Desert Glow

 A few weeks ago, our sweet family in Arizona sent us a photo of one of their favorite activities – going for a short drive at sunset to a nearby park to watch to sun go down over the desert mountains. I admit – my first experience visiting the desert last October was not all that positive. While there are spectacular vistas, it was hard for me to get past the fact that the majority of the landscape can be used as a weapon – to stab, cut or maim! And yet, here was this beautiful photo with wonderful light. I had to paint it!

This week’s painting, Desert Glow, 9” x 12” captures the view of two littles and their favorite companion taking in the sights and basking in the last light of a day.

On The River . . . continued!

It seems to be a prevalent theme for me in January – and I’m celebrating February 1 with a fun-to-paint kayak painting. It’s surely the spirit within me that is drawn to this subject at this particular time of year – the endless variety of blues, purples and greens reflected in a freshwater body of water; the deep greens and burnt sienna of a pine forest; and the rose, yellows, purples and deep blues of an evening sky.  After a month of lollygagging around, we now seem to have turned a corner with renewed energy and able to embrace new possibilities ahead.

This week’s painting, Catching the Light, 9” x 9” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, reflects that moment when the view in front of the paddler elicits a prayer of thanks – thanks for this day, thanks for this beautiful light, thanks.

Pure Bliss

With the January cold also comes my birthday. An Aquarian born in an army base hospital in Monterey, California, the rest of my life has been in the North Country – far from warm sea breezes. Occasionally, the day would fall on SuperBowl Sunday, but more often we celebrated with a good old-fashioned winter blizzard! This year was marked with record low temperatures, but we are feeling so much better and have renewed energy to get back to tasks – Paul workng with charter schools and me busy with painting. I’m having such a good time working on paintings with dynamic skies and open water – as compared to the frozen lake out our front door!  

This week’s painting is another Liltie’s Series, 4” x 6” watercolor, Pure Bliss captures a solitary kayaker experiencing the quiet of a beautiful northern lake.  

 

The Colors of January

This year, I’m having a difficult time with January. We have had bad colds for most of the month, and that has totally impacted my enjoyment of this deep cold time of the year. In spite of this, though, there have been great happenings – right outside our door! When we moved here 8 years ago, we had very few birds visiting our feeders. However, after faithfully filling the feeders, we have been blessed with a fantastic display of birds (and squirrels) at the feeders this winter. And there is such variety – Blue Jays, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, Mourning Doves, Pileated Woodpeckers, Goldfinches, Nuthatches, Chickadees, a lovely pair of Cardinals, and last week, the Redpolls made their annual appearance. Although it seems like it’s a feeding frenzy out there sometimes, each of the groups seems to have a distinctive pattern of coming in to feed. My Dad and Mom fed birds for many years at their home on the St. Croix River and it’s such a gift and given us so much enjoyment to be able to continue their tradition.

This week’s painting reflects where my thoughts are this month! Sunset Colors, a 4” x 6” Lilties Series watercolor painting, captures the glorious colors of a summer sunset.

Back to Lilties

As the snow gets deeper, it spurs me on to paint. January is typically my busy creative season – with temperatures below zero and my favorite garden tools locked in the shed – it’s the perfect time to pull out my photo collection, gain new inspiration and bring out the watercolors. This week’s painting, “Fall Birches,” 4” x 6” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, features my favorite trees against the backdrop of an autumn lake scene.

Planting Trees

I just discovered this quote by the renowned Indian poet and philosopher, Rabindranath Tagore.

“The one who plants trees, knowing that he or she will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life.” This so speaks to my heart.

January Crud

I’m usually a positive person, but the two weeks after Christmas this year threw me for a loop. Both Paul and I came down with pneumonia/bronchitis and all our talk about being strong and healthy went down the tube as we spent most of those days binge-watching Hallmark movies and taking long naps in the recliners. The truck which usually is on the road every day sat in the driveway covered with snow for many days.  We are so thankful to be fully vaccinated – we are convinced it kept us from getting COVID – and to be on the mend.  

And part of feeling better is regaining energy to paint. This week’s painting was finished last night, and we delivered it to the Arts In Hand Gallery in Spooner today. Morning Sky, 4” x 6” watercolor, reflects the wonderful warm light of a morning sunrise.