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.