Close of 2023

It's officially New Year’s Eve and at this point in the evening, we aren’t making any promises about seeing the new year in tonight. We are recovering from icky colds, so we can actually fall asleep just by sitting in the big recliners! Yet In spite of the losses and sadnesses of this year, we are looking with hope to this new year. God is faithful and we are holding on to His promises for good in our lives. We have been tremendously blessed with good health, loving family and friends, and meaningful work. We are so thankful!

After an odd December of balmy weather – temps in the 40’s and no snow – we had a spot of snow overnight and are anticipating much more in the days to come. January is known for blizzards in northern Wisconsin. It seemed like a good week to use my new tube of American Journey Peacock Blue and be inspired by a couple of Jan Swart (janswartphotography.com) birch trees. Blue Birches, 10” x 13” on 300 lb. hot press watercolor paper, captures the bright morning light and beautiful aqua-blue reflections of the water and light on birch trees.

Christmas Magic

As we see the close of 2023, it’s been an emotional year with an incredible loss of loved ones and illness. At this time, our oldest grandchild in in the hospital this week struggling with pneumonia and next weekend, we’ll be traveling to Iowa to celebrate the life of one of my cousins, Scott, who we recently lost, with the Hahn/Stull families. It all seems surreal, and I feel like I’m slogging through to Christmas. However, we are people of hope – and any random feelings that I may be having are just that – feelings. We will be attending grandchildren's Christmas concerts this week and hearing the wondrous story once more and singing the favorite joyous songs. We are confident in this hope – that God loves us, is faithful, and has a plan for good for us. So we move forward in this amazing grace.

This week’s painting, Welcoming Committee, 4” x 6” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures a favorite scene – a mama ewe and her shy lamb greeting strangers on the path.

A Quick Study

Sometimes a picture immediately inspires me to paint. This week’s painting, Fall Reds, 8” x 10” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, is inspired by a recent photo taken by North Shore photographer Jan Swart. I loved the dark forest shadows in the background balanced against the light of the birch trees and highlighted by the brilliant reds of the maple leaves. This painting was painted fast and loose, and it was such a treat to paint.

Back to the river!

This week’s painting is another in the Litle Series – Gentle Sweep, 4” x 6” captures the relaxed energy of two paddlers enjoying a day out on the water.

November . . . already!

It’s hard to believe that we are already moving full speed into November. And I know this because the Hallmark channel is full of new Christmas movies! Despite their simple triteness, they propel me nicely into this special time of the year. And honestly . . . with daylight ending at 4:59 today, it’s hard to figure out activities for 6 hours of dark before bed! So I’m busy painting with Hallmark movies in the background.

Paul is busy framing and getting ready for our trip to Plum Bottom Gallery later this month. It’s a process  to prepare for the delivery of artwork – in addition to careful framing, each painting needs to have a photo taken (for the website) and then be individually wrapped and packed for the trip. This week’s painting, Lake Air, 8” x 9” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures a new day dawning on the big lake.

Painting Liltie

The decision to “paint small” has been such a good one for me. These 4” x 6” liltie series watercolors allow me to capture small scenes and Paul creates wonderful double-matted frames to display these in 8” x 10” frames. This week’s painting Remote Spaces, reflects an unfolding scene of morning light across a primitive campsite.

Looking ahead to Door County

It’s been a busy summer season, and I’m so grateful for the many clients who purchased original artwork as well as for the welcoming staff at each of my representative galleries. Tonight is the annual meeting at Arts In Hand Gallery in Spooner, WI, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to hear updates and to visit with other members of the gallery. And later this month, we’ll take a few days and head to Door County to deliver new art and visit the three Plum Bottom Galleries on the peninsula (Egg Harbor Main Street, Egg Harbor Farm and Fish Creek) and the newest gallery in Sturgeon Bay! The owners of these galleries, Chad and Angela Luberger, are experiencing an amazing season of growth.

