Returning to the river!

In the midst of having to live fairly restricted lives due to the ongoing pandemic, we are grateful for the wonderful weather of this January. In contrast to previous years, this month has been perfect for getting outside and enjoying winter! A week of no wind and ideal conditions produced hoar frost every night and brought daily scenes straight out of story books, with everything - trees, barns, bushes and weeds - perfectly etched in white. 

This week, I’m returning to the river with fond memories of a lovely day in July. Wild River Cruise, 8” x 11” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures a kayaker enjoying the soft breezes and warm sunshine on this wild, scenic river.

Oh January!

The sense of chaos of 2020 has spilled into this month, but we are looking with hope to better days ahead. In our small group Zoom study, we are going through the book, “Sacred Rhythms,” and it has been a life-changing book for Paul and I – altering our perspectives on prayer, solitude, silence and habitus. As I understand it, habitus is the daily decision to listen to our conscience and practice the presence of God in our lives. Through cultivating habitus, we are better able to nurture the fruits of the Spirit (e.g., love, joy, peace, patience . . .) within us and respond to those around us with good. I am a totally flawed work in progress, but it has helped to lift my eyes above the current muck and be aware of the overwhelming need for care and compassion of the vulnerable in our own neighborhood, family and world.

Last summer, we took a social-distancing river cruise and it was a magical couple of hours on the water. This week’s painting, Sunlit Currents, an 8” x 11” watercolor, captures a poignant snaphot – a relaxed kayaker enjoying a dappled-sunshine day on the river.

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.