Welcoming Christmas!

It’s a full weekend of getting our hearts ready to celebrate this very special season. Yesterday, we had the wonderful experience of taking part in our first Christmas program of the season. We picked up Mom and had such a fun time seeing our grandsons (her great-grandsons), Haddon and Schaeffer (and Casper, too!), share the story of the first Christmas in Bethlehem and be able to join in singing with all the Rivertree students so many of the favorite Christmas hymns. Tonight, we are traveling back into the cities to see the Nasha Shkola students in their Christmas program. It’s a wonderful story, told both in Russian and English by the students, with all the beautiful Russian costumes and pageantry. And tomorrow morning, we’ll be up early and back on the road to see grandchildren Kollette, Anabelle, Grace and Andrew sing in their church program.

This week’s painting, Cottage Ruin, 5”x7” on 300 lb. Watercolor paper, takes us back to the beautiful rural spaces of the Connemara region of Ireland.

From our family to yours, we wish you a joyous Christmas season and blessings for the New Year.

 

Irish memories

Earlier this fall, we missed a highly anticipated trip to Ireland. At the time, Paul was recovering from a terrible allergic reaction, and we thought it best not to chance being overseas while he was still on antibiotics. It was a fair hit to the finances, but it was mostly just so disappointing – to miss out on seeing new sights in one of our favorite places and then getting to visit with dear friends in Holland.  However, we are hoping to go another time soon.

In the meantime, I’m working to expand my line of Irish cottage cards for market. This week, Summer Reflections, is a 5”x 7” painting on 300 lb. Watercolor paper. The full line of Wild River Art cards is available through the “Legends of the Celts” Irish shop in Hayward, WI.

 

Season of Thanksgiving

It’s another year of Christmas music and movies playing non-stop from November 1^st on. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Hallmark movies, but I’m a huge fan of Thanksgiving, too. It’s a special holiday, a reminder of the good that comes from caring for each other and sharing from our own bounty, and a wonderful time of gathering together with family. It was a joy last night to facetime with three grandsons, a couple of hours away from our house, and see them dancing around their house and wearing their handmade Thanksgiving hats! We are blessed that it will work for 21 of us to gather at Mom’s new place this weekend for an early Thanksgiving. She’s excited about the event, but we’re a “joyously enthusiastic” family (o.k. – we’re loud!!), and now with 10 active cousins under the age of 13 as part of the festivities, it was a wonderful relief to hear from the staff that they are so happy when families choose to gather together within the retirement center. Everyone is bringing something to share, and at our house, the first batch of lefse came off the griddle last night and today we’ll make the apple pies. We wish you all a blessed Thanksgiving!

This week, I’m back to sheep! Sheep have been such an important part of my life. For many years, I raised a small flock of black sheep on the edge of the Red River Valley in North Dakota and was part of an amazing fiber guild. The women in the group shared their talents for all things fiber and faithfully came to gatherings from regions around the Dakotas and southern Manitoba. It was an inspiring time of my life and served to shape much of what I am today. It was such fun to paint, Keeping Watch, 7”x10” Watercolor on 300 lb. paper.

 

 

Snowy Barns

Can’t believe we’re into November already! We’ve had a wonderful fall with lots of outings to see the changing of the trees in this area. Along with spectacular scenery on the North Shore of Minnesota, our own woods here in northwestern Wisconsin put on a spectacular show. We are surrounded by large Maple trees, and they were so pretty this year. I love living in an area that has four definite seasons, and now I’m looking forward to the arrival of snow. We had a brief taste of it this past weekend when 5” of snow fell overnight. It didn’t last long, but with family here for a visit, it was such fun us to spend time building snowmen and enjoying a campfire in the snow.

And I’m beginning to think of upcoming holiday celebrations. This week’s painting, Snowy Barns 8”x10” on 300 lb. Watercolor paper, reminds me of one of my favorite activities – walking through a quiet woods and watching snow fall on a rural farm scene.

 

 

 

 

More about goats!

It’s been a tumultuous week. My husband Paul has spent the last eight days recovering from a terrible allergic reaction to a prescribed drug. Although it looks like he will be o.k., the doctors agree that it may take 2 to 3 MONTHS before he fully recovers. His symptoms ranged from a swollen, angry-red leg (thankfully not a blood clot) and crippling back spasms which resulted in an ambulance ride to the emergency room. Now on the other side of the active reaction, we are so thankful that it wasn’t worse. He is up and taking short walks and slowly getting back to doing the things he enjoys.