This week’s paintings include two favorite spots in Door County – both from the incredible Cave Point County Park: Point Cliffs, 4” x 6” features the resilient layered rocks along the park shoreline; and Landmark, 4” x 6” captures an iconic pine tree thriving in the Dolomite rock ridge along Lake Michigan.

Last days of Fall

I have always lived in an area with four seasons, and I love the rhythms of each season. However, when you realize that there is a beginning and end to each season, you also understand the reality of Ecclesiastes – there is a defined time to sow and a time to reap. And it also makes me so aware of the importance of greeting each day with a grateful heart. This week, the weather is changing and there are rumors floating in the air that snow is on its way soon. For us in northwestern Wisconsin, that creates an amazing sense of urgency to clean up yards, pile leaves on gardens, clear off patios and decks, and finish up any other outdoor projects. It doesn’t matter if the fall weather continues for a few more days, there is no time for lollygagging because we all know that winter is right around the corner.

This week’s painting calls me back to the special days of winter – the closing in of the sky in snowfall and the magical light of the reflected landscape. Cana Light, 8” x 10” on 300 lb watercolor paper, captures the beautiful, recently renovated lighthouse on Cana Island in Door County on a snowy day. The uniqueness of this site is that you need to cross a bit of Lake Michigan in a tractor-drawn haywagon to see this lighthouse up close. 

Watercolor class

With the cooler weather and the shutting down of garden projects for the year, it seems the perfect time to have a painting class! On Thursday, October 19, I'll be offering a watercolor class at my home studio. While this class is full, I’ll offer other classes throughout the Winter and into next Spring. For students who are new to watercolors, we’ll be painting a few of my favorite things – Big Lake waves, rocks and birch trees. This time, we’ll be painting Freshwater Coast, 8” x 10” on 300 lb. watercolor paper – and at the end of the class, you’ll take home a painting ready to frame! Contact me if you’re interested in playing with watercolor and would like to take a class in the future. 

Change of Seasons

We’ve been blessed with wonderful rains these past few weeks. Years ago, after enduring a few drought cycles on the North Dakota prairie, rain became such an extraordinary gift - and one that I don’t take for granted. For farmers, the rain often means life and the promise of another season of growing. As an avid gardener and lover of the outdoors, rain means renewal of the land and bountiful lakes and streams. We celebrated the rain this past weekend working with our ongoing “meadow project” in the front yard. On only a half-acre lot, our meadow is just an organic strip of lawn I’ve been planting spring flowers in. On Sunday, it was a gorgeous warm day, and we used my handy-dandy Monty Don’s Sneeboer & Zn bulb planter to plant 189 daffodil, tulips and alliums. So looking forward to next Spring! 

This week’s painting reflects the change of seasons in the Northwoods and the vital importance of abundant rains.  “Autumn Cascade,” 9” x 11” on 300 lb watercolor paper, gives credit to North Shore photographer, Jan Swart and reflects my impression of one of her incredible Lake Superior photographs. 

 

Fall Updates

We picked a beautiful Tuesday to drive up to Spooner to deliver new artwork to the Arts In Hand Gallery. I love these “high plain” days - bright warm sunshine, light breeze and  low humidity. After the hot weather of the last two months, these sun-filled days of fall feel like such a relief. And it was lovely to catch up with Joan W. and have her help in updating my display space at this beautiful gallery. The all-volunteer artist members have worked tirelessly to make this such a welcoming space and build it into a tremendous art asset for the area.  Here’s my refreshed space - with new and favorite watercolors:

This week’s painting is another in the Liltie Series - Geese on Patrol, 4” x 6” watercolor captures a gaggle of geese on a vigilant march around the farmyard.

New puppy and glorious sheep!

In what may seem like a rash decision, we've accepted a new puppy in our house. She is overwhelming wonderful - joyful puppy energy and sweet snuggles balanced with potty training and moments of terrorizing our other critters. Through it all, we feel tremendously blessed to have this beautiful cocker spaniel named, Clare, in our family. This is Clare at meal time.

This week's painting is back to my all-time favorites - :Sheep on the Moor, 4" x 6" watercolor, captures a gathering of free-grazers on a remote moor.

