Mid November

"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree” Emily Bronte 

Nature's palette continues to change.

Nut browns and pale wheat.

A pair of tonal paintings in Umber and White

Mid October brings the beginning of two small acrylic paintings.

A day in late September

 

This Morning with Bees

Sitting at your level today

on the ground,

I smell what you smell

and feel
the same sun

 warming our backs

 your blurry shape

tumbles

 among late summer

 blossoms

Stars, Moons and Hens.

There are white hens on the side board.

What was to be two hens turned into five. 

Some are pausing under the moon and stars, and some are floating skyward.

These drawings celebrate mystery and the ability to  imagine.

Have a Happy Blue Moon!

In the Garden

Inspired by the painting The Great Gardener by German painter Emil Nolde,

I have created a drawing celebrating the abundance of late summer.

July, The month of loss, love and remembrance.

In loving memory of Jim Julin
Rockford artist and friend.

 Pencil drawing and words by Ramona Felse

A Giant fell today..

A toppling over without warning,
the great heart
 that beats no more
we are consumed by sadness,
 overcome
by love and remembrance
of hickory sticks
and generosity
and giant chairs
draped
with love

Jim Julin at Rockford Art Scene 2010
photo courtesy of Mike Donze


A video of Jim and his art.

 The Big Chair
a sculpture by Jim Julin that sits outside of
the Rockford Art Museum becoming enveloped in flowers
as a memorial to Jim.
Photo Courtesy Betsy Youngquist

The cancer was found, and 4 or 5 days later he was gone.

Rest In Peace Jimmy

Late spring tidings

A new feature has been added in the garden.

My artist brother has brought the sculpture that he carved out of limestone
and together we placed it in the spot that
the winged ones love.

As the days grow longer, I enjoy watching the night come.

The birds find their places for sleep and are quiet.

Light fades on the horizon and there comes a chill in the air .

As the sky turns darker, the stars show themselves

one by one.

I look to the heavens and ask, are you really there

o blessed one ?  I see a single star,

one that shines brighter than the others.

Small ink drawing

A small drawing dedicated to blogger friend Hussam
who recently lost his beloved pet dog who he lovingly referred to
as his "Amber pup".

Rest in peace dear one. 

 Out in the Desert,
 past the Lake

glows an Amber light

Three white butterflies,
land softly

Revisiting oils with 'The Offering'.

         It's been a while since I've painted in oils. It was the medium that

 I first started painting with in my late teens. For years that was my medium of choice until I wanted to learn how to use 

water based paints....I'm still learning.

Lately, I've been craving the smell of linseed oil and turpentine.

Knowing that I would choose my subject from my sketchbook of drawings,

I needed to decide which one I would attempt to recreate in oils. 

This ink drawing that I call 'The Offering' is what I've decided on. At the end of the day, when sick of oil spills and corrupt politicians, if I am to have a painting around me to look at, let it be the simple gesture of a kindly 

old woman offering food to a stray cat.

I make another sketch of the original drawing showing how much 

of the drawing will be in the painting and then draw a series of faces.

Letting myself be free with the pencil, I allow her face to show itself to me

and am amazed and humored at what I see.

Somehow the end result will be a combination of these faces 

as they are now a part of me.

I apply gesso to the board and gather materials.

An old painting becomes a palette for mixing paint.

When I am finished using it this way, I can still use it 

to paint a new painting on.

The smell is wonderful.

My approach to painting in oils has always been to

first apply the paint quickly and freely and then slowly

develop the painting once I have the under painting in place.

And so it begins.