And lately I’m drawn to goats! This week’s painting, Josie, 8” x 10” on 300 lb. Watercolor paper, captures a baby goat playing “king of the hill” on rocks in a sunny pasture.   

To see more paintings, visit my website, www.wildriverarts.com. And I’d love to visit with you about painting your favorite photograph – just send a request to my email at dstullkinsley@gmail.com.

 

 

 

Sailboat at sunset

The Grand Marais harbor acts like a magnet for photographers and artists with its iconic lighthouse, anchored sailboats and spectacular sunsets. This week’s painting, Sunset Mooring, 10” x 14” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures the light of the setting sun silhouetting a moored sailboat.

Plein Air #2 – September Surf

One of the joys of participating in the recent Grand Marais Plein Air event was the opportunity to see and experience some of the beautiful vistas dotting the North Shore of Minnesota. For me, a highlight of the event surely was the Sunday morning I spent painting on the beach at Naniboujou Lodge. If you haven’t been there before, be sure to put it on your bucket list! Built in 1929 as a getaway for wealthy investors, it’s now a welcoming inn for all visitors – even offering to pack lunches for day-trip hikers. In addition to its spectacular dining room, it’s located on an especially picturesque section of the lakeshore, and I was thrilled when the owners granted me permission to set up my easel on the hill just off the beach.

I had a breathtaking view of the big lake, trees beginning to take on the colors of fall, and beachcombers relaxing on the many Adirondack chairs or trekking slowly up and down the shoreline. It was a beautiful day – with warm sunshine, soft breezes, and lightly rolling waves on the beach – and it was made all the more special by the many folks I met! It was especially fun to take a brief break and visit with visitors from Thunder Bay, Ontario. It seems there is a group that comes down every Sunday to partake in the wonderful breakfast buffet in the lodge dining room.

This second plein air painting is titled: September Surf, 8” x 10” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, and reflects the incredible view of Lake Superior along Naniboujou beach.

 

 

 

Goats and circles of light!

Earth Arts of the Upper St. Croix Valley is sponsoring its Annual Fall Salon to be held from November 10-30, 2017. This month-long art show is hosted by the artZ Gallery in Amery, WI, and includes a wide representation of art created by Earth Arts members. The show is based on a theme, one voted on by the membership, and this year’s theme is “Circles of Light.” For the exhibition or salon, each Earth Arts member is invited to create and display up to two pieces based on their interpretation of this theme.

As a first-year member of this group, I’ve been thinking about what might represent a “circles of light” painting for me. And after reading the “Goats of Anarchy” book given to me by one of my daughters, I guess baby goat kids have been on my mind! It was the darker background surrounding the lighter subject and the circular shadows framing the edges of this baby kid that caught my eye as a possible entry for this exhibit.

This week’s painting is titled: Maisie, 8” x 9.5” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, and captures a baby goat enjoying a sunshine-y, light-filled day.

 

 

 

Plein Air Perspective

My first plein air event was an incredible experience! We traveled to Grand Marais, MN, on Friday, September 8 and arrived at the Art Colony in early afternoon. After registering, we headed out to the first location. All three of my painting days were perfect – blue skies, light breezes, warm temperatures, and the rolling surf of Lake Superior. Over the course of the weekend, husband Paul and Maddie (our much-loved cocker spaniel who doesn’t realize she’s a dog!) were terrific at helping me schlepp all my supplies. And I'm pretty sure if you ask Paul, he would be more than willing to share his tips for paring down my stuff for next time! 😊 We were totally worn out after our drive home on Monday afternoon.

Even though I wasn't able to stay for the full nine days of this event, I learned so much and was able to complete three paintings! We selected the best one, framed it on Monday morning, and I submitted it for the judging to be held at the Johnson Heritage Center in Grand Marais on Friday, September 15.

Skills gained:

·         When faced with a fantastic panoramic view, I now feel more confident of the process for “cropping down” and what it takes to create a well-balanced artwork;

·         I learned how quickly the light on your subject can change and worked to adjust my technique to embrace the reality of shifting light; and

·         I had the opportunity to meet a wonderful variety of people who stopped to visit and incredibly talented fellow artists!

 

As you may guess, it’s on my list to return to Grand Marais for next year’s event!

