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.