The Palette of the Season

This photograph is by a friend of mine Ron Nicholl. I love his work mainly because he seems to find things a little unusual. I love this photograph with the palette of fall.

Everything these days is bathed in yellows and orange. That isn't my normal, preferred palette. I love blues. I mean ridiculously so. Sometimes I have to force myself to stay away from blue so all my work doesn't look the same. But these days as the gorgeous color streams through my windows I find myself wanting to paint those twinges of green, orange and yellow.

The snow appeared on the mountains yesterday. My heart jumped with excitement. I can't wait for the world to be bathed in white. The blanket of snow out the window feels like a blank canvas. My colors feel brighter, warmer and more energetic.

I hope you have been able to enjoy the colors of fall wherever you are.

Natures Inspiration

I have a great husband. A few year ago he suggested we make our very unused t.v. room into my studio, making my too small loft studio into an art office. He reminds me every now and then how much of the house is labeled as "mine" but I am okay with that and quite grateful he is so willing to share.

The view outside my studio is heaven. Flowers, trees with birds flitting about and the occasion wildlife strolling through. When you're intense on an art problem, the faint clop of a moose hoof if just the recalibration you need. The rush you feel when a baby moose looks you right in the eye with his little cinnamon muzzle twitching to catch your smell is wonderful. If I were a cartoon at that moment I would have rainbows and butterflies swirling around me. You walk back into the house with a contented sigh and a clearer head.

Nature has a great way of making us take a deep breath and smile. Thinking about the first snowflakes slowly floating to the ground is giving me a smile already.

If We Hopped on Our Bikes....

The paint has been splashing around in my studio the last few months. My book on Signore Greve and Celli's travels is coming together. The boring price checking and scheduling is set and now it is all about getting the art from my head to the canvas.

Seeing my book come together is exciting. The image posted is of a page I struggled for some time with. The text was set but what was the art that would tie it all together? After mulling and discussing with my muse honey and my artist mom this image popped into my mind. I feel the finished product was even better than I hoped. That is a great feeling when the finished art was better than your imagination.

I am more than half way done. Here's hoping every page is better than the last.

Good-bye to the Light

The whirl of summer is coming to an end. As we reflect on the highs and lows the light of the midnight sun slowly puts itself to bed. I love winter and I love the peaceful, blanket like darkness that tucks us in for a few months. The pace of summer here is like no where else. When the sun reaches high in the sky you can't help but keep moving. Bike ride here, a late hike there. Canoes glide across water and laughter rings through out the sun lit night. But as an artist saying good-bye to the natural light is unfortunate.

I have completed paintings in the sunless winter only to gaze upon them again in summer's daylight and see missing strokes, thin spots and highlights that didn't carry themselves as well as I thought. Nothing hides from the light of the sun. Also, finding the perfect shadow and angle takes a little more work. The sun can always show me the correct way to portray slanted light. The light bulb on my studio lamp....not so much.

I chose this Grant Wood piece to show just how well placed light can make a painting warm and cool at the same time. Notice how your eye travels to the sun light. You feel warmer just looking at it.

The cooler air is blowing in and I welcome it with open arms, even if it means the light bulb will be my sun for the next few months