Finishing Strong

It seems like this year has just whooshed by. We have had a lovely Fall – the colors in the woods were awesome and so many of our days have been filled with sunshine and light breezes. Yesterday, when we were helping my Mom into the pickup to go to Thanksgiving dinner, we were interrupted by a loud distinctive sound in the sky. We looked up to see a large skein of Sandhill Cranes circling over our heads and honking noisily. What an incredible sight! And knowing that they were near extinction, it is so gratifying to see how they have recovered.

This week’s painting, “Cave Point Cliffs” is another of my Liltie Series – 4” x 6” to be framed in a black shadowbox and ready for delivery to Plum Bottom Gallery in Door County later next week.

 

November Images

There are a lot of up-front projects that have to happen before a watercolor class can take place. I gather and sort supplies for each student and have everything organized so that they can get going in the actual painting process as soon as possible in the 5 -hour timeframe. During the November group classes, I demonstrated techniques for completing two paintings – here’s the Door County Barn (in snow) watercolor. 

Thanksgiving Gratitude

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving Day – we had a small family gathering in New Hope, MN, and enjoyed a fabulous day of visiting, feasting, and playing Awkward Family Photos board game! We have so much to be thankful for – Mom felt good enough to come with us and Jack was with us from Washington State. And we are mindful of families (including some of our own dear ones) who are struggling with COVID. It’s an insidious and seemingly random disease and it can cause us to be filled with “what ifs” – what if I hadn’t met with that person; what if I hadn’t been in that place? Sometimes it’s an effort to stay brave and intentional in the face of such uncertainty.

It seems like I’ve taken a break from posting on this blog, but I’ve been busy painting. I taught two watercolor classes in November in Amery – one at the Tin Cat Studio on Nov. 9 and the other at the artZ Gallery on Nov. 17. It was an amazing experience with about 9 students in each session. The first one was "Let's Paint the Big Lake!' and the second was "Let's Paint a Door County Barn!" Many of the students were brand new to watercolor, but they were all enthusiastic and everyone had a wonderful painting to take home! It’s a two-person project – Paul is integral in setting up, picking up snacks, helping dispense supplies and cleaning up afterwards. But after a few times of doing this, we’re beginning to act like a cohesive unit! We're wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

ArtReach St. Croix – “Unexpected Wonder”

It was a wonderful Artist's Reception at ArtReach St. Croix last evening, Thursday, October 7! Guests viewed the “Unexpected Wonder” exhibit or gathered by the bonfire outside for refreshments. The four artists featured in this exhibit are: Sarah Lilja (photography); Leslie Batt-Lutz (raku pottery); Cassie Johnson (jewelry) and my watercolors. The exhibit runs from October 7 through November 15, and I have 20 paintings on display in this historic house overlooking the St. Croix River in Stillwater. Special thanks to Heather and Syndie for hanging the art and organizing this event.  One of my favorite artists, Sue Rowe, attended and we renewed our friendship. I hadn’t seen her for many years, but it was so fun to share how her art had blessed my life years ago. I was living in Marine on St. Croix following a painful divorce, and my friend, Pam (who had gone through a very similar end of her marriage) walked down Judd Street in September to the Marine Art Fair. Sue had a booth there with all of her wonderful “bear” cards and paintings. One of the cards had the simple label – “Bi-polar Bear” on the front. Pam and I laughed so hard – I shared with Sue that I think it was the first time we had been able to laugh about the whole ordeal. What a blessing that was – and I carried that card with me for several years.

To the Prairie: Elevators!

Last week, I took a painting class from master watercolorist, Paul Oman, on painting elevators. After years of living on the prairie, these are some of my favorite structures. There is something special about their functional design, outstanding presence on the prairie landscape – and in harvest season, they are actually a small village on to themselves. In their heyday, they were truly the central hub of the agricultural community. So it was a shock for me when after the class, as I was surfing through elevator images from across Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada, to discover that they are virtually in decline. Many have already collapsed and are mere ruins in the incredibly flat landscapes of the region.

It was fun to follow through with practices learned from Paul for painting railroad tracks, corrugated surfaces of the actual elevators, and the hazy atmospheric light only seen on prairie landscapes. Part of my ongoing “Lilties Series,” this week’s painting is Prairie Star, 4” x 6” and a tribute to these amazing elevators.

ArtReach St Croix – October-November 2021

The sky has looked like rain most of today, but it held off enough for me to mow the lawn before opening up this afternoon with a pouring rain and thunder. We are so thankful for this straight-down rain – the rain barrels are already full, but the ground soaks up everything it gets these days. 

It’s our 14^th Anniversary today and bouquets of beautiful flowers are gracing our dining room table!  There are lots of sweet memories over the past many years and I’m so thankful for the gift of Paul. He’s been a rock, safe haven, enabler of dreams and an all-round incredibly loving partner.  And we are grateful for the many blessings - Kollette, Anabelle and Grace, and Baby Haddon (3 weeks old) were all with us at the wedding, but we’re now blessed with 8 more beautiful grandchildren! This morning, Paul was listing some of the joys of our marriage, and among his favorites included celebrating the wedding of Daniel and Krista, getting to know and spend time with my Dad, welcoming Mia (from India) into our family, watching our children grow up and thrive in their own lives, and traveling with each other (and Mom) to wonderful places in Ireland and family celebrations in Holland with precious friends. We are thankful to be close to most of our family and able to enjoy activities, provide care for Mom, and cherish sweet family gatherings. We often say, Dad would rejoice at seeing this large, boisterous, loving family!

This week, I’m in the final preparations for an upcoming show at ArtReach St. Croix in Stillwater. The gallery is a historic mansion the hill overlooking the St. Croix River, and I’ll be joining three other artists for the exhibit – scheduled to be held from October 7-November 15, 2021. This week’s painting, Indigo Bay, 9” x 13” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, captures one of my favorite docks on a nearby lake.   

September Musings

There is always a definite change in the air after the busy Labor Day weekend. Regional schools are back in session and as a result, the lake atmosphere changes overnight. After years of living on the prairie, the air reminds me of high prairie days – no humidity, blue skies, subtle tinges on the leaves, noticeable lack of mosquitos and quiet. And our critters are loving it – the patio door is left slightly open most days and Maddie, Zach and Bailey are free to come in and go out at will!

This week’s painting brings us back to the lake. Quiet Days, 8” x 12” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, reflects a beautiful view over a calm, secluded lake.