Welcome Winter

I never thought I'd be welcoming winter since I consider myself a palm tree gal,  but since I've moved to Montana I find I love the colors of this season.

 Plus, winter is fun here with both downhill and xcountry skiing close by.  Not to mention the sauna at my health club.  

So,  here is one of my first  tiny snow paintings.   I am still mesmerized by how blue the light is when the sun is almost gone.

Sun on Aspens,  6 x 6 oil on board,  

framed in sliver plein 'air frame

free shipping within the US of A.

Getting Ready for my show at the Holter Museum

Down to the wire I'm putting finishing touches on a couple of large oils.

Wish I could finish them sooner so the paint was drier when I delivered them.

 Here are the finished images:

                                           Willows at Simms,  oil,  62 x 54"

                                            Two Trees,  oil,  62 x 54"

And a smaller one

Last Light on the Missouri,  oil on canvas,  18 x 24"

Artist Appreciation Month

I received an email last week telling me that August was Artist Appreciation Month.  They asked if I might write a blog post honoring an artist who influenced me. Oh, how to choose, there are soooo many.   But I have to go back to the  very beginning and honor the master who inspired me to tolerate my first thousand (2 thousand?) bad paintings while I was learning.  He made me want to paint well so badly.  Winslow Homer.

Homer - Fishing Boats, Key West

 When I discovered his Key West watercolors I was living on St. John  in the Virgin Islands and these sights were all around me.

His paintings made me thirsty to learn watercolor.

Soon Start,  watercolor,  4 x 7"

This was one of my first.

Moonbeam at the Finish, pastel, 8 x 11

You can see how he influenced this one - one boat in shadow, the other catching the sun.

Homer - The Coral Divers, 1885

Without using gaudy color he caught the brilliant sun and light of the tropics.

Raising the Mast,  watercolor,  11 x 14

Seeing his vision of what I was looking at honed my own.

Sail Abeam,  oil on canvas, 30 x 30"

Beach Lineup,  pastel, 18 x 24"

Homer - Hauling Anchor, Key West

Even now,  nearly 40 years after discovering his tropical watercolors, I am still mesmerized.

          Thank you to Marietta Gregg at Patience Brewster for prompting me to honor this giant.

Plein Air Workshop for Montana Open Land Month

This painting workshop started at 6:30 am. 

But it was worth it 

The light was beautiful.

Emmalea was smiling.

Margaret sat in a meadow.

Mary Jo painted while fish jumped in the creek

Pam practiced painting distant mountains.

We all enjoyed a beautiful place that is now public land!

Willows at Simms

      Sometimes you know the wait will be worth it.  Several days ago I spent the day driving all over Montana.  A beautiful day with lots of clouds in the sky so the light was changing all the time as I drove through vast empty spaces.  I saw the scene below and the willow trees were shaded by clouds.  But I  liked the shapes on the hillside behind the trees so pulled off the road and waited while the sun and clouds danced around.  Then the sun suddenly illuminated the yellow green willows and the scene was transformed.  

Willows at Simms,  oil on gessoboard,  6 x 6",

 $150 ready to frame.

Spring Hay, Spring Blooms

Spring Hay, Spring Blooms,  oil on gessoboard, 6 x 6"

SOLD

Spring Hay, Draped

Spring Hay, Draped,  oil on gessoboard,  6 x 6", 
$150, Ready to frame,  free shipping