A Toast to 2021!

After a year of intense change and almost daily news updates, it’s a relief to be celebrating New Year's Eve tonight. In spite of the turmoil of the ongoing pandemic, we have much to be thankful for – good health, meaningful work and dear family and friends. It’s a quiet night at our house – supper in front of the fireplace and a toast to the New Year with a bit of Glögg (thanks to Crabtrees of Copas, MN). As you can imagine, there’s no way we’re going to last to midnight.

This week’s painting continues on the theme of “Resilience,” – the title of the January 2021 exhibit at artZ Gallery.  From a photo we took last summer, Ascending the Crag, 6” x 12” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, reflects an experienced climber going up the rocky cliff face (crag). This was also such a fun opportunity for me to work to capture the wonderful light and shadows on some of my favorite rocks! See more art in the Gallery page of my website: www.wildriverarts.com 

Resilience

It’s been a year of dramatic changes – including learning:

·         the full meaning of the words social distancing, self-isolating and lockdown;

·         to wash hands, sterilize surfaces and wear a mask; and

·         to navigate at-home, hybrid or remote models of work and school.

The ongoing pandemic has created a radical shift for all of us – on personal levels as well on national and global fronts. Yet we are grateful to have survived – to still be healthy, to be able to have a joyful Christmas season, and to look with hope to the New Year. At this particular time, it seems fitting to have an upcoming art exhibit centered on the theme: “Resilience.” Reflecting the spirit of our current day, the exhibit will be held at artZ Gallery in Amery, WI, from January 2 through February 5, and feature artwork from artZ member and guest artists. 

This week’s painting is slated for this exhibit. Defiance is 8” x 10” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, and captures a pine tree thriving in spite of being forced to grow in a formidable rock. For me, this reflects the inner strength that God gives each of us to endure and perhaps even thrive despite our circumstances and adversities.

Galway Memories!

There’s something almost magical about sunsets in Galway, Ireland. There have been songs written about it and people travel for miles just to sit on the shore and watch the sun set. And for me, it’s a wonderful excuse to paint dramatic, color-filled skies.

This week’s painting, Galway Memories, 11”x 15” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, recalls special evenings on the Wild Atlantic Way of Ireland and watching the sun set into the sea.

 

   

Happy Dog!

My cousin, Allison (a granddaughter of my sweet Aunt Petie), reached out to me in mid-November to see if I would paint her dog, Jackson. I had to think about it for a long time – he’s an active border collie, and I wasn’t sure how to go about capturing all that energy! Plus Allison had some specifics about how she wanted Jackson portrayed – against a white background and with his mouth open in a doggy smile. After much thought and planning, this is how it came out! I used the portrait paper from my class with Alicia Farris in Springfield, MO (May 2019) – 300 lb. hot press watercolor paper – because I can get the clarity of the eyes so much better. The painting was shipped to her this morning, and I so hope she enjoys it in her home!

This week’s painting brought the most comments that I’ve ever received on Facebook! Jackson is a 9”x 12” watercolor on 300 lb. hot press watercolor paper, and seems to reflect the eager face of an happy, much-loved dog!

Gales of November

November seems to be such a tumultuous time – especially this year. It’s traditionally a time of upheaval – losing our daylight at 4:30 p.m., working to clean up the yard and gardens, and realizing that depending on the first snowfall, we may have 5 or 6 months of intense indoor time ahead of us. I’ve always loved winter; however, with age I’ve become less tolerant of the length of the season. Anticipation of upcoming holiday celebrations is fun, but by March, I’m ready to be outside and in the garden again. And of course, this year, that’s all moot. There surely won’t be a Thanksgiving gathering or a big family Christmas due to ongoing COVID concerns. We are trying to acclimate ourselves to the latest reality – family celebrations alone at home or via Zoom! Ah well, we are thankful every day that those dear to us are staying safe and healthy. 