Favorite time of the year!

After the heat of this summer - that in spite of it seems to have whooshed by - the temps have changed and we are officially into my favorite time of the year. With the cooler weather, I feel energized to clean up gardens that have been neglected for the past couple of months. And it’s lovely to feel renewed as I start painting with purpose again. In closing of the exhibit sponsored by The Phipps at Westfields Hospital & Clinic, I’m thankful that my “Hill & Dale Sheep” moved to a new home! Thank you to those who support original art!

And this week’s painting, “Day Drifting” 4” x 6” Liltie Series on 300 lb. watercolor paper, reflects a lazy day of paddling on a quiet lake.

 

Life is difficult . . . sometimes

This has been a very difficult season. Over the past three months, we lost three beloved members of our family. Following a broken hip and surgery in June, my mom had to enter hospice and lost her fight for life on July 23. In the first week of August, we had celebration of life services in our family circle for both my mom, age 90, and another great grandma, age 96. Both of these strong-hearted women had fallen and broken their hips within a week of each other, and they died within a week of each other. Even though we are so thankful that neither of them is in pain anymore, it is excruciatingly hard to lose your mom. And then this past week, the much-loved father of our daughter-in-law, died suddenly of pancreatic cancer. We feel like the earth is shifting beneath our feet. Yet it is in times like these that we know that God is walking through the pain and muck and overwhelming sadness with us. We are people of faith and we are holding on to God’s promise of good in our lives.

And we are actively living out this hope. In the midst of the grieving – exactly at the time when they say not to make any big decisions – we have joyfully stepped into the world of a puppy. On August 23, we picked up our newest family member, Clare, age 3 months, and she has quickly established herself as the center of our household. We are in week two, and our other dog, Kirby Puckett (age 13); and cats Zach (age 18) and Bailey (age 5) are coming to terms with this new intruder and there have been some occasional moments of calm in the house. Thank goodness! 

And I'm beginning to emerge from the brain fog of the traumas of this summer, and picking up my brushes again. It is a delight to be back in my studio and able to finish a painting started in the July online class with Artist Alicia Farris. It has been 6 weeks since that class, so it’s such a joy to be able to re-immerse myself in Alicia’s lovely watercolor techniques and complete this “face” painting of a contemplating woman. This painting used a limited palette of only six colors – three warm and three cool. Consider This, 9” x 11” on 300 lb. hot press watercolor paper, reflects the light and vibrant colors of a woman in deep thought.

Bold, Expressive Faces

Since the first part of April, I had been looking forward to this past week and the opportunity to participate in a  three-day online Zoom class with recognized artist, Alicia Farris (alicefarrisfineart.com). I had taken my first class from Alicia In 2019, when Paul and I, along with our cocker spaniel, Maddie, drove to Springfield, MO, to take an in-person, three-day watercolor class from her. Among her creative talents, Alicia is an extraordinary instructor in painting amazingly expressive faces – not portraits, but faces. Painting on hot press block watercolor paper, she employs a unique method of not mixing the paint, applying the paint in layers and using limited colors.

I started this week’s painting in class and then finished it up after the workshop ended. It is painted with just six colors and the application of five distinct layers of watercolor. “Alaskan Sourdough,” 9” x 11” watercolor is painted on 300 lb. Arches hot press paper. According to author Bailey Berg: “Being called a “sourdough” remains an honorific in Alaska. Over time it has become shorthand for an experienced Northerner, someone with tenacity, grit, and know-how who has survived untold battles with fickle Jack Frost.” (See: www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-sourdough-alaska)

Thank you!

Special thanks to wonderful galleries and those who support original art. Sold today at Arts In Hand Gallery in Spooner, WI, “Where are the Sheep?” Thank you!

