In the soft light of this late afternoon in November, it seems the perfect time to think about Change in the new year. And that’s the theme for the upcoming member art exhibit at artZ Gallery in Amery, WI. Slated for January-February 2022, it’s a theme that’s inspiring me to explore watercolor challenges such as honing techniques for dynamic skies.
This week’s painting, “Copper Bay,” 9” x 12” on 300 lb. watercolor paper, reflects the rosy light of a sunset on a quiet bay.
It has been a tremendous joy to see my paintings go to new homes. Sometimes I hear wonderful messages from individuals who have purchased original art - so appreciated and thank you! As a result, I’m busy painting new Liltie Series watercolors for Paul to frame. Another recent painting, "Lake Isle," 4” x 6” on 300 lb. watercolor paper reflects the beautiful colors of sunset on the Big Lake.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