I’m beginning to think about paintings for the upcoming January 2021 exhibit at artZ Gallery in Amery. This special month-long show invites members and 2020 guest artists to display paintings that reflect this year’s theme, “Resilience.” In mid-summer, we realized that a little Pansy had self-seeded in a small crack in our front steps. It was a prolific bloomer – in spite of the daily traffic of our enthusiastic dog, Maddie, and countless people coming and going on the steps – and kept right on blooming through our first snow in October.  This week’s painting is another name for resilience – Tenacity, is 9” x 9” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, and captures the joyful, tenacious spirit of the Pansy.

Early Christmas Musings

The weather turned this week and on Friday, we had snow! Although it’s the middle of October, it still catches us by surprise! The gardens immediately took on the sludge-y look of frozen foliage, and I spent part of yesterday mucking them out and washing up planters and bird baths. I think there is a general weariness of spirit as we go into this winter. This week, Wisconsin had the horrible distinction of being the top hotspot in the nation for outbreaks of the COVID-19 virus, and restaurants/businesses are closing for the winter because they can’t figure out to keep their staff safe. So it was wonderful yesterday to get the line-up of upcoming Hallmark Christmas movies from our friend, Randy! Twenty plus new movies beginning now and going right through to the end of December. I think the tree may be going up the first of November!

I’ve got Christmas cards on my mind and this week’s painting, Grand Island Light, 9 x 11 watercolor, features a forgotten lighthouse. We both love visiting lighthouses – we had pottery lighthouses as centerpieces at our wedding reception – and on our recent trip across Upper Michigan, one of our favorite finds was the Grand Island Lighthouse near Munising, MI. Built in 1868 of wood, this simple-framed lighthouse was hard to see from Lake Superior, so the light was removed and service discontinued in 1913. After years of neglect and deterioration, the Grand Island East Channel Lighthouse Rescue Committee was formed and worked to preserve this unique historical structure.

September Batik

 No matter what’s on my easel at the time, my heart is always near water. That may sound a bit odd coming from someone who’s land-locked in the Midwest, but I feel more at peace when I’m standing on the edge of a mighty sea or sitting in a boat on a lake. Paul says I actually begin to breathe better when I’m within sight of Lake Superior, and I believe that’s true. The rush of the water quiets my spirit and settles the “noise” in my head. We’re living in a time of astonishing information overload; yet, we’re faced with the reality that most of the chaos and injustice of this world is totally beyond our control.  It’s a daily decision for me to respond simply to the things within my control – listening and helping to meet the needs of family, friends and those around me, and helping to steward the earth by tending my little plot of land, conserving resources and caring for the critters. When my energy level seems depleted, I head for the outdoors and navigate towards water. It restores my sense of place.

This week’s painting, Freshwater Sea, 9” x 11” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures a moment sitting on the edge of Lake Superior. I love how the water turned out in this painting – reminds me of beautiful batik fabric. If you check out my gallery page on the website, you’ll see that many of my paintings recall special times on or near water – see www.wildriverarts.com  

October Colors

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” - Anne of Green Gables

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted on this site. As you can guess, it’s because I'm outdoors enjoying a lovely summer and fall. It’s our seventh summer on this piece of land – seven years of taking out overgrown trees, planting new trees and bee and butterfly bushes, and adding mulch and top soil to the technically “dead” ground of a Norway Maple grove – and the gardens flourished this year! And with the ongoing coronavirus mandates, it’s been easy to stay home and just dig in the dirt!

We took a few days in late September to celebrate our 12th Anniversary and went on a roadtrip along our favorite route in Upper Michigan – traveling up the Keweenaw Peninsula to Copper Harbor and then across to beautiful towns of Marquette, Michigamme, Munising and on to Sault Ste. Marie. The scenery was spectacular with incredible autumn color smacked up against the bright blue water of Lake Superior and the myriad of spring-fed lakes and waterways. Everywhere we went, everyone was wearing masks and it was fairly easy to “social distance.”  At one point, the navigation system on our truck went blank with only a blue line of the road stretching out on the map. So cool to realize that there are still parts of this grand ol’ earth, close to home, that fall off the grid!

This week’s painting, October Woods, 10” x 10” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures the wonderful free-fall colors of this beautiful season.