This week’s painting, East of Kadunce, 8” x 10” on 300 lb. Watercolor paper, was my entry in the Open Class of the 2017 Plein Air event. It reflects the big lake on a sunshine-y, late afternoon day when the water took on shades of deep blue.

 

 

Back to School

It was a wonderful Labor Day weekend spent visiting with family and friends. The weather was perfect, and we had time to explore new playgrounds, share stories, take a pontoon ride, catch fish, and enjoy a campfire. And it was such fun to hear the excitement in the voices of our grandchildren who were getting ready to start school the next day. With 10 grandchildren, from ages 1½ to 13, we are thrilled that they are all doing well and excited to learn.

That’s what I enjoy about watercolor painting – there is always something new to learn. I’m preparing for the plein air event on Friday and experimenting with some of my favorite colors to discover how they interact and fuse together. It’s a process, and I’m finding it not only varies due to value and intensity, it also depends on the texture and absorbency of the paper.

This week’s painting, Sunrise Run, 9” x 13” on 300 lb. Watercolor strives to capture the feeling of motoring across a quiet lake in a fishing boat as the sun rises over the horizon.

 

 

Lake View

Over the past few days, the weather has changed and you can definitely feel Fall in the air. I’m loving it! While others may like soaking up heat and humidity, I’m a northern girl at heart and love cooler temps and an excuse to pull on a sweatshirt! We’ve had a lot of rain this summer, and the Maple leaves in our area are promising a splendid display. A few of the trees in our lake neighborhood have already taken on their amazing autumn colors.

I’m continuing to prepare for the upcoming plein air festival slated to happen in a couple of weeks in Grand Marais. This week’s painting, Lake View, 8” x 10” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, reflects the joy of relaxing – taking time to find a comfortable seat and simply enjoying the view of morning mist lifting off a beautiful lake.  

 

River to the Sea, North Shore

Although technically not an ocean, Lake Superior often behaves like a great sea – especially for those of us who live in this part of the country. From my first trip to Duluth as a young girl with my family, I remember being in awe of this vast and beautiful expanse of water. And to this day, my children will confirm that standing at the base of Split Rock Lighthouse can still bring me to tears. It’s an awesome, sensory-overloading sight.  The rhythm of the waves, the sheer depth of the lake, and the perilous cold temperature (it’s about a 20-minute window before hypothermia sets in) all contribute to making this body of water truly unpredictable. And the impact of winds on the waves continues to wreck havoc for anyone trying to predict weather patterns across the big lake.

Perhaps that’s why outdoor enthusiasts, photographers and artists are drawn to this area. Whether it’s the challenge of completing an energetic hike or paddle, witnessing first-hand the immense force of running water or capturing the light and shadows of a picturesque scene, the North Shore offers plenty of opportunities to experience incredible natural beauty.

This week’s painting, River to the Sea, 8”x 10” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, strives to capture the energy of a fast-flowing river running into the surprisingly placid surface of Lake Superior.

 

 

 

Evening Light

This week, I registered for the Grand Marais Plein Air Festival to be held in September 2017.  Right now, it seems like a big adventure. It will be my first time of participating in a plein air competition, and in spite of having to admit that I have a bit of anxiety, I’m beginning to look forward to the experience. Hosted by the Grand Marais Art Colony, the 9-day event promises exciting painting challenges along with wonderful opportunities to meet other artists and learn new techniques.

In plein air, the focus is on being portable – moving from studio to outdoors, determining the composition, and painting quickly to capture the light. Sounds easy – right?! Ha! I’ve discovered that it’s extremely difficult to narrow one’s focus and to effectively “crop out” a well-balanced composition from a spectacular, panoramic view. The positive is that accepting the challenge and navigating the logistics can bring your art to a whole new level!

To help prepare for this event, I thought it would be good to explore the light and paint a few scenes from the beautiful North Shore area. Today’s painting is titled, Evening Light, 8” x 10” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, and features the picturesque waterfront in the heart of downtown Grand Marais.

 

 

 

Limestone Shore, Door County

For this week’s painting, I’m returning to beautiful Door County! During our family trip in mid-July, we participated in one of the famous Cherry Train tours and visited Schoolhouse Beach on Washington Island. It’s an amazing sight to see a whole beach made up of white, egg-shaped rocks, and our guide mentioned that the beach stays so clean because of the limestone rocks. 

