Author: Sand Salt Moon

White ibis at the park

| Sand Salt Moon
Oil painting by Cynthia Maniglia

The other day, I went to Michael’s to buy a set of oil paints and I met a nice young lady who was shopping in the paint isle. I was thinking of buying some water mixable oil paints and asked her if she knew anything about them. She said no, she painted mostly in acrylic. We kept talking, and I decided to not get the water mixable oil paints, as they acted a lot like watercolor, and I am interested in the creamy texture of oil paints. I like to paint with oil paint straight from the tube and don’t use solvents or linseed oil etc. to alter the texture of the paint. Anyway, by the time we got done talking and shopping, the young lady was buying a set of oil paints and the next day she painted something really nice and posted it on social media.

I wound up getting a new set of Winsor & Newtown oil paints. So last night, I tried them out and painted this in my studio based on a photo I took when I went for a walk in the park this fall. It’s a bird we see a lot of here in Florida – the White Ibis. Now available in my Society6 shop! I may put the original up for sale in my Daily Paintworks gallery, we’ll see.

Botanical garden orchids

| Sand Salt Moon

Every year, I like to renew my membership at the botanical gardens in Sarasota, Florida and tour the conservatory to see the orchids on display during various exhibits. This past October, I visited the gardens with a friend, and I took lots of photos. I painted this in my studio based on one of the photographs I took that day. I love the flowy composition featuring the bold and lush greenery with pops of the yellow and magenta orchids here and there. Being in the gardens, and in nature in general, helps rejuvenate my spirit, and I want to share the joy I get from plants with you through my artwork.

Original artwork – watercolor and acrylic on 140 lb cold pressed paper, 15 x 11 inches. Available at https://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/cynthia-maniglia-14881

Protea

| Sand Salt Moon

The Protea flower symbolizes diversity and courage – and it is surrounded at the base by stiff, colorful, petal-like leaves or bracts.

I created this design with a Protea flower at the center with Posca markers and then digitized it – for @theydrawandgarden #theydrawtober – also posted under my @allmycrayons Instagram account.