Tag: Musings

I love a craze…

Posted on by heather

This is Phyllis’s fault.
One photo shared on social media and now look…

back bales
Straw bales upon raised beds begun

And then there’s this…

potatoes
Future site of Potato Farm

And this…

home base
If you build it…

Here’s the manual…

bk

And the link to do your own research…click HERE.

This all seemed like a good idea in February. And Pat is now best buds with the farmer over the hill who has loaded up every one of the 40 plus bales we absolutely needed.I have had great fun experimenting with fertilizer and have replaced over 40 washers on the old rugged hose. And, despite our efforts, things are starting to grow…

straws

beets

peas

Most of us on the east coast are experiencing the slow to warm up  spring which has been a good thing for us old lady gardeners who have day jobs to which they should be attending. But I’ve already made use of the wisps of straw which collected in the back of the truck  in two paintings…so…the bales are props !

There is new life in these old bones and the extra weeks of cooler weather has allowed this gardener to pace herself. I had time to add a new bed dedicated to blueberry bushes…

blueberry

and build a better lid for the cold frame and an annex to the raspberry bed…

frame

and …weed !

As of yesterday, all the bales are conditioned…read the book…and I’m ready to install the drip irrigation system. The back beds, with the strawberries, were started a month or more ago. There is good growth there and the row cover system allowed me to save the tenders from all three frosty nights.

We got a good rain last night, though it wasn’t enough to wash the poo off of the eagle cam…ugh. And Saturday is the SHEEP AND WOOL FESTIVAL …YEAH !!!!!!!!

So that means today I will have to knuckle down at the easel and limit my outdoor putterings. Seriously. I have a LOT of painting to do.

So, this is Phyllis Disher Fredericks fault !

 

Bucket List

Posted on by heather

Bucket List

The recent powerful solar flare got me thinking about the aurora borealis and that got me thinking of this painting which is at the Sugarman Peterson Gallery in Santa Fe. They get some pretty fine skies out there at night…

but those northern most colors are still number one on my list…how about you ?

 

The Reveal…

Posted on by heather

The Presentation

As I write this, on the coldest night of this snowiest winter, this little creek is frozen solid.
It flows just a few feet from our log cabin front porch
and all that magnificent autumn color has settled onto the forest floor.
The rods and reels, vest and fly boxes, weathered wicker creel and landing net,
which my brushes spent hours studying and rendering, have all been packed up
along with the finished painting, and sent north to the gallery.
Now I wait.
For this painting was a commission.
The fisherman found his way to my work, and told me his story.

Then, with a hearty hug and a healthy dose of trust, he said goodbye to his gear
and we dodged the vineyard raindrops, loaded it all up and drove back here to the studio.
I love to do commissions because,
beyond the familiar draw that compels me to the subjects I choose to paint,
there is the lure of listening for someone else’s connection to an object or a place.
For this project, there was the added challenge,
even though I live a pebbles’ throw from this creek,
of not ever having been a fly fisherman.
But, after painting every tiny hair on all those flies I can honestly say…
I am thoroughly… hooked.

This fisherman has requested to see no image of the work
until he can stand in person before it.
I can only hope that I have captured a hint of the grace,
of the peaceful sport and of the gentle man.
For tonight, I write these notes, while I await …
the The Presentation.

 And yesterday, at the gallery…

randy

And this morning, the creek which modeled for the painting last fall was displaying another kind of beauty…

creek

A Wild Patience

Posted on by heather

With appropriate nod of copyright credit to Adrienne Rich,  I carved this quote on many a chair slat over the years. Today, as I begin my day in the studio office, it is a trusty touchstone.

a wild

The entire rest of the studio, who am I kidding, the ENTIRE studio is in chaos. Stacks and piles of creative detritus have displaced any semblance of order and calm. Remember that bucolic “winter of hibernation” that I so piously settled into…well all that intense creative energy leaves mountains of not so creative debris in its wake unless you clean up after yourself. Which…I…do…not.

