What's in a title?

I have a heck of a time coming up with titles. When I do, I find I have already used them on another painting. I ended up calling this one Ranch Pond, which is very uninspired and if I can find something better, I will change it. I already used Reflecting and others that say similar things on other paintings. As often as I paint water and fall, I go through the titles pretty quickly. Any ideas will be appreciated! ( I have already used Double Vision, which would be appropriate).

Wildflower season still going strong

The wildflowers are amazing at this time of year in the Rocky Mountains, especially near the streams. We see Chiming Bells (the blue ones) Parry's Primrose (pink) and many other flowers of all colors anywhere it is wet. There is even a pink one called Elephant Head, as each little flower on the stem looks like an elephant's head with a trunk sticking out from the center. They are fun to try and identify, and even more fun to paint! This painting is just a little 6x8.

Beaver Pond near Lake Dillon

Those Beavers are busy guys! I rember once camping near a stream, and when we went back three years later the stream had been eaten up by a large series of ponds. The beavers had been hard at work all that time.
This painting was a challenge to myself to use many shades of greens, which can be difficult! The photo is a little cooler than the actual painting. It may be one that people consider boring and never buy, but I liked the way it came out. Sometimes the ones you like best, no one else seems to like enough to buy! And one that you weren't as happy with is the first one to go the week you take it to the gallery. It is strange how that works, and I have given up trying to predict what will sell and what won't.

A pet portrait

I don't do pet portraits, and I really prefer to paint landscapes. This painting, titled "Littermates" is of two of my cats. They are 14 years old now, and Delilah (the fluffy one) has kidney problems, so who knows how much longer I will have them? I decided it was time to paint them in my favorite pose.

We got Dusty and Delilah as tiny kittens from the local shelter. I had planned on only getting one cat, but took a friend with me who insisted I take her brother too, and I am glad I did. They are Siamese mixes. Dusty looks very Siamese but Delilah is soft and very fluffy. She does have darker tail and ears, typical of Siamese. They have always slept like this, provided Dusty gets in the kitty bed first, then Delilah can join him. If she gets in first, he chases her out, but then lets her back in after he gets the prime spot. She always has her paws around him as she does here. She puts up with a lot from him, but she seems to realize it is a fact of life in her world!

A painting tip from from my sister that I will pass on. Normally I try not to paint with anything smaller than a number 4 bristle brush. It is tough to do fine lines with it though, and a rigger doesn't really give me the control of the line that I want. Adele, now an oil painter, used to be a watercolor artist. She suggested a water color brush that comes to a fine point. I happen to have one and it works like a charm. It allows you to put down that fine line you need for whiskers, and also lets you to make it even finer by cutting into it from the side, picking up paint you don't want. It is absorbent, so with a little turps on it, will take out a line that is in the wrong place completely. I waited until the painting was pretty dry to add the whiskers, and that made it easier.