Pine Cones Are Dropping

Longleaf Pine Cone, 8 x 8 " oil on Raymar Panel, ©2015, Fay Terry

Picking up these large pine cones is a daily job in our yard this time of year. Most of these that are on the ground are eight to ten inches tall. I line them up on the porch sometimes to decide which ones I want to paint. I once told someone I loved painting pine cones and they asked me what color I spray painted them. Yes, some folks here do box up pine cones, plain or painted, and sell them online. I have brought them to some of my cousins in New England because they love the large pine cones in a basket beside the fireplace. Actually, they make good fire starters and we sometimes burn a few in the fireplace in the back yard. 

I just like them for the challenge they present, drawing and choosing the colors are like putting a puzzle together and it's fun to see the final result. They all have slightly varying shapes and stand up at different  angles.