Gunnal View

It’s the last week of July and typically this is the premier vacation time for most of us here in the North Country. However, this is a unique year, month, week and with the increase of COVID cases in this area, we’ve decided to stay close to home this summer. But we have much to be thankful for: our daughter and her family have successfully transitioned to a new job and settled in a new place in a relatively short time! Last Sunday, we celebrated the dedication of our youngest granddaughter, Lyndie Ida. She is such a happy baby and a wonderful blessing to her parents, Dan and Krista, and her older brother, Brecken. And after several years of absence, we’ve had the incredible opportunity to reconnect with our now-grown twin sons! We are indeed thankful!

This week’s painting continues my love-of-water series! Gunnal View is a 7” x 12” watercolor painting and features the wonderful perspective along the top edge (gunnal) of a canoe and on to the beautiful scenery ahead.  

Dog Days!

It’s been a week or two of intense heat, high humidity, loads of rain and storms, but yesterday, we woke up to cooler temps and reasonable humidity. It makes all the difference in being able to be outside, and it’s so fun to find ripe tomatoes in the garden! Yay!

This week’s painting features one of my favorite dog breeds and takes me right back to the peat bog regions of Ireland. Where are the Sheep?, a 9” x 9” watercolor, captures a faithful friend ready to spring into action at the command from her owner.

Dancing Water

It was one year ago this weekend that a devastating storm hit our area with straight-line winds and a tornado. We were remembering that late last night when another big storm rolled in and took out the electricity for about 6 hours. We are so thankful that we didn’t get the terrible winds. 

It’s been a busy week. Last Thursday, we moved our daughter and her two young children into our house. While we have plenty of room, it was a bit cozy, but she was planning that it would just be temporary. But you know that God usually has other plans and that very afternoon she found out she had a new job! She is so enjoying her work and has now found a new place to live. So, this week, we’ll be helping her move again. It has been a whirlwind of activity, but we are so grateful that she and her kidsies seem excited and ready to move into this next phase of life. In the midst of all the uncertainty in this season, we are trying to daily move forward with hope and nurture a sense of lightness in our spirit.   

I’m so enjoying painting kayaks, and this week’s painting is titled, Dancing Water – 9” x 12” on 300 lb. watercolor paper – and features a wonderful green kayak being navigated along a stone-edged river bank.

Summertime!

And the living is easy – well, not so much. The experts say we’re in the second part of the first wave of the COVID-19, and the pandemic is continuing to surge across America. Currently our borders are closed – all of Europe, Canada and Mexico have now banned Americans from traveling. And the frustration is that the information has been confusing and sporadic: wear the masks/don’t bother; stay at home/take that dream vacation; avoid large groups/let’s pack the bar! Now with cases surging across southern states, the governors are finally yelling: WEAR THE MASKS!

Ah well. What can I control today? Not much! Our family is staying healthy and we are indeed thankful. And in spite of it all, the gardens are thriving in these hot days and we’ve started collecting rainwater to make the dry times a bit easier.

Last week, we got up early and took a “social distancing” roadtrip with Maddie (our cocker spaniel) exploring the backroads of mid-central Wisconsin. Man, we live in a beautiful state! We took pictures of aging barns, silos and windmills, lazy rivers, and the ever-rolling landscape. We drifted along narrow, country roads through towns named Woodville, Elmwood, El Paso, Downsville and Arkansaw, visited a wonderful gallery in Spring Valley, and stopped for a picnic in a quiet park in Ellsworth. On our way to Menomonie, we discovered the Caddie Woodlawn Historic site. We were the only ones there and had a lovely time walking around the farmstead with its majestic white pines and beautifully restored Woodhouse family home, log cabin and smoke house.

I’m working to prepare work for a new gallery near the river, and am enjoying painting boats and water! This week’s painting, “A Good Day,” 8” x 10” watercolor, features a brightly colored kayak navigating a back channel in a blue-water river.

Heifers!

