Birds on the Wing

It’s that time of year, and our feeder is already reflecting the loss of songbirds as they begin their migration south for the winter. The Baltimore Orioles and Hummingbirds were actively feeding just last week, but today the pots of grape jelly are only sought after by the loud-buzzing Orchard (Mason) bees. This year, the Bluebirds arrived right on schedule in mid-April – it’s always a thrill for me when they show up in the yard and decide to make our bluebird house their home. I’m out there daily with mealy worms to make sure they stay! But this year, they were forced to leave early because their house was destroyed in the storm. I’m hoping they found shelter in a safe place and were able to have another batch of fledglings before they headed south.

This week’s painting reflects one of my favorite moments every year. Bluebird Returns, 10” x 12” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures a bluebird resting in the wooded canopy of Spring.

Remembering Barns

In the July 19 storm of tornadoes and straight-line winds that hit our area, I rode out the storm in my car. It was 5:30 p.m. and I was on my way home from working that day at the art gallery. When I turned north off the main highway, it started to spatter rain, and as I came to a clearing in the woods, I could see the sky had changed dramatically. A black arch of clouds stretched across the northern sky and under this dark band, the sky was a weird teal color. It was too late to turn back and by the time I crossed the Apple River, the winds were whipping trees around and it was raining so hard that I could only see the center line of the road. I intended to pull into one of my favorite farms – they had a beautiful 3 -story barn and were in the process of remodeling their farm home. Unfortunately, it was raining so hard I couldn’t see their driveway, so I continued on for about 1/8 of a mile and pulled in behind another stopped vehicle. It was a surreal experience – sitting in my parked car, praying out loud, listening to the wind and watching the fury of the storm through the windshield wipers. Unbelievably, I sent a couple of texts to Paul and he, from the basement at home with our terrified critters, responded. I sat on that road for about 40 minutes while the storm raged. At one point the winds were so strong, I felt all four wheels of the car lift off the ground for a few seconds and then gently settle back down on the roadway. Thanks be to God! When the storm finally eased, I backed the car up to turn around in the farm driveway and saw a horrifying sight. The roof of the farmhouse was torn off and all that was left of the barn were remnants of the first-floor block foundation. One of the two concrete silos that stood next to the barn was also gone with concrete rubble strewn in a broad path all the way up to the road. It was a long journey home that evening. With downed powerlines and huge trees on the road, it took a tremendous effort by friends and neighbors with chainsaws and another three hours to go the last few miles to home. And it is with a grateful heart that I share this - knowing that, despite the overwhelming and widespread damage, no lives were lost and we were all brought through safely. 

We lost several classic and round barns in our area this summer due to storms. This week’s painting, Before the Storm, 9” x 12” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, offers a tribute to the loss of these wonderfully built barns. 

Let’s paint a barn!

You are invited to join me for a watercolor class at the Frederic Arts Center, Frederic, WI, on Saturday, October 19, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The class will be held  in the wonderfully restored one-room schoolhouse located near the lake in this beautiful town. With the arrival of Fall weather, I thought it would be perfect time to paint a barn! This week’s painting, Harvest Barn, 8" x 10" will be the template we use for the class. 

The class fee is $40 plus $10 for materials, and you can plan to bring your painting home ready to frame! For more information or to register for the class, see the Frederic Arts Center website. Hope you can join me for a day of celebrating fall and playing with color!  

International Dog Day!

There are so many celebratory days during the year, but a day dedicated to recognizing the value that dogs add to our lives just makes me happy! International Dog Day was August 26 this year, and the raising and keeping of dogs has been an important part of my life. Currently we share our home with Maddie, a 12-year-old, black Cocker Spaniel dog who has such a gentle spirit and is generous with us most of the time. She enjoys having her food in her bowl for breakfast and then another half portion at 5 p.m. Yes, it needs to be 5 p.m. – otherwise, she’s following us around the kitchen, making snuffle-y noises and generally being a pest. She hates thunderstorms and fireworks, and loves sleeping on the bed, taking car rides and rolling down the car windows by herself, going for walks and occasional “pup cup”treats at the local Dairy Queen.  

This week’s painting, Dog Day!, 9” x 12” watercolor painting, celebrates the joyous nature of dogs and captures a young woman walking her dog off leash across the subdued tapestry of an Irish landscape on an overcast day.