A Few Paintings

During the last three months I've been able to devote some time to creating art. These paintings are all oils,  either on stretched canvas or board. Two were painted over old landscapes that I painted years ago. The golden wheat field is now a slice of gold curtain.

The winter paintings. 

In February while walking the hills of Sinnissippi Park, I became intrigued with the interplay of light and dark among the shadows of trees against snow. When the light changed, soft edges would suddenly turn sharp, snow became pink, sometimes purple, other times yellow. As time went on the snow paintings evolved and become more abstract until spring came and the snow melted.  

Small work painted outside

Later, I painted another version of the same scene while at home.

 The window paintings.

 I find the threshold between the inside and outside a fascinating concept. Neither inside nor outside. A landscape or still life? A participant or observer? Is it the edge between the known and unknown? 

The three windows, painted entirely from imagination are still being developed. Each painting has a vase of flowers against a muted landscape that looks like early spring.

The portrait of a girl holding a red flower was started in February of 2021 and reworked in February 2022. I include the before and after to show the difference a year makes when a project is left alone, or allowed to incubate. 

These last few months were productive for me as an artist, both in out-put and problem solving.

Snow in Spring

The Space between Summer and Autumn

The small space between the last days of summer and Autumn have 

inspired me to linger longer when I'm outside doing chores.

Feeling the last warm days and smelling the dry leafy air as I hang laundry

on the clothesline, I can hear crickets in the grass and a Bluejay call overhead.

Late summer and Monarch Butterflies

"The butterfly and I had lit upon,

Nevertheless, a message from the dawn",

Robert Frost

From the egg laid on the leaf of a milk weed, to a tiny larvae, to an adult caterpillar. The exciting stages of a Monarch butterfly.

The Monarch butterfly used to be abundant but now their numbers are declining.

This summer I learned how to help increase their chances of survival by hand raising.

Because the small egg is vulnerable at this stage it is easy to help 

ensure survival by bringing the plant with the egg into a protected area and raise the small larvae to a full grown caterpillar.  When the caterpillar reaches maturity it forms a perfect jade green capsule..a chrysalis....a perfect container for the miracle that happens next.

Now the chrysalis is formed and begins to transform the body of the

 caterpillar to a butterfly.

Here she is, an exquisite female. 

Butterfly letting go.

A drawing in honor of these beautiful silent creatures.

July

Garden painting

Large painting on door.

Using chalk helps me define and adjust areas.

Later I can apply more paint.

Lovely June

In the grey summer garden I shall find you   

 With day-break and the morning hills behind you.   

There will be rain-wet roses; stir of wings;   

And down the wood a thrush that wakes and sings.   

Not from the past you'll come, but from that deep

Where beauty murmurs to the soul asleep:   

And I shall know the sense of life re-born   

From dreams into the mystery of morn   

Where gloom and brightness meet. And standing there   

Till that calm song is done, at last we'll share

The league-spread, quiring symphonies that are   

Joy in the world, and peace, and dawn’s one star.

Idyll- by Siegfried Sassoon

Wishing you all an abundance of sunshine, good health,

safe travels and long warm summer days.