During the past month or so, I’ve been totally consumed with gardening – digging up new spaces, getting the plants in, hauling rocks, putting up new birdhouses and garden fences – and it’s a joy to see everything growing so well. But now I’m ready to get back to painting! As we move into July, we are still under the influence of COVID-19 so we're staying fairly close to home and only taking day-long road trips. On one of our recent drives, we came around the corner in the road to see this splendid sight – a field of young heifers enjoying the afternoon sunshine in knee-deep grass! And the group included one of my favorites – a Belted Galloways/Oreo cow! Double Trouble is a 9” x 13” watercolor painting. As a rule of good composition, you should only include groups of 3 or 5 in a painting, but the photobombing heifer in the front corner was just too good to pass by! See more art at www.wildriverarts.com

April Sunshine

The temperatures don’t indicate that spring is here, but the sunshine and length of days certainly do! As an avid gardener, I’m so grateful for the increasing light and the slightly warmer days. While I can’t plant anything for about another month (and will the garden centers be open then?!), I’m happy to be out cleaning up the yard, burning brush, fixing the stone wall damaged in last year’s storm, and moving spring-blooming plants to a new garden in the front yard. It is so energizing to be out in the fresh air!

This week’s painting reminds me of the rush of spring – Foggy Hollow, 9” x 12” celebrates the lifting of morning fog over blue-shadowed hills and the sounds of a rushing river along an ancient stone wall.

Reflecting Grace

It’s Easter weekend, and we are so missing gathering and celebrating this special time of the year with our family. As the weeks of “lockdown” continue, it seems to be harder for me to stay focused and on track. I’m finding it’s critical to build structure into my day. Otherwise, it’s gets easier to sleep late, wander around the house for a few hours, and finally get going on a project about noon! But Paul is a great partner and we are doing well at working to find purpose in our lives each day as well as tackling spring jobs - getting the yard cleaned up, the fun garden art out of the shed and today, while I was painting, he even cleaned out the garage! Yay!

I’m continuing to think about of the incredible gift of grace. This week’s painting is inspired by a photo taken by professional photographer, Jan Swart. She is dedicated to getting up early each day and taking a new picture of some beautiful sight on the North Shore of Minnesota. Reflecting Grace, is a 9” x 12” watercolor painting, and for me, this seems a fitting title. In spite of the uncertainty of our world, we are blessed by the deep, deep grace inherent in God’s creation with the daily ritual of a spectacular sunrise and sunset.

Grace for the Day

They say being near water is amazingly healing in times of stress and anxiety. Certainly, in this time of quarantine, I’ve had moments of high anxiety. Some days it’s hard to settle my spirit and focus on tasks or even follow through and finish a painting. I’m finding it’s essential for me to set up an agenda for each day – to plan activities and set aside time to be in the front of my easel and paint even when I don’t feel especially inspired. And through this time of being apart from dear family and friends, I’ve been thinking about grace. It’s a free gift – one that we certainly don’t deserve – and yet each day, we are given grace. In grace, we receive God’s forgiveness and in turn, we can respond with grace to those around us. Being kind, taking the time to listen, stepping up to help, and literally being the hands and feet of Christ in a desperate world.

This week’s painting continues the theme of grace. Grace for the Day, 9” x 12” watercolor painting, speaks to me of this daily gift of grace – an inviting dock on a secluded, quiet lake. What a tremendous blessing!

Sailing Grace

We’re into Day 18 of self quarantine and the reality of this “new normal” is beginning to be more apparent. While certain aspects of our lives have transitioned amazingly well – schools and teachers have adapted classroom instruction to online; churches and worship leaders are posting daily messages of hope; and local businesses have mobilized their full online presence with takeout, delivery and curbside pickup. And most of us are respecting the warnings, maintaining the 6-foot social distancing, and staying home. Yet there are the facets that bring us to brink of despair and shout outright failure. The lack of a prepared, coherent and compassionate response on the federal level is now resulting in panic and loss of lives – shortages or a complete lack of lifesaving supplies available to hospitals; front-line health care professionals experiencing the horror of a catastrophic pandemic without vaccines, supplies or even a viable treatment plan; and fluctuating (and useless) predictions as to when this will end.  I’ve tried to stay fairly neutral in the face of the current chaos within our political system – our own family is divided along party lines, so in order to endure as a loving, intact family unit we’ve a family rule of not talking about religion or politics in our together times. 

