Christmas and back to the river!

We are into that special time of the year – preparing our hearts to celebrate Christmas. And what fun we are having this year! In this last week before Christmas, we’ve already attended two pre-school concerts – the first with our four-year-old Brecken and his classmates (with over 100 little people on bleachers!) singing wonderful songs about “finding the baby Jesus” in Chanhassen; the second with our three-year-old Mia singing her heart out (and jumping up and down and waving wildly) at her program in New Hope! Tomorrow we’ll be at Rivertree School celebrating the Christmas story with three grandsons, Haddon, Schaeffer and Casper at their program. And on Sunday, we’ll be in Mendota Heights hearing the Christmas message again with the Kinsley clan of Kollette, Anabelle, Grace and Andrew. We feel tremendously blessed to be able to share these special times with family.

This week’s painting brings us back to the river and the sweet times of much warmer days. One Last Paddle, 10” x 13” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, reminds us of a crisp autumn day exploring the backcountry. 

Bluewater Paddle

On snowy days in December what’s better than thinking good thoughts about summer? And there’s almost nothing finer than spending a warm summer day exploring the back channels of a river from the vantage point of a canoe. This week’s painting, Bluewater Paddle, “10” x 10” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures the serenity of an afternoon paddle on a quiet back channel of the river.

On the Water

Sometimes it takes a while for me to move from liking a photographic image to transitioning it into the actual process and commitment of painting. Two years ago, we spent a wonderful couple of days exploring Victoria, British Columbia. The weather was perfect and the scenery spectacular. On the first day, we visited the Buchart Gardens, a 54-acre estate composed of 10 incredibly beautiful gardens; and the second day, we took a Pickle water taxi, the designated mode of transport across the Gorge Waterway, to the busy Victoria Harbor and the scenic floating villages. This is a photo that Paul took as we walked along the wide decks between the lovely shoppes and a neighborhood of floating houses.

This week’s painting, Harbor Life, 10” x 13” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, features a harbor waterway flanked on both sides by a fleet of brightly colored houseboats.