Get Ready . . . 2021 EA Art Show!

I’m into the countdown leading up to the 2021 Earth Arts Spring Art Tour! It’s happening the weekend of May 7-9, which means I have about 2 more weeks of painting and then we’ll be in the all-out framing mode! This will be a first for me and for the Amery Ale Works. It’s the first time, they’ve hosted a Guest Artist for this event, and I’m looking forward to setting up an exhibit in their beautiful barn. Jenna J. is the brewmaster, and she and her crew have worked hard over the past few years to restore the historic barn and build up a wonderful taproom and restaurant business.

This week’s painting is a return to Door County and the incredible scenery along the eastern shore of the peninsula. Whitefish Dunes, 10” x 13” watercolor painting, features the picturesque white sand dunes along the clear waters of Lake Michigan.

Liltie Series Continues

I’m continuing to paint 4” x 6” watercolors and it’s so fun! Here are two of my latest paintings – Liltie: Skyline Rain and Liltie: Corrib Boat. 

More Lilties!

Here are two more of the 4" x 6" Liltie Series ready for the upcoming Earth Arts Spring Art Tour – May 7-9, 2021. This week's paintings are Pasture Pals and Garden Folly. 

The Lilties Series

In the Irish, a “liltie” refers to a little song. Recently I’ve been working on a series of 4” x 6” paintings, and they remind me of lilties or miniature watercolor songs. I’m preparing for the 2021 Earth Arts Spring Art Tour, scheduled for May 7-9, and open from 10-5 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And I’m honored to be the featured artist at  Amery Ale Works, near Amery, WI.  My paintings will be on display on the main level of their beautifully renovated barn.

The featured painting for this week is one of the Lilties Series: White Pine in a beautiful frame created for this series by Randy Lee of Tin Cat Studio. 

Prairie Beacon

We drove to Door County last weekend and were surprised again at the amazing historic barns scattered across the state of Wisconsin. While some are in a state of decline, others are being repaired or restored and many are still in active use. It has to be a significant investment to save these massive structures, but they are such a wonderful sight on the rural landscape. This week’s painting, Prairie Beacon, 9” x 12” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures one of these incredible barns.  

Birch Tree Study

I spent this past weekend glued to my computer taking in the presentations and activities of the 2021 PBS Wisconsin Landscape and Garden Expo. Although it would have been so much more fun to be at a civic center surrounded by the sounds and aroma of garden expo, this was the next best thing! The content of the presentations was excellent with the added interactive bonus of being able to ask questions. It was great time of learning from other WI gardeners including an Indigenous Agri-Culture org dedicated to reviving native food culture; the Victory Garden project bringing healthy food and garden practices to a neighborhood in Milwaukee; restoration of a prairie; and the logistics of how to build a rain garden. I’ve got my plans organized and ready for Spring - never mind, that we still have the fickleness of weather in March and April to go through!

This week’s painting, “Birches in Sunlight,” 11” x 15” on 300 lb. watercolor painting, captures a grove of birch trees in the early morning light of Spring.

  

Cliff's Edge

We took a road trip the other day to Superior, WI, and ended up spending a lovely, windy, icy cold, day seeing sights along the North Shore – from Duluth on up to Split Rock Lighthouse! The lake was partially frozen along the shoreline – with fish houses dotting out onto the icy landscape – and a frightening reminder of an emergency rescue earlier this week when a rogue wave split the ice and sent several ice fisherfolk adrift out into Lake Superior. Fortunately all were rescued, but I think several lost expensive gear in the process. 

This week’s painting, Cliff's Edge, 8” x 10” watercolor painting, recalls warmer days along this beautiful shoreline.