Where The Sky Meets Water

Where The Sky Meets Water

8x6, soft pastel

Feeling a little funky...so here's an abstract for today.  This painting reminds me of a trip down to the Padre Island area. The sunrises during that trip were amazing. This may be a week of sky and water...or maybe not.  We shall see.  

Fall Is Just Around The Corner

Fall Is Just Around The Corner

6x6, soft pastel

Today marks the halfway mark for the 30in30 challenge...so I practiced on this tree...trying to defy that little voice inside that says "...but you're not a landscape artist!".   In any event, this is my little study of a tree showing a little fall color. An exercise in a Liz Haywood Sullivan book...unfortunately, it wasn't very successful.

Walk With Me...The Best Is Yet To Come

Walk With Me The Best Is Yet To Come

6x8, soft pastel

We live in a beautiful neighborhood.  This path is across from our house and we enjoy it year round. Our dog Tubby especially likes to walk down the path and visit all the neighbors' dogs.  I love it most as the sun is setting (which was the case here).

Life's Short...Eat Dessert First!

Life's Short...Eat Dessert First!

6x8, soft pastel

I always pass by the bakery at our grocery store rather quickly...avoiding the tempting pies, cakes and artisan breads.  But recently,  for the sake of art, I stopped and purchased two mini-desserts in order to have suitable props for a couple still life paintings.  I think I broke some kind of an artist's rule though...I ate this mouth watering little lemon cake before my painting was finished.  Oh well.  My new motto is: Life's short...eat dessert first (even if the painting isn't finished).

Charlie was the Life of the Party

Charlie was the Life of the Party

6x8, soft pastel

Yesterday I bought three beautiful pears for another stab at a still life...but this morning one of them looked a little down and out.  Hmmm, must have been a party in the kitchen last night.  I decided to do another quick study anyway before it turned completely brown.  

An Apple A Day...

An Apple A Day

5x7, soft pastel

Some days it's best to keep things simple.

Breakfast With Grandma

Breakfast With Grandma

6x8, soft pastel

For years I've had a few pieces of the "china" my maternal grandmother used daily.  I remember it fondly because I often stayed with her during the summer months in the teeny tiny town of St. Patrick, Mo.  She didn't have running water...we pumped water from a well outside the back door.  This also meant that we used an out house...which is another story altogether (maybe another painting opportunity).  Her house was two rooms wide...with a small pantry and back porch.  Suffice it to say, her teeny tiny house fit nicely into the teeny tiny town (I'm not sure the population ever got above 75...and today it's perhaps 10 or so).  

In 2001, my mother gave me one of grandma's old delapidated kitchen chairs.  After shipping it from the Midwest to Idaho, I set about learning how to re-cane the seat and gave it a fresh coat of wood stain.  It's one of those treasures seldom used...but often admired.  

Both of these items came in handy today as I set about looking for a still life that had meaning for me.  The way the morning light streamed in from the kitchen window onto the old china gave it such a glow, almost as though it was brand new again.  With grandma's chair in the background,  I couldn't help but remember so many of those summer mornings as we sat down for breakfast.  For her, piping hot coffee...for me, fresh orange juice and always always fresh homemade bread slathered with butter and strawberry jam.  I so loved breakfast with grandma!