However, suddenly these partisan perspectives are gone and our focus has shifted to one of overwhelming solidarity, comfort and resilience. While some of our children have been able to transition to the “work from home” model, our oldest daughter received her furlough notice yesterday and is applying for unemployment today. The ones who are working from home are being asked to work 12 to 14-hour days to put out fires and respond to a whole host of unexpected challenges – all the while providing homeschooling and full care to their children. And all of their well-planned retirement and investment accounts are temporarily shattered with future recovery uncertain. In the midst of this, we are called to simply let go – to be kind, take care of those around us, to act with grace, and know that God continues to have a plan for good in all of our lives. As has been true down through the ages in times of misery, tyranny and disasters, God is our one true Hope.

This week’s photo continues the theme of grace - it seems to be a calming word in these times. “Sailing Grace,” is a 9” x 12” watercolor painting, and it was a joy to paint this scene of two sailors navigating quiet waters on a “red sky at night” sea. 

Grace to Glory

It’s a brave new world these days. As of this past weekend, the world is literally shutting down, and we are into self-quarantines and “sheltered in place” within our homes or residences. Due the rapid spread of the Coronavirus (Covid-19), all schools, most stores and airlines are closed, restaurants are on a take-out basis only, and churches are quickly learning how to post worship videos online. Because my mom is in the elderly, most vulnerable population, her retirement complex went into lockdown late last Sunday night. Now when she needs supplies, we have to drop them off at the front door of the center and the staff will deliver the bags to her door. And the forecast for this upheaval of our normal life changes from day to day – it started as a 2-week isolation period; today, reports indicate it may extend to the middle of April or beyond. For artists and small business owners, this is an especially difficult road. All three of my representative galleries are closed and my scheduled shows for April and May are slated to be postponed or cancelled. Facing this new day, though, I am immensely grateful for healthcare professionals, janitors, grocery and convenience store staff, Ruby’s Pantry staff members who have taken to standing in parking lots in an effort to ensure that essential food is distributed to those in need, and for all those workers who show up to provide lifesaving care, keep the power and heat on in our homes, and generally work to ensure that we will survive this crisis. And I am so thankful that all our children and grandchildren are safe and have been given this time off by their companies or have the autonomy to work from home. And I’m trusting that there will surely be a light at the end of this tunnel – that time when we come out of our isolation, gather together again, and begin to rebuild our lives and communities.

This week’s painting seems to speak of better days ahead. Despite the chaos of our world (and the current snow falling at our house), Spring has officially returned! Praise the Lord! The annual maple syrup sugaring is in process and we are hearing reports of Sandhill Crane and bear sightings in our area. It’s sometimes a challenge determining a title, but I discovered a list of 50 favorite names for boats and this one seemed to fit this painting perfectly. Grace to Glory, is a 9” x12” watercolor capturing a picturesque scene – a spectacular sunset and a rowboat sheltered in a peaceful harbor.  

To the Big Lake!

This week, we were supposed to be traveling to Seattle/Tacoma, WA, for a family gathering. It's Paul's hometown, and his older sisters and their families still live there. His sister, Mavis, had flown in earlier from Phoenix to see her daughter and his other sister, Marilyn, was celebrating her birthday. So it seemed the perfect time to see them and to visit with our son, Jack. We missed seeing him at Thanksgiving when he flew into Minneapolis and then spent his whole vacation at his brother’s Keith’s house near the airport because of a huge snowstorm in the entire region. We never did get to see him! Even though we had the tickets purchased and a rental house secured, the trip was not to be. Two weeks before our scheduled flight, it became clear that Seattle was at the epicenter of the Coronavirus outbreak in US. It was an agonizing decision to make, but the day before we were to leave, we canceled our plans. It just seemed too risky to potentially expose elderly relatives in Seattle as well our family members here to this disease. Since we already had a safe place for Maddie to stay (Lupine Kennels!), we decided to take a two-day trip to the South Shore of Lake Superior. March is typically a quiet time around the lake which makes it a favorite time for us to be there! This was no different – we were the only guests staying in the Lumberman’s Inn in Iron River, WI! The trails and beaches were open, but most of the time, our car was the only one in the parking lots. Although there were still big ice chunks in the lake and the wind blew frosty off the lake, it was the perfect remedy for a long winter indoors and a wonderful time to take pictures and collect new images for future paintings. My “painting” for this week are photos from a couple of our favorite spots – a rustic cabin in the woods near the marina at Port Wing, WI, and huge sailboats in the winter boatyard at Cornucopia, WI.