July ramblings

The quiet is noticeable here at the lake. After a long weekend of holiday cabin folk and nightly 4^th of July festivities, it so nice to hear the quiet again. And we are rejoicing that the rains finally came! After a month of intense heat and no rains, we’ve received almost 3” in 24 hours and it is such a blessing! No amount of hosepipe (BBC/Monty Don influence) watering can make up for actual rain! This spring, as a filler for two sections of our back garden, we broadcast flax seed. Due to the culinary habits of two main bunnies and deer, we no longer grow any veggies or phlox or gladioli . . . or  really anything with an ornamental garden tag on it! Those are all “blue-plate special” foods for these critters! But as I prefer not to have an 8’ fence right outside the kitchen door – we adapt, adapt, adapt. I’m not sure what immature flax looks like, but we have a lovely bright green carpet of thriving plants covering those two parts of the garden. And the flax has now become a favorite napping place for a beautiful deer. This doe feels right at home, and most afternoons she can be found taking a nap and leisurely nibbling the rogue gladioli volunteers coming up through the flax around her.

It's been a couple of difficult months – I’ve got lingering issues with my concussion from March and with the dramatic changes in my Mom’s health, it’s been a challenge to reconnect with the discipline and joy of painting. So I’m going back to basics – re-working what’s familiar and mixing it up with new techniques and watercolor paper. To prepare for an upcoming class with the international artist, Alicia Farris, I’m experimenting with her favorite paper – 300 lb. Arches Hot Press watercolor paper. Hot Press paper is much smoother and more sensitive to the amount of water and paint than my standard 300 lb. cold press paper. It will only tolerate so much “working,” which makes me use a lighter touch and be much more thoughtful in how I apply the paint.

This week’s painting is familiar, but it’s such a favorite of mine – Artist Point Light, 8” x 11” on 300 lb. Hot Press paper, features an iconic landmark in the northern community of Grand Marais.

4th of July

This used to be such a fun holiday, but after living in a lake community for a few years, I’m no longer a big fan. The fireworks and influx of cabin renters has made this a time to just tolerate rather than enjoy. There is sometimes a sense that “anything goes” when visitors come in for the weekend. And I’m not trying to be the big grouch here. But because we have dogs (now just one dog) that are terrified of fireworks, our evenings are often spent inside with the AC and TV on for background noise. O.k., I’m done with this rant!

This past two weeks have been extraordinarily difficult. On June 21, my mom fell and broke her hip, resulting in hip surgery that evening. Then less than 24 hours following surgery, she was discharged from the hospital back to her room at her care facility. It still seems unbelievable that after a surgery of this magnitude on a 90-year-old, insurance companies can dictate to health care professionals that it is time to discharge so quickly. (Is this another rant?!)  And then due to the ensuing and unmanageable level of pain, mom was moved to hospice care as of last Tuesday. It seems surreal that we should be at this point, but here we are. Life offers no guarantees, and we are so grateful for loving family and friends, and caring and supportive staff.

But today was a paint day. I’ve been holding on to and thinking about this photo since we came across this scene on our trip to North Carolina in early May. After almost 7 months of gray and snow in NW Wisconsin, the green of Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina seemed almost magical. It was our first visit to this area of the country, and we were astonished at the incredible beauty of this region. We traveled a myriad of narrow, winding roads through the Great Smoky, Blue Ridge and Appalachian mountains. Rounding one especially rugged corner, we came out on this open meadow with a spectacular view of the mountain ranges in the distance, and this single shotgun-style cabin. A perfectly charming spot!

This week’s painting, Blue Ridge Home, 8” x 11” on 300 hot press watercolor paper, features this narrow cabin with symmetrical windows and a vista view up into the blue of the mountains.

Summertime!

Is there anything as nice as a day in June? The hot temperatures of a few weeks ago broke a couple of days ago and we are enjoying an absolutely perfect week. Thanks to the wonderful dragonflies, the mosquitos have diminished and our first meals on the deck have been so lovely. And the pontoon is in, so summer on Big Blake Lake is officially here!

One of my favorite photographers is Jan Swart and her photos of birch trees on the North Shore never fail to inspire me to paint these amazing trees . . . one more time! This week’s painting, Spring Woods, 9” x 12” on 300 lb. cold press watercolor paper, features the wonderful range of colors of a woodland in Spring.  

