Starting Over

The carefree days of summer really ended for us on July 19. The storm that roared through our area that night left a path of devastation and the resulting clean-up process has consumed a lot of our days. Our entire place is under construction – from already moving the boat to repair/winter storage, repairing decks and submerged boat dock, repainting, roof and siding replacement and rebuilding the stonework and landscaping in the front yard. It’s been a month since I’ve ventured out the back gardens for a good weeding – simply because there was no place to even move rescued plants and it seemed overwhelming to try to rebuild the framework. But now the days are cooler – fall is here and I’m more energized to get busy. We are so grateful for good insurance coverage (and a terrific agent) and for the health and energy to start over!

And we are so thankful for supportive family and friends. When we were faced with no electricity – it was off for 8 days while crews struggled to repair the lines – wonderful friends offered the use of their son and his wife’s cabin. We are so glad we accepted their generous offer – the cabin became a special haven of peace and quiet after the noise of chain saws all day. This week’s painting, Welcoming Cottage, 9” x 12” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, features this special place surrounded by a lovely handmade picket fence.

Revisiting the Lake!

I’ve been asked to teach a watercolor class this fall at the Frederic Arts Center in Frederic, WI. The details are still working out, but it looks like Saturday, October 19, will work. It’s a wonderful space and I’m so looking forward to sharing this time with others who are interested in learning about watercolor painting. Watch for more details coming soon!

This week’s painting is one of my favorite scenes, but wanted to see if it might fit the format and timeframe of this class. R & R, 9” x 11” captures what this oft-used expression means to me!

Summer, Interrupted!

It’s been two weeks since I’ve painted. Two weeks ago, a derecho – a weather system boasting 80 mph straight-line winds mixed with tornados - went through our area. The system traveled across Central Minnesota and wrecked havoc all the way to Green Bay, Wisconsin. In our little lake community, power lines were scattered, boats were overturned and sunk on the lake, and we lost over 500 mature trees – with 12 of them falling on both sides of our house. Fortunately, except for minor damage to the house, vehicles and yard, we are all o.k. We were thankful Gov. Evers declared a state of emergency – electricity was out for 8 days in our area so the call alerted power and tree crews in the region who came with equipment to clean up the mess.

This week’s painting, Summer Fleet, 9” x 11” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, reflects wonderful days of summer on the water.

In Stillwater!

We spent the afternoon hanging art and creating a display space in the beautiful Stillwater Art Guild Gallery in Historic Downtown Stillwater. It is an honor to be one of the 22 new members in this creative gallery! If you’re in the area, plan to join us for the Opening Reception in the Gallery on Friday, August 9, 5-8 p.m. located on the north end of Main Street, Stillwater.