Looking ahead to April!

I’m preparing for two exhibits beginning April 1 – and that’s no April Fool! 😊 I’m honored to be one of the featured artists at the artZ Gallery in Amery for the April show, “Transcending Seasons.” The month-long show will also feature the artwork of Colleen Cosgrove (plein air oil painting) and Edna Grotjahn Early (jewelry). You are especially invited to attend the Artists’ Reception on Friday, April 10, from 5-8 p.m.

And at the same time, I’m honored to have several of my watercolor paintings displayed at the Gallery in the Osceola Medical Center from April through June 2020. As you can imagine, it’s been a busy time at our house – me having a wonderful time painting and Paul doing a terrific job of framing!  

This week’s painting, Nordic Stuga, 9” x 13” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, celebrates all those ancient, small cottages, called stugas, that dot the landscape across the rural Scandianvian countryside.

.

Geese on parade!

In a recent workshop with Artist Paul Oman, he made painting geese look like so much fun. I love painting old barns, and this picture of geese on parade along the side of a rustic barn seemed like the perfect opportunity to paint a small flock of geese.

This week’s painting, Free-Range Scouts, 7” x 12” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, reflects the purpose of geese on the farm. They are a farm’s security guards – scouring the perimeter, checking for intruders (or just tasty bugs), and generally causing a ruckus with their loud honking! If you have a favorite photo that you'd like me to paint, just send me an email at dstullkinsley@gmail.com. And see more art on my website at www.wildriverarts.com

A Hint of Spring

I just stepped out the front door and was met by a lovely sight. Even though the woods is still covered with snow, it’s mid-February and you can feel a difference.  The light has changed, the crows are making raucous sounds, and with the sun shining, the air holds so much more warmth. I’m filled with thankfulness – and already the plans for upcoming gardens are beginning to fuel my days.  

On one of our trips to Ireland, we stayed at a cottage by the sea in Roundstone, Co. Galway. From this house, we explored the amazing landscapes of the Connemara region. It was a memorable vacation – made even more special because we were there in November. The days were shorter and the light and weather changed, seemingly from hour to hour – from sunshine, to rain, to hail and light snow, and back to warm sunshine. This week’s painting, Sluice Keeper – Connemara, is 9” x 13” and captures the quickly changing light on an ancient keeper’s cottage along a sluice gate. These sluices have been regulating the waterways across the peat bogs of Connemara for centuries. 

Back to the trees!

There’s a new lightness in the woods these days. With February, comes longer days and we’ve been enjoying light until after 6 p.m. the last few days. And after a month of cloudy and overcast days in January, we’ve had a couple of days of blue skies and sunshine! It makes such a difference!

I’m preparing for a busy Spring season! In April, I’ll be one of the featured artists at artZ Gallery in Amery for a month-long exhibit along with talented plein air painter, Colleen Cosgrove. Also in April, I’ll be the featured artist at The Gallery in the Osceola Medical Center – this exhibit will be on display in the medical center from April through June. And the first weekend in May – May 1-3 – I’ll be celebrating my third Earth Arts Spring Tour with an exhibit in the beautifully renovated barn at the Amery Ale Works near Amery. As you can guess, I’m having such a good time painting and Paul is keeping busy framing!

This week’s painting, Riverbank Birch, 11” x 15” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures the morning light along an snowy riverbank. See more art on my website at www.wildriverarts.com

In the Mist

Sometimes it takes a long time to figure out how to paint a picture. This photo has been in my collection of images for a long time, but wasn’t really sure how to start. But this week, two new-to-me watercolor books arrived packed full of great images, ideas and new techniques . . . and I’m inspired to PAINT! Armed with a new understanding of values, patterns and color, it felt like the right time to paint these two silhouetted figures paddling a canoe.