Coming out of the Gardens!

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted on this blog and much has happened! The past month has been filled with digging in the dirt, cleaning up gardens, and planting flowers along with a couple of small patches of flax. Yes, flax! I’m hoping for a moment of those lovely blue flowers in our back yard! It’s also been a time of healing – the effects of my fall in March resulted in a concussion that I’m still recovering from. While I’m back to painting – which is a great relief for me – I’m having peripheral vision issues in my left eye, so Paul still won’t let me drive. The docs feel that I’m on the right road to a full recovery – it just takes a bit of time.

This week’s painting, Woodland Stream, 9” x 13” on 300 lb. cold press watercolor paper, celebrates the light of an early Spring shining in a wooded glade.

Inspiration

It’s often an elusive thing – what inspires us to choose one path over another and pursue our passions? I believe it may come down to simply following our hearts and doing what feeds our spirit. Lately, my paintings seem to be focused on the areas of lovely free-grazing sheep or the complex colors encased in the trunks of birch trees. What does that mean? Not sure, but this week is no exception. Birch Grove, 9” x 12” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, reflects the myriad of colors in a woodland glade.

ArtReach St. Croix Exhibit - Apil 1-May 6, 2023

In celebration of the ArtReach of St. Croix exhibit, you’re invited to an Artist’s Reception, to be held on Sunday, April 23, from 12-1 p.m. at the Washington Co. Historic Courthouse, Stillwater, MN. The exhibit, titled “Caregiving, Aging, Death and Dying," features incredible artwork filling unique spaces within this historic structure. For example, my watercolor, “Through Her Eyes,” is hung in a wonderful light-filled space in the original courthouse vault! And the stories behind the artwork reflect the distinctive life journey of each individual artist. The exhibit is displayed in two locations - at the Historic Courthouse and in the ArtReach St. Croix Gallery in Stillwater, MN - from April 1 through May 6, 2023. Plan now to attend this special event!

Madelyn Rose

We said goodbye to our sweet Maddie yesterday. She was our much-loved black cocker spaniel, Madelyn Rose, and we are feeling lost. At almost 16 years of age, she gave us a lifetime of adventures and so much unconditional love and happy times. She totally trained Paul and I and quickly established her feeding times, rightful place in the back seat of the pickup and unquestionable spot on the bed. She lived happily with our critters: tolerating Zach (18 years and alpha cat); ignoring Bailey (5 years and still the newbie cat), and last year, making room in the house for Kirby Puckett, our rescued 13-year-old cocker spaniel. About two weeks ago, we realized Maddie was blind and our mission became to make her comfortable and safe and to help her live with dignity. On Monday, April 3, she let us know that it was time to let her go. We are so grateful for Doc Springer and the wonderfully caring team at Interstate Vet Clinic, and for all the sweet family and friends who made each day of Maddie’s life special.

Hopes for April

March has been a banner month of cold weather and yesterday it went out with snow, hail, rain, thunder and lightning! We woke up this April Fool’s Day to 9” of new wet-heavvy snow. They say Midwesterners spend a lot of time talking about the weather, but it’s hard not to when it’s changing every 5 minutes and the Winter of 2023 just won’t go away. 

I’m dealing with the ongoing effects of missing a step and falling face first on the way up to a shop in Door County a couple of weeks ago. My incredible black eye has healed, but I ended up in the ER at Stillwater this week because of bouts of lightheadedness. Everything checked out o.k. but the symptoms continue so I’m going to try PT next week. This winter, for the first time in my life, I had vertigo due to an ear infection, and I think maybe the fall triggered some of those effects again. As you can imagine, we are so ready for the wonderful healing of sunshine, fresh air and green grass of Spring!

This week’s painting takes us back to the Gaellic hills - thanks to a photo sent by our lovely Scot/Irish cousin. Roving Free, 8” x 12” matted and on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures Highland lassies enjoying the view from a country lane.

