S'mores and Sledding

This is definitely a "Favorite Thing."  Sledding and eating s'mores with my grandkids and their parents on a beautiful winter day in Vermont.   Today I  awoke to a dusting of snow.  Well that is spring in our lovely state and it will melt before noon.  Unfortunately I got a glare on the photo in the bottom right corner.

Anticipation

12"x12"  oil

This is from my new series "Things I Love."  I am having a lot of anticipation for the next few months and progress on my recuperation.  This child is anticipating a beautiful day at the beach.  Someone asked me why I am painting in such happy colors when I should be painting from the dark (representing my recent challenges) to the light (hope for full recuperation).  We are all made differently and I am definitely a "glass half full" person.  I love to be happy or find happiness and joy and the dark takes care of itself...I just don't want to amplify it!

Gerbera Daisy

12"x12" oil

This gerbera daisy was a gift for my recuperation.  I have a great indoor spot for it and it just keeps on producing lovely blooms.  I have been really struggling physically after my surgery and I finally feel like I am starting to gain strength.  This painting reflects the joy I am feeling about that possibility.  I feel so grateful to be able to paint, and to have the ability to see, feel, smell, breathe and soon, walk.  It is so easy to take those things for granted.  The greens in this image appear much more intense and uniform than they are in the painting, and the background is a variety of darks (not just black).

Bird Feeders

12"x16" oil

For the last four months I have been staring out at the bird feeders in my back yard.  Most of that time there was snow covering much of it, but finally the snow has melted the pond has thawed and may migrating and hibernating creatures have returned and there is a hint of green.  This is not exactly the details of my scene, but I was more interested in the patterns that were here than in capturing the details. 

12"x16" oil

It has been 4 months since I was able to paint or do much of anything.  I am still in recuperation from double knee replacement with some rare complications, but the need to get out to my studio has become pretty over-powering...which is a good thing!  This is the neighbors yard.  Spring in Vermont is mostly patches of snow and ice, lots of mud, and occasional snow shower but we also have sugaring season which makes it all worthwhile.  Sugaring (the process of sugar maple sap running) requires temperatures above freezing in the day and below freezing at night.  Every once in a while, we have absolutely gorgeous days like yesterday and today.  With temps in the 60's and loads of sunshine and blue skies.  The elation that all creatures feel on those days is tangible and everyone is out frolicking at least for a couple of days.

Big Pears11x14

11"x14"  acrylic

I ate one of these enormous pears when I finished the painting!  It is a demo for a class I am teaching.  We were focusing on how to use light and shadow to create volume.

Little Pumpkin

5"x7" acrylic SOLD

Coming out of the fog of 4 days without electricity, internet or telephones.  It is really beautiful here..kind of like a magical winter wonderland, but there is a harsh side to the reality.  One that requires preparation...a generator, woodstove, lanterns and down comforters.  Once those things are taken care of, our attitudes can switch from "what we don't have" to "what an amazing place this is!"

Daddy Day

8"x8" oil

It is so fun to watch parents teach their little ones how to ski.  Kids pick it up so easily but it takes a lot of control and strength for the parent to ski down the mountain in this position.  Even though you can't see it, there are giant smiles on their faces!

To purchase this painting go here.

Poinsetta

11"x14" acrylic

I had so much fun painting this.  It was for a "Sip N' Dip" painting session I facilitated.  Basically people come to the art center and pay a fee to get to do a painting in one evening.  I have done many of these and they are always a treat.  It allows me to just enjoy the painting process and help others to feel it too.  I always focus on a couple of lessons to help them understand the decisions an artist needs to make.  In this case it was choosing analogous colors and complimentary colors using a design that was both objective and abstract.  I try to give the participants a lot of choices to make along the way.The coolest part of the session is at the end when we line up all the paintings and see how creative and different they all are even though they were based on a design. It also gives me a chance to paint in acrylic which is not my first medium of choice.

Gratitude

6.5"x6" acrylic

I am grateful for my knees.  I am sure that sounds odd, but I am facing double knee replacement surgery this month (my Christmas present to myself) and it makes me appreciate all the hard work my knees have done over the years and the hope I have getting new ones that will be pain free and strong.