The clear water of Lake Michigan is wonderful to paint, and my painting is titled: Limestone Shore – Door County, 9” x 13” on 300 lb. Watercolor paper. The rocks seem to invite viewers to pause and enjoy the incredible sights of this corner of Door peninsula.

For pricing information, check out the “Gallery” page on my website at www.wildriverarts.com or send an email to dstullkinsley@gmail.com. And if you have a favorite photo or subject, I’d be happy to talk about creating a special painting for you.

 

 

 

Enjoying the View!

We celebrated this summer with a family trip to Door County. The trip was a generous gift from my mom and with special memories of my dad. Dad always loved big family gatherings! It was the first time in many years that we’d had the opportunity to gather together, and Door County proved to be a wonderful place for all of us. Our group, numbering 20 and ranging in age from my mom (in her 80’s) to our 18-month grandson, traveled from Apple Valley, Lake Minnetonka, New Hope and Stillwater, MN, and Balsam Lake and Milwaukee, WI, and took over 7 beautiful rooms of a lodge in Sister Bay for the 4-day reunion.

The “herding cats” phrase came to mind several times, but we had a splendid time of climbing to the top of the Cana Island Lighthouse (and riding the hay wagon across Lake Michigan to get there!), riding the ferry across Death’s Door and taking the Cherry Train to see the beautiful sights on Washington Island, and enjoying the many shops, orchards and farm markets. The weather was perfect, and plans are already in the works for another reunion there sometime in the future!

One of the favorite activities was exploring the many parks and beaches on Door Peninsula. This week’s painting, Enjoying the View, 11”x15” Watercolor, is from a photograph taken by our son, Daniel, during an afternoon hike with his family at Cave Point County Park.

For pricing information, see the Gallery page on my website at www.wildriverarts.com or send an email to dstullkinsley@gmail.com. If you have a favorite photo or subject, I’m happy to talk about creating a painting for you and your family.  

 

 

 

 

Hazy days of summer

It seems lame to complain about hot summer days in light of recent weather reports from Arizona or LA, but for northern Wisconsin, it’s been a hot July. While I totally appreciate air conditioning, it’s seems to defeat the purpose of summer to stay indoors huddled near an AC vent! Fortunately, this week, there has been a break in the weather with cooler temps, and I’m motivated to again pull weeds in the garden and take care of outdoor projects.

And it's been a week of new baby birds at our feeders. These days there is a continual waiting line of three or four immature orioles at the grape jelly feeder, and as of this morning, immature blue jays, cardinals, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and a baby Red-Headed Woodpecker are clambering for seeds at the shelf feeder in the yard. It's hard to get anything done with all the activity happening outside the front windows, but we are thankful to be able to share our land with these beautiful creatures! 

This hot weather prompts thoughts of cooler places and one of my favorite spots is enjoying the spectacular sights around Lake Superior. I hope that this week’s painting, Hidden Cove, 9”x12” Watercolor, invokes the sense of hiking along the shore of the lake and discovering this wonderful place – filled with warm sunshine, cool summer breezes, and the wonderful rhythm of waves splashing on the rocks.

 

 

 

 

New website – www.wildriverarts.com

It’s been a busy week, but I feel like a major project was accomplished. In my classwork, the assignment this week was to build a website. YIKES! It took me a few days to get my head wrapped around this task, but with the combination of hot, hot summer weather and facing a deadline, this weekend seemed to be the perfect time to move beyond the procrastination and dive right in. My art website is now launched at www.wildriverarts.com.  And it was surprisingly much easier than I initially thought. Check back to the site often – I’ll be adding new art on a regular basis.  

This week seemed to be a good time to return to Ireland for inspiration. The painting is titled Countryside Cottage, 8.5” x 11.5” on 300 lb. watercolor paper. Ireland may be the land of green, but it also the land of rocks, water and fish. This painting features a rural stone cottage next to a ruin and with a traditional fishing boat anchored in the lough (lake).

For pricing information, send an email to dstull-kinsley@gmail.com. Or if you have a favorite photo or subject, I’m available for commissioning work and would be happy to discuss any potential artwork with you.

 

 

 

New art website launched!

I've created a new website for my artwork - check out my latest paintings at www.wildriverarts.com. If you are interested in purchasing or commissioning a painting, just send an email to me at dstull-kinsley@gmail.com

Hello Llama!