  

Spring Snow

We took a day for ourselves yesterday and loaded Kirby Puckett and Madelyn Rose into the truck and headed south. We dropped off the cockers at their favorite boarding spot and then just relished the sun shining and the rambling road. We stopped for lunch in Hudson and then drove on though lovely communities of River Falls, Ellsworth to the river towns of Prescott and Bay City. We stopped at an incredibly organized woodworking shop and learned secrets from a lifelong, expert woodworker and his lovely wife. Brought home a wonderful copper sculpture that we decided is probably too nice to put outside in the gardens! It was a glorious day! 

This week’s painting, Spring Snow, 4” x 6” watercolor, captures a small band of sheep in a spring snow squall.

Dreaming of Open Sea

It's become a war of wills in our yard – the warm sunshine up against heaps of solid, almost iceberg-like snow. Spring is surely coming slowly this year, which may be a blessing given the sheer amount of snow and the huge potential for flooding. But my thoughts have already moved to open water. We spent four days last week exploring Door County – there’s always something new to discover – and it was such a glorious sight to see the open waters of Lake Michigan. For those of us raised in the aura of Lake Superior, there is something beguiling about Michigan. While the crystal-clear freshwater is the same, It’s not the familiar “iron ore” color of Superior but rather an amazing blue-green color.

This week’s painting is set in high summer on the waters of Lake Superior. Dreaming of Open Sea, 4” x 6” watercolor, captures a moored sailboat ready to launch out, anytime, into this vast inland sea.

Sunshine Moments

Even though we're continuing with almost daily snow showers, there is an underlying warmth of the sun that speaks of Spring! I’m trying to be patient, but the warm sunny moments of some days, the front and back doors are often propped open and the critters are loving the freedom going out and coming in at will! My painting is now focused on preparing for two upcoming shows – the first one launches in mid-June with an exhibit at the Gallery of Westfield Hospital and Clinic in New Richmond.

This week’s painting is a return to the Liltie Series – Sunshine Moments, 4” x 6” watercolor, captures a kayaker enjoying the first rays of the morning.

March . . . in like a lion!

We are enjoying our second snowstorm of March, and it’s only the 6^th! We feel resigned to endless shoveling and chopping ice, but are not without hope! The cold continues, but you can feel that the sunshine is gaining warmth every day. There are more bird voices in the woods and rumor has it that the Sandhill Cranes are moving north and should be here soon – massive snowbanks or not! We are so grateful for the gifts of Faith and Hope! What a tremendous joy to be able to trust God and look forward with confidence to Spring coming again.

While winter seems long – especially this year – I’m grateful for the times of quiet when I can focus and paint. A couple of months ago, I moved my studio from our kitchen island to a designated space in our great room and it’s working out so well! A few years, we worked with our carpenter and electrician friends to build a workroom downstairs – with the idea that it would be my studio space. However, it quickly became a perfect office and framing space for Paul. It turns out that I need the light and the connectedness to the scenery outside our windows. So now, I have wonderful views of the woods and lake, along with the companionship of our four furry animals who follow me endlessly from room to room!

This week’s painting, Moonlight on Birches, 9” x 14” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures light in a dark woods through the amazing night sky reflections off side-by-side birch trees.

 

Supper's On

This week's painting is a second study of a photo taken by Don Davison, and with his permission it’s such an enjoyable scene to paint in watercolor. Supper’s On, 9” x 12” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures a moment of paddling across a quiet lake – returning home in time for supper.

 

Those Irish Sheep . . .

A few years ago, we traveled with my mom to celebrate life milestones with family friends in The Netherlands and then took a few days to visit Ireland. It was such a wonderful time of relaxing and catching up with dear ones in beautiful Nijmegen, Holland, and then seeing new places along the Irish coast. Mom had discovered that she had family roots in Finney, Ireland, so we spent a day navigating the lanes to this village and having a lovely lunch in the Larches Bar of Finney. The trip actually was a nerve-wracking, exhilarating adventure with Paul driving on the wrong side of the car, on the wrong side of the road, my mom trying to read the map in the front seat and me jumping out of the back seat at every stop to take photos of the amazing scenery. And most of these photos were of the free-grazers – those rugged bands of sheep roaming along the side of the road, running down a lonely track to the sea or just spun out across the green hills. At one point, when we were forced to stop for a huge tour bus navigating a narrow rural bridge (by taking in all of their mirrors), I hopped out for one more picture and my mom turned to ask: “Deb, don’t you have enough pictures of sheep?” And of course, I had to reply: “Can you ever have enough sheep, Mom?”

