A preview of my show at Art on the Boulevard....(Hover over the image to see title and description.)
Here are the beginnings of my new garden. 'Abraham Darby' had a good first year; the white hydrangea gave me a great deal of pleasure, I'm hoping for great things from it next year.
"In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfies
See the smoke trail!
Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
the grey smoke towers.
Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all,
Flowers in the summer
Fires in the fall! "
- Robert Louis Stevenson, Autumn Fires
I really wanted to paint a watermelon. It was just as fun as it promised. I also learned of the pleasure of painting nasturtiums...
Sometimes it's the simplest arrangements that inspire.
I like rich color and pattern...here again is the Polish cup and the brie box... and my own tomatoes grown up the patio this year!
I love the way one can sense the creaminess of the brie inside it's chalky shell! This was a fun little piece to do.
An Almost Mermaid on the rocks. There is something dreamy and wistful in a mermaid...and a girl traveling alone.
The photo just doesn't do the brightness of this painting justice! I did a little version of this painting as a Christmas gift for Mum of her oldest four grandchildren. I liked it so much that I wanted to do it larger.
"“Laughter is wine for the soul - laughter soft, or loud and deep, tinged through with seriousness - the hilarious declaration made by man that life is worth living.”
― Seán O'Casey
I wish you could see this painting framed- it is set off so beautifully! Rye bread, brie, pears- an Autumn feast!
This cozy little swallow nest was a gift from a friend- found in her mailbox!
Do you know when God gives you a gift that means so much to you and bears his love to you in a special way? One day it was red rose.
"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"
There is something about this painting that I just really love. It's simplicity? It's color vibrations? Something about it is strong to me, and I've enjoyed having it on my wall!
The colors of this painting- set off as they are by it's beautiful dark wood frame with a dark gold lip- are really striking in their simple color contrast.
Cameron and I gathered the elements for this still life one warm Sunday afternoon...a trip to Buena Vista Flower Farm (You really should go check it out if you live in the area) and a little farm stand for the peaches. Very enriching.
The life that happens in ditches can be so fascinating...pollywogs and frogs, and these cattails catching the summer backlight. One of the fun things about moving is the joy of discovering new places to love like this one.
Ah the richness of roses! Their deep centers opening to reveal their heady fragrance!
My favorite part of this painting is the little bit of red metal on the watering can! Subtle and descriptive.
An old palette, brushes, a cup of tea and Robert Henri's classic "The Art Spirit"- now don't you feel inspired?! "Find out what you really like if you can. Find out what is really important to you. Then sing your song. You will have something to sing about and your whole heart will be in the singing" -Henri
This piece is both loud and quiet. The Woodburn, Oregon Tulip fields are the backdrop for my thoughtful model.
The year there came up- apparently of their own accord (nobody remembered planting them, although they were suspiciously in rows)- this fabulous bed of foxgloves! Flowers can hardly get prettier.
My friend and I picked up these sunflowers and the Polish pottery mug at Pike's Place Market when we visited Seattle...and brought them home to paint. This painting was featured in my Southwest Magazine's "Artist to Watch" article.
What is cuter than a very small child trying to manage a kite? :) I loved the bright backlight in this cheerful little scene.
Mum's Beauty Berry bush had an outstanding show of berries- their color is so striking.
These little galoshes were a thoughtful gift from a family friend- turns out they were my Cameron's when was little! (His nickname was Pooh, so the tile seemed appropriate.) A Heron seemed like a fitting bird for a wet day. Herons flying with their toes pointed ballerina-ish behind them always give me pleasure.
This place with it's timeless feel caught my eye one evening when I was frustrating my husband trying to find a good place to paint. It turned out to be a lovely evening- Cameron reading aloud to me from his book as I tried to catch the last light. I really liked the way it came out. It's framed in a dark thin moulding with a dark gold lip.
The Plein Air collection.... (Featuring the handcrafted gold leaf frames of Mayen~Olsen.)