The Memory Lingers On

"Tahoe Basin Twilight III", 10 x 24, pastel on Canson Mi-Tientes paper

 

I older I get, the more I draw from my mind's memories. These old eyes have seen so much beauty in the outdoors especially since I took up backpacking at the age of 50 on through my late 60s. The photographs I took are but a mere suggestion of the beauty I saw. They are a triggering point from which I start the painting. As I paint, my memories, feelings and emotions set in. This is when I can see and feel the painting morphing into something creative as opposed to just copying the photo. Having just returned from a brief vacation in South Lake Tahoe, California, it was a lovely welcome home to see some of my paintings of the areas we revisited. I took over a hundred photos on this trip for reference for future paintings but to see the works I have already done was a special delight. Photos are still an important part of my painting but it's for what they trigger in my mind and heart that counts. For this I say "Thanks for the memories."

 

"Autumn Reflections", 9 x 12, pastel on Canson Mi-Tientes paper.

 

 

Back Home from Vacation- Sorting Through the Mail

 

"Koi and Lily Pond", 18 x 24, pastel on Canson Mi-Tientes paper.

 

Hubby Bruce and I have just returned from a brief (4 day) but sweet vacation in Lake Tahoe, California, one of my favorite places. Going through the mail, the Blick Studio Holiday catalogue caught my eye. thumbing through it I came to page 63 to find a painting of mine featured on the page. It was a nice welcome home piece of mail to receive. Once again I am honored that the Canson company and Dick Blick have chosen one of my paintings to represent them. I have used Canson Mi-Tientes paper ever since I started painting with pastels sometime in the mid nineties. This was well before so many different kinds of pastel papers came on the market. I still use it today because it is a strong paper that stands up well to my style of painting. I know this sounds like an endorsement and I guess it is in a way but no one paid me to do this and I am truly thank full that Canson continues to manufacture this paper. Here's a couple more paintings done on Mi-Tientes paper.

 

"Mardi Gras", 15 x 19, pastel on Canson Mi-Tientes board.

 

"Yosemite Valley Morning Mist", 8 x 10, pastel on Canson Mi-Tientes paper. 

 

Okay so I'm, back from vacation. The first few days are  usually a downer for me but not so much this time.... now.. ugh... on to doing laundry. 

Bare Walls Means Unfulfilled Dreams

 

Take a painting

 

"Into The Light", 19 x 25

 

Take another painting

 

"Moody Day", 9 x 11

 

and another

 

"Jerusalem Gardens", 21 x 25

 

Show them off

 

 

Empty walls makes for an empty room. Uninviting, unappealing. Art puts life into a room. Have you ever been in a home where the walls are bare because the owner explains "I just haven't found the right painting" or,  "the ones I have found are too expensive"  or "the colors don't match my furniture or walls "  so the walls continue to remain bare or they have an uninviting painting or two that was handed down from Grandma and it's there just to fill up some wall space. Well, my friends that is all bs. If a painting or other work of art speaks to you and you fall in love but pass it up  because of one or more of the above reasons, then I have some suggestions. If you're really passionate about a piece of art you come across, you've made a connection with it and you would love to own it, then think about the joy it would bring hanging in your home and that you will re experience that joy on a daily basis and that you will be able to discover more hidden beauty and see new things in it as time goes by ...... this, my friends, is priceless. What about it not going well with your furniture or carpet or wall color. Once it is hanging in your home, I promise you that will find a way to integrate it with the room. Sometimes all it takes is adding a throw pillow or another accessory to make it feel at home. I've often done this in my own home. You might say, "well, I already have so many paintings now that I have no room for more". To this I say take some down for a while, or change your arrangements or even put some in a closet for a time. Your room will get a face lift and you will get an up lift  and when you to back to the closet to rehang those paintings, well, then, it will have renewed beauty and meaning to you. So I hope you get the picture (no pun intended).

I would love to hear about your own thoughts and experiences on this subject.

 

Please come and see my home and studio filled with art during Sierra Art Trails weekend October 5th - 7th. No empty walls here.

 

Sierra Art Trials website; http://www.sierraarttrails.org/

 

My Open Studio and House for Sierra Art Trails

My Living Room

 

It's a wonderful sight to see the morning light filtering into my living room at this time of year. I'm working now to put the final touches on, while getting ready for Sierra Art Trails. I open my home and studio for this exciting event that takes place in the mountain communities of the Sierra foothills close to the south and west entrances of Yosemite National Park. For more information check out http://www.sierraarttrails.org/ . Oh how I would love  to see any of my blog and facebook viewers out there come and visit me during this wonderful event!

 

Art Trails begins Friday for this artist (not all participating artists open on Friday) and goes through Sunday. It's a joyous event for me where I welcome back people from past years and get to meet new visitors coming from near and far. I've hung new works throughout my home and studio. Here is a closeup view of a few works hanging in my living room.

 

"Aspen Glow Lake Eleanor", 18 x 24

 

"Hula Valley", 12 x 24 (not shown in living room photo)

 

"Morning Celebration", 12 x 16 (not shown in living room photo)

 

I open my home as well as my studio to the public because I believe it's nice to see a painting in an actual home setting and to see how art work can enhance any room. By the way, I am artist #14 in the catalogue.

 

Stay tuned for more.