Someday, very soon, there will be a reckoning. But here I come to find that it is already March. MARCH for goodness sake. The mantras of inward patience crash headlong into the outward pressures of deadlines for show dates and demands from galleries to provide new work…which is a stupendously wonderful place for an artist to be do not get me wrong…but hello…March !

This would be a good time to let you know that my summer show at the Granary Gallery has been moved up this year. I’ll be reminding you, and my own self, again, but for those who do make travel plans to join us for the openings I wanted you to have a heads up.

The date this year will be July 12th.

And that would account for the WILD part of the patience.
One less week of prep time does mean I have to move some serious paint around now and I have been putting in some very long days and nights at the easel.

I’ve got a new theme going this year, stay tuned, and, as the finished paintings begin to gather in the front corner of the studio, I have to laugh at those muses. While all around me is this insane mess and clutter…each of the panels, when I stop to look, has a quiet calm space and a slightly more muted palette which settles my eye and quiets my mind.

Make of it what you will…I’ll keep plowing ahead until the board of health comes tapping on my chamber door…wait…is that ? …

NO…it’s just Wolsey …ever and always my feathered muse.

woolsey

 

Whitewashed

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Whitewashed

Whitewashed – 24 x 16

New work now available at The Granary Gallery

They may have blizzards to battle, but the doors are open all year at this island gem of a gallery. Stop by for a visit, from the comfort of your cozy home computer corner.

 

Update…SOLD !

Final three…and a brand new painting !

Posted on by heather

Trinity

2012 – Trinity

Painter’s Notes – click here

Vive la France

The Smock

2013 – The Smock

Painter’s Notes – click here

Our little pip.

The Muse

2014 – The Muse

Can’t believe it’s been almost a year since this twinkle faded. He’s just over my shoulder now, with every brushstroke.

And one more…

Whitewashed

Whitewashed – 24 x 16.5

This dear little spring house is on the farm just at the top of the hill. I’ve been meaning to paint it for 25 years. Finally got around to it.

OK that’s it. NOW back to the easel for me. Stay safe all you east coasters…there’s a mighty storm brewing. Great painting weather !!!!!

 

Day the third

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Fiddlehead-Primavera

2006 – Fiddlehead Primavera

Painter’s Notes – click here

With snow in the forecast, on this deep winter day, a breath of spring is enchanting.

Mood-Swing

2007 – Mood Swing

Painter’s Notes – click here

It was fun to reread these painter’s notes and remember dear Gully, second in the long line of our sweet berners, and those days of the change.

Tea-With-the-Tools

2008 – Tea with the Tools

Painter’s Notes – click here

So it seems that studio still lifes are the order of the day. A fun group of fancy these three. Makes me want to clear that workbench off and grab a teacup.

This is along shot, because all of my artist friends are hard working folk, but today I nominate John Philip Hagen.
So now, Betsy, Ken and John…shine off those archives and let the world see your beauty.

Day 2

Posted on by heather

The-Whipper-In

From 2003 – The Whipper In
This one has only been seen once in a show at the Granary. I think it is providing insulation in our bedroom at the moment. It’s our log cabin living room and, if you’ve been there then you are in a very special group of friends and family. The painting upper left is a reproduction of one I did for the Follansbees of their front yard. Kinda fun to see that again. As of last night, that fireplace is still keeping us warm…

Painter’s Notes – click here

Transit

2004 – Transit

This one hangs in the studio and I get to look at that ocean every day and dream.

Painter’s Notes – click here

The-Flyer

2005 – The Flyer
Boy did I love painting that red. That mail bag was a victim of the major flooding we had a few years ago. Loyal friend Susan Douglas took it home and lovingly cleaned it and I just unearthed it yesterday for a new painting idea. Then I went up to the old studio, which is now my prop room, and found that jacket too. It wasn’t quite right for the new painting, but it was a solid yes for The Flyer.

Painter’s Notes – click here

OK – Ken Vincent…you’re tagged.