So here’s another one. This week’s painting, Hill and Dale Sheep, 9” x 9” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures a band of free-grazers roaming along a patch of rocky hillside.

Lake Breezes

It’s been an odd Valentine’s Day – it poured rain here all day . . . today . . .  in February . . . in northern Wisconsin. But we are thankful – that it’s rain and not more snow, our menagerie of animals is thriving and a beautiful bouquet of rosy orange roses Paul brought home the other day is gracing our table.  So much to be grateful for!  

This week’s painting, Lake Breezes, 4” x 6” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, seems to capture the soft breezes and waves lapping along a rocky shoreline. You're invited to see more art at wildriverarts.com 

Planning Ahead!

It may seem like a long way off, but June will be here before we know it. And this year, I’m honored to be the featured artist chosen by the Phipps Center for the Arts of Hudson for an exhibit at the Westfield’s Hospital & Clinic Gallery in New Richmond, WI. The exhibit is slated for June through September 2023, and I’m preparing to have 20 fresh paintings ready to go for the event. And of course, it’s vital to have most of these paintings completed by the end of this LONG winter! When the warm weather arrives, for at least a few weeks, my whole focus moves to digging in the dirt and getting my gardens planted. Today, I ordered my cosmos seeds and already have most of my annual garden plans drawn up. And you know that Paul is totally energized by the thought of Spring! Haha! With 13 gardens, there always seems to be a never-ending list of to-do projects!   

This week’s painting, Moody Blue, 4” x 6” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures the evening light on a remote lake island.

Gratitude

So much appreciation to those who support original art and grateful for galleries such as Plum Bottom Gallery in Door County. These four watercolors are now moving to new homes: November Fury; Sunlit Current; Stormy Light; and Resolute One. Thank you!

Bailey's Range Light

When you drive into Door County, WI, you have two choices – the road splits and runs in arcs up both sides of the peninsula, meeting at the top in Gills Rock. The western side of this strip of land is the “main drag” with picturesque villages filled with beautiful shops, while the eastern side is just as scenic but less traveled and feels more remote. One of our favorite stops on the eastern side is Bailey’s Harbor – jutting out into the amazing blue-green waters of Lake Michigan. And it's the location of a pair of lighthouses, the Front and Rear (aka Lower and Upper) Range Lights.  In all my years of lighthouse-spotting, it was a surprise to hear the incredible story of these two structures. While the front light is an octagonal, 21” high structure, the rear structure resembles a typical pioneer schoolhouse. However, it’s their purpose and function that is so astonishing. When lit, the lighthouses produce two beams of light – one exactly 17 feet higher than the other. Captains seeking to come into Bailey’s Harbor line their boats up with these two vertical lights and then it’s safe for them to enter the harbor. Isn’t that amazing engineering?

This week’s painting, Bailey’s Range Light, 8” x 12” watercolor, captures the beautiful Rear/Upper lighthouse. Tucked off the road, in a secluded woods at the end of a long boardwalk, sits this integral structure, situated exactly 17’ higher than its partner light.

Fun with Sheep

It’s another snowy day, and we just keep shoveling here in Wisconsin! It’s been a January of record snowfall as is surely indicated by the massive heaps of crusted ice off our deck and driveway. At this point, others would probably close their house and head south! However, we are strong-hearted northerners! Haha! The real reaon is that we have a passel of elderly charges – today snoring in their favorite spots – two cocker spaniels, ages almost 13 and 16; and two cats, ages 18 and 5. And so we stay and cater to them – opening doors to let them out, re-opening quickly to let them back in; feeding at their designated times (based scientifically on the light hitting them on their comfy chair); and helping them on to their favorite beds at night. Not that we are trained or anything! In the midst of it all, we are thankful for them – they are such loyal and good companions and we wouldn’t trade this time with them for anything.

