Of Trees and Birds

Living here in the NC woods definitely influences my art. All these trees, so beautiful in each season, and the birds which alight, sing, and nest in them... they fill my landscape, my soul, and now my canvases. It's not just the colors that I love, but the lines, the rhythms, the textures. It seems to be what I am painting these days. I finished a couple this week, which I listed already on Etsy. There's one 24 x 36 in the studio still in process... trees in the rain. And I'm thinking there's many more to come.

Some, perhaps from these photos taken yesterday, which was an absolutely perfect day... temps in the low 70s, sunny with a slight breeze, and oh that blue blue October sky! My son had come up to collect his dog, whom we'd had here "at camp" for about 2 1/2 weeks, and while he was here, he washed my car and his dad's truck... a chore neither my husband nor I enjoy! But I enjoyed the sun and Jesse's company, and got out the camera too.

This is Empi, my grandpuppy, named for a VW parts manufacturer...







And here are some oil paintings completed in the last couple of months...
After the Fire... 24 x 48

Waxwing Memories... 16 x 20... newly posted on Etsy

Morning Has Broken... 12 x 16 of a Wood Thrush... newly posted on Etsy

October Fire... 16 x 20... recently posted on Etsy


There's much goodness in country living. Y'all come!

Monday Musings... Grey Skies Turn Blue

Yesterday morning I woke up again to grey skies, but finally around mid-morning the beautiful autumn blue came 'round. It was a perfect day with a slight wind and temps in the low 70s! I hurried on down to the studio and availed myself of the gorgeous natural light that flooded through the windows and the open door! I relished the warm air, my busy hands, the scent of the oils, the bird song, my cat who came in to nap in the sun, even the insects who floated in and out, their little wings buzzing and echoing through the space. Everything seems better when the sun comes out after two weeks of rain and fog! Here is my latest painting in progress... Waxwing Memory...



Here's a couple other photos that I shot last Thursday during a very brief period of pale sunlight... This fence lizard was a tiny little guy... probably about 4 inches from top of head to tip of tail... so precious!



And this beauty is an okra blossom... simply exquisite!





There is so much beauty around us and sometimes we neglect to see it, or are simply too busy and rushed... all the intricate patterns of nature, the comings and goings of the seasons, and yes, even in the grey days there is beauty. Here's a link to a treasury I posted last night on Etsy... a tribute to the misty mornings...

Here are a couple others in which my work is featured...

by theBeadAerie... in the Pink WOO HOO... THIS ONE MADE FRONT PAGE ON MONDAY NIGHT!!



by cherrylippedroses... He loves me

by JulieWebb... Pretty Pinks for a Dreary Day

by monarchdancer... cream and cocoa

by ilashdesign... oh, baby, baby

Enjoy your Monday... and whatever weather you have where you live! Go share a smile, offer a hand, create something beautiful, sing a song, breathe deeply...