This week’s 2^nd painting, In the Mist, 9” x 13” on 300 lb. watercolor, captures the elusive morning light beginning to burn through a foggy river valley.

Yooper (UP, Michigan) Light

It’s been a few weeks of incredible learning attending workshops facilitated by Artist Paul Oman.  The class meets from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Thursdays at the artZ Gallery in Amery, WI. This past week, we focused on the 2-Against-1 Approach – it sounds complicated and it feels complicated, but I’m beginning to understand that this is a key to really moving your painting to the next level. Paul's using the book “Painting Light and Shadow in Watercolor” by Skip Lawrence as a resource – it’s a beautiful book (and now part of my watercolor library!) and it emphasizes again that really the only way to improve your abilities is to . . . just keep painting!

This week’s painting was my attempt to incorporate the concept of Middle and Dark values against Light values. Octonagon Light, 9” x 9” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, focuses on developing color while preserving the light. 

January Snow!

For the month of January, this one hasn’t been half bad! Oh yes, we’ve had snow and cold, but we haven’t had the terrible winds and I've decided, that makes all the difference. We’ve had several “snow-globe” storms with snow falling down in big flakes – and the result is fabulous sledding conditions! Over a couple of days at New Years, our grandchildren found a wonderful sledding hill in the woods behind our house. The Dad went down the first time – with Paul standing guard to make sure no trees were in the way – and then the kids were off! Despite the cold temperatures, they played on the hill for several hours each day.

This week’s painting, Snow Day, 9” x 13” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures three of them taking a break and enjoying the afternoon sunshine on the sledding hill.

Buttermilk Hill

I’ve been taking a series of classes from Artist Paul Oman, and it is such an excellent experience. Paul is a great teacher and the amount of information gained in each session is amazing! He is focusing on the three main aspects of painting – values, pattern and color as applied to specifics of painting. Last week, we worked on values and the importance of taking the time to do a “values sketch” – when the values are correct it makes all the difference in the finished painting. Today’s class was on composition with a refresher on perspective and painting figures with accurate proportions. WHEW! It’s a lot for this older-than-average brain to assimilate, but as I work on these principles, I’m hoping it will really improve my overall painting.  

This week’s painting, Buttermilk Hill, 8” x 13” on 300 lb. watercolor paper,  was a wonderful exercise in working to get the values right and capturing the light on a rustic barn.

The Boglands

A few weeks ago, I posted a painting titled "Greener Pastures" that featured this flock of sheep moving to higher ground. I felt it needed work, so I went back to the easel and repainted the picture. This time, I had such a good time playing with color! The peat bogs of Ireland are special places. Located in isolated and remote sections of the country, they often contain sacred spaces and offer a glimpse in the ancient times of the Celtic people. And the peat bogs are endangered. Each time a peat bog is drained, the peat dies. In an effort to preserve these essential grounds, new protections are in place and the Irish government has designated 15,000 acres of peat bog in the northern section of Donegal Co. as a national preserve. It’s a land teeming with wildlife including wild goats and of course, free-grazing sheep!

This week’s painting, Bogland Sheep, 9” x 12” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures the glowing colors of a peat bog in the evening light.

Light in the Woods

Of all the trees in the woods, one of my favorites is the Birch. Its distinctive light bark makes it easy to spot – especially here in the Northwoods - whether surrounded by the darker green foliage of summer or as a contrast to the dark evergreen color of Pine trees in winter. With the loss of several trees around our house last summer, we waited for the fall nursery sales and then brought four clump birches home. I’m thinking good thoughts and hoping they survive the winter and then anticipating such a lovely sight as they grow and thrive in our yard.

This week’s painting reflects my ongoing affection for this special tree. Light in the Woods is an 11” x 15” watercolor painting on 300 lb. watercolor paper. To view more of my artwork, check out the Gallery on my website at www.wildriverarts.com. All of my paintings are double-matted and framed with AR/UV glass. If you have any questions or are interested in purchasing or commissioning a painting, send an email to dstullkinsley@gmail.com.