S.P.R.I.N.G. Feelin’…

Tags

bird, bird art, bird paintings, bird prints, birds, colorful birds, garden, gardening, spring, spring art, spring flowers, spring paintings, spring prints

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/three-birds-spring-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

Three Birds

Mixed Media Collage Art Painting

Sprint Art!

Sharon Cummings

Spring has past in Florida, but we still have so many birds in our yard that when the breeze blows, you can close your eyes…listen…and still feel it…

L.O.V.E. Grows Here…

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animals, garden, garden paintings, garden prints, gardener, gardening, heart, hearts, home, love, lovers, romantic gift, snail, snails

“Love Grows Here”

Mixed Media Painting/Collage

Sharon Cummings

2014

Love grows here and anywhere else you plant and nourish it. 🙂

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S.U.M.M.E.R.’S Brightest…

Tags

beach, beach sunflower, beauty, florida, flower, flowers, gardening, landscapes, nature, ocean, sarasota, sarasota florida, sea, sharon cummings, siesta key, summer, vacation, yellow, yellow flowers

The Summer sun is particularly brutal this time of year in Florida.  Temperatures soar and it is nearly impossible to spend time outside during the hottest part of the day.  As I head back to my retreat after a long walk along the ocean, I am always stuck by how parched and dead everything is on the dunes.  It looks brittle and bare.  But there are these little bursts of color dotting the landscape.  Yellow flowers that withstand the most demanding months of Summer.  The Beach Sunflower……Summer’s brightest!

I will be away for awhile….see you when I get back!

I Blinked & Spring is Gone…

Tags

botanical, common weeds, eco, flower, garden, gardening, lavender, macro, macro photo, macro photography, natural, nature, painting, petal, petals, plant, plants, purple, sharon cummings, spring, summer, weeds, wild, wildflower, wildflowers

 

I went outside today to see if there were any flowers left blooming.  In Florida we have a short Winter and then a handful of nice Spring days with bursts of color everywhere.  The azaleas…….the bromeliads……and then it all dies………….9 months of HEAT. Not much grows in Summer except the grass and weeds.  All of my irises are brown and crispy looking.  The lilies look like beef jerky.  But this little group of tiny dancers was still celebrating, so I snapped them quickly before the sun was full in the sky.

I will be in my studio painting now for a good long while……..expect some new acrylic work very soon!

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Here Comes The Sun…

Tags

beach sunflower, botanical prints, daisies, daisy, floral, floral prints, flower, garden, gardening, nature, nature photography, photography, photos, pretty flowers, sharon cummings, sun, sun flower, sunflower, weeds, wild flowers, wildflowers, yellow, yellow daisy, yellow flower

 

And I say…It’s alright!  After 2 days of dark, wet and windy weather, I welcome the sun today with open arms. We are having unseasonably rainy and cooler temperatures here in Florida.  May is usually hot.  Just hot.  But the rains have started early.  I just hope this isn’t a premonition for Hurricane Season.  Let me worship the sun while I can!

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Just S.M.I.L.E.

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arrangement, art, bathroom, beautiful, bedroom, botanical, botanical art, botanical painting, botanical prints, bud, buds, cottage, cottage art, country, country cottage, elegance, elegant, feminine, floral, floral arrangement, flower, flower buds, flowers, garden, gardening, happiness, happy, health, health benefits, healthy living, kitchen, ladies slippers, lady slipper, orchid, orchids, phaphiopedilum, photo, photograph, photography, rich, sharon cummings, smile, smiling, soft, table, traditional, vase, vases, yellow orchid

 

It’s so simple.  Just smile.  Even if you have to look at cute videos on YouTub of babies laughing or puppies sleeping, it’s a great way to improve your health and it makes you feel good about yourself.  Below are some of the rewards of lifting those cheeks:

1.  It Lower Heart Rate – Smiling slows the heart and relaxes the body. People who smile and laugh often are less likely to develop heart disease. Smiling reduces blood pressure temporarily too.

2.  It Reduce Stress – Stress relief may be as simple as smiling a little more throughout the day. Smiling releases endorphins that counteract and diminish the stress hormones.

3.  It Increase Productivity – Smiling has been shown to increase productivity while performing tasks. There’s truth to the “whistle while we work” mentality. This also explains why silly internet memes and pictures of cute animals can actually get people motivated and working harder after a few moments of smiling or laughter.

4.  It is a natural Pain Killer – Smiling and laughter both have been shown to lessen pain. They release endorphins that lift our moods, but many of these act as natural painkillers too.

5.  It Increase Attention – Stress limits our perceptions and narrows our attention. Our body kicks into fight or flight mode where we can focus only on one of those things. Smiling counteracts this and widens our attention again, opening us back up to multitasking and insights that come from the fringes of our perception and our subconscious.

6.  It is Contagious – Around 50% of people smile back. This spreads the health benefits throughout those around you and it comes back to you several times as well.

