towers along the roads. This one is on Honeymoon Island, a haven for birds and nature. It's one of my favorite places to paint. The ospreys here find dead trees with no blocking foliage around, to build their large nests. Sometimes an immature bald eagle (all brown)will fly up to check them out, and the ospreys shriek and chase him away.
I painted this on location (en plein air) at a ranch in west-central Florida.