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to participate in a Plein Air Workshop in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. It was an interesting experience – made all the more special because of the incredible scenery of this part of the state. Cedarburg is an historic town situated in a picturesque setting along Lake Michigan, and it was a wonderful weekend of blue skies and cool summer weather. In addition to hosting our Plein Air Workshop, it was also happened to be the location of the 2017 Cedarburg Plein Air with 150 nationally recognized and local artists spending over a week painting outside.

Our one-day workshop was facilitated by Artist Spencer Meagher and 11 of us spent the day painting on location at the Family Farm in nearby Grafton, WI. The farm, with 38 acres and several barns and outbuildings, featured wonderful venues for events and a glorious variety of animals. One of my favorite was the resident llama – it reminded me of my former llama, Teddy.

The experience also confirmed for me that plein air is a whole different animal in the world of watercolor painting. First, there are tremendous logistics in moving your art outdoors – everything needs to be portable. This includes setting up an easel, carrying in your own water, and determining ahead of time the specific paints and supplies you’ll need. And second, painting onsite demands a whole new way of looking at things around you. It requires the artist to be “present” – to be in the moment and continually responding to shifting light and movement.

This week, my painting is Hello Llama, 7” x 10” Watercolor, and features a friendly llama in front of a weathered barn. For more artwork, check out Deborah Stull-Kinsley Art page on Facebook.

 

 

A Barn Study

Barns have always held a special fascination for me. Perhaps it’s from my childhood and the memories of playing in the old barn (and sledding off the roof peak in a year of nearly overwhelming snowfall in the 1960’s) on my grandparent’s farm in Iowa. There is something almost majestic about these buildings – especially when reflecting on the tremendous community effort, the quality of workmanship, and the incredible materials that went into these structures. On our frequent travels around the State of Wisconsin and in the heart of the dairyland, it’s a joy for me to see all the beautifully maintained and restored barns.

This weekend, I’ll be heading across the state to participate in a Plein Air Painting workshop in Cedarburg, WI. Led by one of my artist mentors, Spencer Meagher, the one-day workshop promises to be an excellent time of learning the logistics and intricacies of painting outdoors. According to the workshop description, we need to plan ahead to be portable with our supplies and be prepared to paint in any type of weather – rain or shine!

I hope my painting, Gathering Storm, 9” x 12”  Watercolor, reflects the strength and durability of an old barn. With its stone foundation and weathered boards, it continues to bear testimony to the ingenuity and hard work of a bygone era.

 

 

 

Camping - Up North

One of the joys of summer is going camping, and in Minnesota one of the premiere places to camp is on one of the over 1,000 lakes and streams in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). The BWCAW, established in 1978, encompasses nearly a million acres.

Bordered by the communities of Ely, Isabella and Finland on the west and south and the Gunflint Trail and Grand Marais on the north and east, this nationally protected area provides over 1,500 miles of canoe routes and 2,200 designated campsites. With no motors, no electricity, no telephone lines, and no roads to the inner lakes, the BWCAW offers a true wilderness experience.  

This week, my painting, Up North Camp, 8” x 12” on 300 lb. Watercolor paper, reflects morning light along the edge of a quiet lake in the north country.

 

 

 

Good times on the river

One of my favorite drives is on the road from Bozeman to Big Sky, Montana. Running along a narrow mountain canyon, the road winds through spectacular scenery and occasionally crosses the fast-flowing and ruggedly beautiful Gallatin River. It’s a mecca for fly fisherman, and although I’ve never mastered the sport, this time of year triggers memories of my dad and his lifetime of fishing adventures.

My dad, Dale Stull, was an avid fisherman and tried, unsuccessfully, to share the fun of fishing with his daughters. He truly loved to get up before dawn, grab the bait, and hit the river. However, to this day, I believe neither my sister nor I are willing to bait a hook, and we are terrible at sitting for long periods of time in a boat. So he often traveled with his fishing buddies to remote locations and came back home with wonderful stories of life in the wild. Some of his favorite locations were fishing at off-the-grid camps in the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska or on one of the thousands of crystal-clear lakes flung across northern Canada.

This week, my painting, Fly Fishing, 8” x 12” Watercolor, strives to capture the art and adventurous spirit of fly fishing – the thrill of standing in a cold, fast-moving stream, sending the line sailing out above the water, and waiting for the next big catch.