Waffle Break

8"x8" acrylic $19

0 framed

Lingering Impressions

12"x12" oil

As I was driving home from my daily routine at the gym I saw this scene.  It is one that I always love because it offers a broad view that changes daily with the light and humidity.  November in Vermont can be cloudy every day which makes the world look gray.  However if you look carefully, all those grays have unique characteristics...unique flavors...some leaning yellow or lavender or all the other color influences.  Today when I saw this in passing, I knew I wanted to remember it as well as I could and try to recreate what I saw.  I am happy that I gave this exercise its due.  I watched a demo by Peter Huntoon who said that "painting is like bungee jumping...requiring great attention and focus but itbrings great joy. "   I loved that quote but I think he left out the part about how they both start with a wave of fear!

Music

2"x6.5" acrylic

These abstracts are a result of a Mareva Millarc workshop I attended.  I titled this one "Music" because it has order and rhythm and little singing notes!

Bone Puzzles

2"x6.5" acrylic

Yesterday was full of doctor visits but no painting.  Knee surgery is scheduled for the end of December.  That sounds so matter-of-fact and simple, but I was in a whirlwind last night thinking about it.  Today, however, I am feeling calm and optimistic and grateful.  I am disappointed that ski season  is over for me and I haven't even been out yet!  I will be painting skiers, and snowshoers, and other winter sports as a substitute.  This abstract I call "Bone Puzzles."  I painted it last weekend, before I know I would be having double knee replacements, and feel like it is serendipitous that I am posting it today!

A Good Day

8"x8" original oil

It is cold enough for the brave to be out skiing today, but there are not a lot of trails open yet.  I love skiing.  It is invigorating, pushes me to my limits, and I think it is just breath taking to ride the lift up to the top of the mountain and see such grand vistas.  I have been wanting to do a series of ski paintings for a few years and I think I am finally ready to do it. 

To learn about this painting or to purchase it go here.

8"x8" oil

I set up this still life in my little solarium with natural light on it and the background with the back yard through a window.    I was just playing around with some things I like, a patina bronze bird sculpture and a  antique bluish glass bottle I found at a yard sale/plant sale.  I was there for the plants, but didn't find any I liked and as I was leaving this bottle called out to me.  I really don't like yard sales or collecting things I don't use, but this bottle was such a lovely color, I new I wanted to paint it.  So it has been sitting around for a while and this is my first attempt.  I don't know why I put the mum on the back of the bird...but I did and I like it.

To purchase go here.

Copper Cup

6"x6" watercolor

I was going to post watercolors and abstracts on the weekend, but this weekend I was incapacitated with my knee up and on ice, so I wasn't able to paint (actually my arms worked fine, but getting to the studio was the problem.  So I did this copper cup for a DPW challenge.  It is a very simple subject, but getting the idea that it is a hard copper surface, not so easy. 

There is a Season

8"x8" original oil

 II needed to do this painting.  I needed to loosen up and go a bit abstract and this painting accomplished that for me.  What I learned from this (I borrowed that from Jo Mackenzie, an artist I greatly admire) is that cobalt blue and alizarin crimson make a lovely purplish-gray....the color of today.  There is a big story that goes with this cat.  I will leave it at that!

To purchase go here.

The Big One

6"x6" oil

Honestly, I have been struggling for a while.  I could make a list of reasons why, but the bottom line is that is doesn't always come easy and sometimes it is easy to get lost.  I just keep plowing through hoping that something will suddenly make sense.  This may not be a brilliant painting, but it is a great story and they really did catch this big trout by themselves and they were pleased as punch once they got over the shock!  This was on a day where the blues weren't so blue, the reds weren't so red and the there were no shadows...but I can't help myself when it comes to punching up the colors.

To find out more about this painting or to purchase it go here.

The Browns

12"x12" oil Sold

This is a commission which took me forever to frame.  I don't know what I was thinking when I painted it in this diamond shape...sometimes doing something different backfires!  Anyway, I am happy with how it turned out and am hoping the Browns feel the same way.  They are such a beautiful family.  I added the suggestion of a white fence to help ground the diamond shape.  I think that works.