And so today, I’m back to painting a favorite subject – sheep! These three have been among my favorite photographs for many years, and it was time to bring them on to the easel. One of the hooks for me is the intense blue-green color on the buildings in the background juxtaposing off the light on the sheep. This week’s painting, Amigos, 8” x 12” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures these three characters seemingly posing for the camera.

Playing with water colors!

A fun exercise in landscape watercolor painting is to match the colors of the sky to the reflected colors in the trees, rocks and water. This is especially true with the intense colors of a sunset. One of the keys to making a landscape painting look realistic, if you add a color in one area (sky), you need to add the same color in the water. In this week’s painting, by adding mineral violet in the water, I also add a touch of mineral violet to the top edges of the sky.

This week’s painting, Easy Going, 4” x 6” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures the end of a day paddling on a quiet body of water.

Steadfast

For me, the presence of a tree growing out of sheer rock is an amazing feat. It speaks to me of a fierce determination to survive and reminds me of the importance of growing where you land; blooming where you’re planted.

This week, we’re back to Door County and the seemingly indestructible trees growing out of the rugged Dolomite Ridge rock of that region. Steadfast, 4” x 6” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures an enduring scene against the beautiful waters of Lake Michigan.

Loving the Lilties!

A couple of years ago, an artist friend suggested that it might be a good idea for me to paint smaller. He’d found that his “mini” photographs sold well at art shows, and it has turned out to be a such a wonderful avenue for me to explore and create. The 4” x 6” format fits perfectly into shorter timeframes in my studio which sometimes has been needed during this time of providing care for my Mom. And Paul does a wonderful job of framing – leaving a beautiful margin of the natural watercolor paper between the painting, double mats and frame. These smaller paintings seemed to need a title, so I named them for the Irish small songs, “lilties" - and these paintings remind me of small watercolor songs.

This week’s painting, Rustic Retreat, 4” x 6” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures a remote cabin on a quiet lake.  

Time to paint!

It’s cold here in Wisconsin, but the quiet days of January bring wonderful times for painting. I’m preparing to update my watercolor displays in February at the Arts In Hand Gallery in Spooner and the Plum Bottom Gallery in Door County, so it's a great time to paimt This week’s painting, Sunset View, 4” x 6” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, reflects a spot perfect for taking in the last rays of the day.

Summer Splash

Nothin’ finer in the summer sunshine than enjoying the play of shadows and light while floating on the river. While soaking up the bright warm sunshine seems amazing (especially to those of us in the middle of a North Country January!),  there is wonderful balance in just floating through the soft spots of cool shade. 

This Liltie Series painting, Summer Splash, 4” x 6” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures that special moment of paddling from bright sunshine into the deep shade.

Band on the Road

Sometimes it takes a while for a photograph to “speak” – in other words, to inspire me to take up the brush and paint. However, if it’s sheep or birch trees, you can be pretty sure that it will only be a day or two or three before the image begins to emerge on my easel!

This week’s painting, is surely one of my favorites – Band on the Road, 9” x 12” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures a much-loved scene of the sheep taking the perfect route – right down the road – to the next green pasture.

Snow Days!

It’s been an astonishing winter already. Typically,  we have a bit of snow in December and then cold, cold in  January followed by major snows in February and March. Well, this year, we have had a massive amount of snow . . . and it’s only January. Paul has shoveled paths/tunnels around the yard for Maddie and Kirby  and we’re rapidly running out of places to pile up the snow. But the scene outside our door balances out the exercise we’re getting – the surrounding woods are gorgeous with every tree fringed in white.

And it’s the perfect time to paint! This week’s Liltie Series painting, Afternoon Paddle, 4” x 6” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures a special moment of a kayaker floating on quiet water.