 

 

 

May arrivals and Great Blue Heron

After months of gray, the world around us has exploded with COLOR! We are blessed with a variety of blooming wildflowers in the woods around our house. Although my Grandma Ellen was a master in identifying wildflowers (and wild mushrooms!), I’m lucky if I recognize two or three of them. However, beautiful Trilliums, False Pennyroyal, Spring Blue-Eyed Mary, and Jack-in-the-Pulpits are familiar and provide beautiful early color below the canopy of trees.

It’s especially lovely to smell fresh dirt and see green again - with farmers in the fields and cows and calves, sheep and lambs, and even the local Clydesdale horses with their new foals returning to the pastures. For Mom’s Day, one of our daughters gave me the Goats of Anarchy book – and I agree with author, Leanne Lauricella: “Baby goats are just about the cutest things on the planet!”

And a wonderful variety of new songbirds appeared at our feeder this week, including: Indigo Buntings, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Baltimore Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.

This week’s painting features of one of the heralds of spring and a favorite summer bird in this area. My painting, Great Blue Heron, 7”x13” Watercolor (framed 15”x21”), was a commissioned artwork, and I’m hoping it looks lovely in its new home in North Carolina.

If you are interested in purchasing or commissioning a painting, send me an email for more details and pricing information.

 

 

In tribute to Ruby and Paul

Yesterday, we lost a dear friend. Ruby was a gentle spirit and resident beagle in our Blake Lake neighborhood. And although she belonged to Ken and Bev, everyone on the street knew Ruby. She loved to roam in the woods behind their house and the find of a rogue chipmunk, squirrel or rabbit was met with a joyful round of howling. On one of the first days after we moved into our new house, Ruby met me coming around the corner from our kitchen. She had wandered into the open door and made herself right at home. In time, she would come in the door, walk directly to the kitchen and wait patiently for me to open the “treat” drawer. However, after a diagnosis of a mass in her tummy this spring, Ruby didn’t make it through the surgery yesterday, and Ken buried her last evening in her beloved woods. We will deeply miss her.

My husband, Paul, will celebrate his birthday this week and in honor of that occasion, this week’s painting is one of his own photographs. One of our favorite things to do is take roadtrips and follow the “blue roads” – those roads that veer off main highways and roam through rural countryside. We have seen incredible vistas and discovered so many wonderful places in these journeys. Row Boats at Cornamona, 8.5”x12” Watercolor, came about on one such adventure. As we came around the corner of this loch, we saw a group gathered near the boat launch preparing to go out fishing for the day. Paul stopped the car, visited with them for awhile and then took this picture of their boats.

 

 

 

Light makes all the difference

My husband and I are usually on different schedules – he’s a morning person and loves to get up early and charge into the activities of his day. On the other hand, I’m a night person; typically getting my “second wind” about 7 p.m. and then working on projects late into the night. However, this routine has changed dramatically with Daylight Savings Time. Now, most mornings, I’m up as soon as the first light comes in the window. And a few days ago, I was actually up in time to see the sunrise! This is astonishing – even to me – but it has everything to do with the light.

In a recent drawing class, the instructor said that we can’t have light without shadows. And it is in the creating of deeper shadows, that we become more aware of the light. Isn’t that amazing? This is especially true when working with watercolors where there is no pure white color. The white or light spaces in a watercolor painting are intentional and have to be well thought out ahead of time by the artist. I’ve thought about this statement so often, and in my art, I’m more conscious of the tremendous role shadows play in creating light as well as depth and balance.

This week, my painting is all about light. Celtic Sunset – 11”x15” Watercolor, portrays the sun setting on the Wild Atlantic Way, a rugged driving route along the west coast of Ireland.

 

 

Sheep on my easel!

Even though the weather doesn’t always cooperate, we are “officially” into the Summer season here – the dock is in! Dedicated fisherfolk are already cruising up and down the lake, but we tested the water temp on Saturday, and it’s still icy cold! We'll wait awhile before jumping in.

But it’s the perfect time for tree planting which is one of my all-time favorite activities. Our yard is surrounded by a wonderful deciduous forest of Maple, Oak, Ash, and Cherry trees, but we missed the color of evergreens and wanted more privacy. This past Monday morning, Gregg’s Tree Farm delivered ten 10’ Blue Spruce trees to our house. They are beautiful trees and from the amount of rocks the crew dug up in each of the plantings, we’re assured the trees should be happy here. It so reminded me of artist Bob Ross’ comment from his TV show: “Let’s just add some happy trees here!” In the process of this planting, Monday also happened to be the day that the Luck tree service arrived to clean up some dead trees, and the arborists worked through the afternoon to take out two trees. It was an eventful day, but what a transformation! We are so enjoying more light in the yard and the lovely green of the Spruce trees.