7.  It makes you more Attractive!  – Smiling makes people look more appealing. This seems to be especially true for women. Men are more likely to approach a woman who smiles than one who simply makes eye contact while women aren’t necessarily drawn in by a smile alone.

8.  It makes You Look Younger – Smiles naturally lift the face and in studies have shown to make people look younger, around 3 years younger on average.

9.  It increases Longevity – The effects of a good smile extend past just the exterior good looks. People who smile more often live longer too, around 7 years longer than most according to one study. It releases stress, helps the heart, and much more to keep you healthy longer.

10.  It Boosts the Immune System – Smiles help the body relax and this lets the immune system react more quickly and effectively against invaders.

So C’mon…………………………………………………..S.M.I.L.E. 🙂

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What ARE These?

Tags

botanical, common weeds, eco, flower, garden, gardening, macro, macro photo, macro photography, natural, nature, orange, pale yellow, petal, petals, plant, plants, sharon cummings, soft, weeds, wild, wildflower, wildflowers, yellow

 

I like to walk around with my camera just seeing what I can find.  I love old buildings and garbage piles because often the most interesting photos are there.  These beauties were growing proud all along an abandoned restaurant. They were not in neat little rows, but wild and rangy. They were large flowers, so I do not think they are weeds.

Do you know what type of flowers these are?

Field T.R.I.P!!

Tags

bold, botanical, botanical art, botanical photos, botanical prints, clock vine, clock vine flowers, colorful, floral, floral photography, florida, florida botanical gardens, flower, flowers, garden, gardening, gardens, lavender, macro, macro photography, natural, nature, olive flower, periwinkle, photo, photograph, photography, pinellas county, plants, pretty, purple, sharon cummings, spring, spring flowers, spring time, springtime, vibrant, vine, vines, wild flowers, wildflowers

 

Yesterday me and the hubby went on a little field trip.  We found our way to the Florida Botanical Gardens in Pinellas County. Somehow in all of these years in Tampa, this gem has been hidden from me.  We frequently drive down to Sarasota to enjoy the Selby Gardend, but this place was also amazing!  So many flowers all out in the open to see and smell.  The winding paths lead to many beautiful surprises.  Plus there is a little heritage village with old houses and buildings that were to be destroyed, but were saved and moved here. What a treat!

It is a macro lens photographer’s delight. 🙂

 

• The Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo, Florida, USA include flora, fauna and natural resources in surroundings intended to inspire, educate and promote environmentally friendly techniques.

• Address: 12520 Ulmerton Rd, Largo, FL 33774

  (727) 582-2100

• Hours: 

  Open today · 7:00 am – 7:00 pm

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When It Rains It Pours…

Tags

abstract fish, angel fish, aquarium, beach art, beach house, blue abstract, blue art, blue fish, bradenton florida, caladium, colorful fish, contemporary art, contemporary fish, coral reef, dive, diving, fish, fish art, fish paintings, fish tank, florida, florida keys, gardening, hawaii, islands, miami, modern art, modern beach house, modern fish, mosaic, mosaic art, mosaic fish, mosaics, plant, plants, sarasota, scuba, scuba diving, tropical, tropical decor, tropical fish, tropical fish art, tropical fish paintings, underwater

 

Not only have we been getting these little showers here in Florida, custom commission work has been pouring in as well. 🙂  As you can see below, I am still working hard on my fish for the big hotel project in Key West.  I am also creating special pieces for my collectors.  I spoke with a woman last night who lives in Hawaii.  She is commissioning a very sentimental piece to hang in her home that she shares with her partner. They are commemorating their lives together so far.  And my piece will signify their prayers that they would find each other before they met.  As always I am honored to be a part of so many people’s lives in such an intimate way.  And also grateful just to add beauty to the World.

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S.U.C.C.U.L.E.N.T…

Tags

art, art buyer, botanical, building, business, cacti, cactus, canvas, colorful, construction, contractor, corporate, decorating, decorative, desert, echeveria, floral, framed, garden, gardener, gardening, gift, homes, horticulture, hotel, house, houses, interior design, interior designer, jade plant, landscaping, model home, motel, office, paintings, photo, photographs, photography, plant, plants, prints, retreat, sharon cummings, southwest, southwestern art, spa, succulent, succulent garden, succulent plants, succulents, wall art, wall decor

 

The word “succulent” sounds titillating.  You can almost “feel” what it means as it rolls off of your tongue.  Say it right now.  Slowly…

O.k. maybe I just wanted to use the words “succulent and “titillating” in the same sentence. 😉  But these beauties grow all over the place in Florida.  They seem to be just as happy in our tropical swamp as they are in the dry air of the desert.  But with thousands of varieties available, they do have varying care requirements.  So if you want to grow some of these beauties inside or out, read the labels on the plants before buying.  They do love bright sunlight, but they can get sunburned.  I have seen a few wither and die myself.

I love the smooth feel they have and the variety of colors they come in.  I’ve taken artistic liberty with this one obviously.  I was intrigued by the interesting shapes and shadows in this plant.  Nature is my inspiration!

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