Recently, I took a “Learning to Draw” class led by artist Paul Oman. It was a wonderful experience and gave me tools for moving outside my comfort zone in drawing and made a tremendous difference in my willingness to paint new subjects.

My painting, Free Grazing – 9”x12” Watercolor, portrays sheep in a meadow along the coast of Ireland. A few years ago, Irish farmers were having a grazing dispute with the government, and as a collective and in a demand for justice, they had all simply opened their gates. At that time, we were traveling in the Connemara region. As we maneuvered the narrow roadways, we were always mindful of the roaming flocks of sheep, especially in the evenings as they would bed down on the warm asphalt of the roads. It was an amazing adventure and such a beautiful memory.

Free Grazing - 9"x12" Watercolor

Spring Projects

We are so enjoying the sights and sounds of Spring. Last week, we saw three pairs of Sandhill cranes – including one pair leisurely walking across the road in front of us! What a wonderful sight! And it was a thrill to welcome two bluebirds to the house in our front yard yesterday. In the midst of chaos in the world around us, I’m thankful for the incredible rituals of this season and the ability to see God’s hand in the rhythm of each day – the lengthening of the light, return of the songbirds, fresh smell of dirt, and new buds on trees. We are blessed!

I’ve been away from my art for a while – it’s been a busy time with family and spring projects! This time of year, I always start getting restless to be outdoors working on yard and garden projects. Since it still looks like the “thawing of permafrost” out our back door, it seemed to make sense to tackle a simple indoor project like putting glass into the fronts of a couple of kitchen cabinets. Unfortunately, plans don’t always go as expected, and the project somehow morphed into a full-scale painting of our kitchen cabinets! While the mess of living with all your kitchen contents piled up on tables, chairs and floor is unbelievable, the effort was totally worth it. And I really need to share the story of how we chose the color.

In May 2007, I traveled with my mom to Holland. It was my first trip out of the U.S., and we went to visit our dear family friends, Val and Alvin Jordan and their children in Nijmegen. My dad and Alvin were in business together for 25 years, but the connection for me with the family occurred in 1994 when their 14-year old daughter, Katy, came to live at our home for a few weeks that summer. Katy had been struggling with school and her friends, and the experience turned out to be life-changing, not only for Katy, but for all of us. This trip was a wonderful opportunity for me to visit with the family and reconnect with the “grown up” Katy and her fiancé, Maarten, in their new home. When we got there, Maarten was helping paint their kitchen cabinets a lovely shade of blue-gray-green. When I exclaimed about the beautiful color, he grabbed a sheet of paper and swiped a paintbrush across it. I’ve carried that “color swatch” with me ever since. In starting this project, I brought the swatch to our friend, Angi, who owns the fabulous hardware store in Balsam Lake, and she matched the color perfectly! Here’s a view of our new “Holland Green” kitchen.

 

 



This painting, Rocky Shore – 12”x18” Watercolor, was completed just before we launched the kitchen project!

 

 

Trip to the North Shore

Early in February, we traveled up to Grand Marais, MN, to attend a two-day art workshop at the Art Colony. It turned into an eventful trip with a heavy snowstorm starting in Two Harbors and continuing all the way into Grand Marais, but it was a beautiful drive with huge snowflakes covering the trees and woods along scenic Highway 61. It’s always an inspiring sight to come over the hill on the south end of Grand Marais and see the panoramic view out across the beautiful waters of Lake Superior. At the time, the lake was completely open with no trace of ice even along the shoreline!

And traveling with our dog, Maddie, is always an adventure; it can be a formidable challenge to find hotels that allow pets. We are thankful that on our trips to the North Shore, we’ve found two that provide pet-friendly accommodations – the Voyageur Motel at Two Harbors and the Aspen Inn in Grand Marais.

Day One of the art workshop focused on helping us move our art practice from a hobby level to a business perspective. Through discussion and hands-on exercises, the facilitator challenged us to begin the process of self assessment and setting achievable goals. This initial step involved defining our individual strengths and the barriers (we may perceive) to accomplishing our goals, determining a vision of what’s possible, and then developing tangible goals for achieving one’s dreams. Day Two focused on cataloging art, learning how to price your work, and creating a viable marketing plan.

This week, my painting is called Quiet Cove – 11”x17” Watercolor and reflects some of the incredible beauty and rugged landscape of the North Shore of Lake Superior.

 

 

 

Snow again!

You know it’s March because of the crazy weather! Yesterday was a “balmy” day, and we went for a long walk up to see if we could see the otters. In the past, we’ve seen up to three otters playing and swimming on Big Blake Lake, and it’s the time of year when they are usually out. We didn’t see otters, but the Trumpeter Swans on the creek were a wonderful sight. The ice is still covering the lake, but it has thinned to the point that the ice fisherguys have given up. Then last night, we had our first big thunderstorm of the season – with wild thunder and lightning and tornado sightings just across the border in Minnesota. And this morning, we woke up to the ground covered with snow again!

In spite of the weather, we have hope for Spring! One of my favorite subjects for painting is scenes from the Wild Atlantic Way region. Running along the western edge of Ireland – from Donegal in the North to Dingle Peninsula in the South – this area encompasses Connemara and some of the prettiest and most rugged landscapes we’ve ever seen. In the area around Roundstone, County Galway, they tell the story – God had created the rest of the world and as it was getting close to the 7^th day, he just decided to get rid of all the rest of His rocks all in one spot. It literally looks like it “rained” rocks, and the land is covered with randomly placed, huge boulders.

One of my recent paintings is of Coumeenoole Beach, Dingle, County Kerry, 9”x12” Watercolor. My husband, Paul, thinks it’s me and our wonderful cocker spaniel, Maddie, walking on the beach!

Waiting on Spring – Early March

It’s that in-between season – the snow may be gone, but it’s definitely not Spring yet! Our yard is still frozen, and most days, the sun tricks you into thinking it’s much warmer than it actually is. So this is the time of year when I take out all my gardening journals, re-read articles and soak up all the green on the pages! And it’s always fun for me to re-read my favorite all-time gardening author, Cassandra Danz, in her “Mrs. Greenthumbs” books. Although she’s gone, her humor, practical ideas and gardening tips are timeless.

But the signs of Spring are all around us! Behind our house is a wildlife refuge with a creek that stays open all year round. The past few weeks have been noticeably more noisy – especially about dusk each day as the flocks of Trumpeter Swans and Canadian Geese come in for the night. And a pair of Bald eagles are feeding their young in a nest at the top of a huge White Pine near the mouth of the creek.  We feel tremendously blessed to have all this activity so near our house!

It’s also Maple Syrup time! Due to unseasonably warm weather, syrup buckets are already hung on maple trees around our neighborhood. In larger tracts of land, long lines of plastic tubing run from tree to tree throughout the woods collecting the sap in huge vats to be processed into the yummy Maple Syrup.

And the longer days and increasing light help me feel more energy! “Poppies in the Field” – 11”x14” Watercolor is one of the latest pieces off my easel.  

 

 

A new journey – February 2017

After years of working in the communication field, I’m venturing into a new creative phase of my life. This blog is about these adventures – a place to record thoughts from our busy life in the woods of northwestern Wisconsin and to display my artwork.

This is the first time in my life that I’ve had the opportunity to pursue creating art on a full-time basis, and I’m so enjoying it. Working with watercolors continues to be a learning experience – it forces me to just put the color on the paper and not fuss with too many of the details. This is an effort for me as I’m typically a detail-oriented person, and it’s been an ongoing lesson of being able to recognize when, “it’s done.”

While I’ve painted in oil and acrylic earlier in my life, about three years ago, I took my first class in watercolor through the Art Colony in Grand Marais. Spencer Meagher was the artist instructor, and I had such a wonderful time learning to work in this medium. The theory is to load color on your brush and get it quickly on the paper. The fusing of colors and the way the colors interact is really exciting. I’m inspired by the landscapes around me – we live in an area of lakes and woods, so I enjoy painting scenes from here and along the shores of Lake Superior. Over the past few years, we’ve had opportunities to travel to visit friends in Holland and Ireland several times. The incredible scenery found in these regions continues to inspire my painting.

This painting, Birches in Snow, was painted in a wonderful workshop led by Paul Oman, watercolorist of Amery, WI.