Spring on the River - a Wet in Wet Approach

Spring on the River - a Wet in Wet Approach, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

Though today is overcast, gray and foggy, the warm weather, blossoming trees, shrubs and flowers are propelling me, albeit reluctantly, toward spring. I have to admit that my body longs for the winter rest it never got, but spring just won't wait.

It's been a wet week and so I've played a bit with a wet into wet approach for this painting. It's done partly from imagination and partly from remembered walks along the Eno River. I've kept it soft and dreamy - as my memory of it ....

It's been a busy week preparing for new garden plots, meetings and greenhouse activities. Somehow the forward momentum of seasons and obligations does not slow .... and the march of the flowers is well underway.

I think I'll linger in the pansies a while longer .... and take a little more time to inhale ...

Bright Pansies

Bright Pansies, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

It's been a weekend of 'go-out-ing' - dinner on Friday where we met some friends for a really nice, chatty, dinner; a folk art show on Saturday where we also met some friends for lunch, long drives in the country and temperatures that had us in sweaters. Flowers abounded - daffodils, Lenten Roses, and pansies everywhere! Wonderful pansy colors to delight the eye --- dark purples, blues, yellows, oranges, creams and red/burgundy ... inspring these bright flowers.

Sunday was a day of rain ... a good day to relax. Rain turned to sleet and then to the hush of snow as I continued my flower paintings ...I took some photos - barely a dusting at picture-taking time - with a bit more snow to fall during the night. I was so excited to see snow falling -- the first for this winter --and while it can't compare to the rest of the world's record snowfalls ... for this snow-starved wee one, I was thrilled! LOL This morning, we had to scrape the 2" from our steps, the lawn is covered -- but darn, the roads are clear and it's off to another week of work. Sigh.

Despite the BRIEF dip into snow and winter, temperatures this week return to spring - with the end of the week to reach 70F ... so we'll be seeing more of the spring flower-parade ....and probably more and more flower paintings as these beauties rarely fail to inspire me.

But in my dreams, I still hope for one REAL snowfall ... before all the meadows are covered in color ... just one REAL snowfall .....

Have a great week!

SNOW!! FINALLY!!!!

SNOW!! FINALLY!!!!, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

I know it isn't much, but it's the first snow this season .... and it's still coming down.

We may get 3" ... but it's been so warm -- yesterday was 67F!!!!! and we were in sweaters!!! --- that it probably won't amount to much!

But for someone who has been painting snow (would you believe I'm working on FLOWERS!!!! LOL) -- I'm doing the happy snow dance!!!

YIPPEE!!!!

It really has made such a luscious hush over everything ... just marvelous!!!!!

FINALLY - A WEE BIT OF SNOW!

FINALLY - A WEE BIT OF SNOW!, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

YIPPEE!! SNOW

YIPPEE!! SNOW, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

Beth's Pink Flower

Beth's Pink Flower, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

A few days ago, my friend Beth (www.flickr.com/photos/bethnery/6852122653/in/photostream) posted a beautiful photograph of impatiens and suggested I paint them. I loved the flowers and so painted this version of them. I tried to keep the main 'star' of the photograph while adding a few more blossoms for balance. Thanks for the invitaton, Beth!!

We had a marvelous rain yesterday - much needed for our already drought conditions. I've wished for snow this winter - not simply for its beauty - but we are in much need of our annual winter preciptation. Yesterday's gray and wet day helped, and we've another coming this weekend - thank goodness.

We've begun cleaning out our vegetable beds and planting our root crops at the arboretum. My own wildflower garden has been 'strewn' with seeds and so the fluctuations in temperatures - today's high in the 60s, Sunday's high in the 40s, will help with germination, especially for those plants that require cold to break seed dormancy.

Some chores await me today and of course, my typical errands ... but I hope to spend a good amount of time at my art table -- it's been missed these last weeks!

Have a great day!

The Warmth of Snow - THANK YOU - Denis Colette

The Warmth of Snow - THANK YOU - Denis Colette, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

It was overcast yesterday with a hint of rain and with a chill in the air, perhaps a snowflake or two in the forecast. Alas, our air is so dry and we are in such need of preciptation, that even with the right clouds and cold--nothing. Nothing but gray! As I walked around the campus, I noted the full bloom of maples and a few hickories, the crocus, daffodils and hyacinth. Still --

I am not ready to let go of my hope for at least ONE snow this winter. And we have had snows as late as March and April. But nothing here yet.

So, I turn again to my flickr friends who continue to inspire me with THEIR snows - and one place I go to for inspiration (especially winter snow scenes) are photos by Denis Colette. Denis takes the most AMAZING views of his river and woodlands, and must feel about the natural world as I do - for his photography is like visual poetry. One image of his (www.flickr.com/photos/deniscollette/4444291198/in/set-721...) inspired this 'warmer' treatment of snow, and I thank Denis not only for permitting me to use his photograph, but more - for the constant inspiration that his artwork brings. His creative images send me to dreaming ... and the place where ideas incubate to become real. THANk YOU SO very much, Denis!

It promises to be another warm and sunshiney day - beautiful really - but we've begun the year in great need of rain with temperatures that haven't killed off enough insects, and I suspect this year will be one of terrific challenges for gardeners.

On guard!

Hibiscus - Thank You Foto Bloke!

Hibiscus - Thank You Foto Bloke!, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

With Valentine's Day tomorrow and the brief spot of winter winds we had this weekend, flowers and hearts, love and spring are returning to the forefront.

This hibiscus painting was inspired by a photo posted by Foto Bloke (www.flickr.com/photos/pax12/6807599341) -- please see his incredible works!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH, Tom!!!!

Tom's image was of a double hibiscus that was so beautiful in the sunshine, so filled with the warmth of its season, that painting it between company and car-buying this weekend kept me toasty warm and dreaming of the season ahead. My thanks once more, Tom!

We've another busy week at the Arboretum. Tonight will be a late night class as our 'full-house' of folks learn about container and square foot vegetable gardening. They'll plant some seeds in the greenhouse to take home with them for their own gardens. It's a mighty popular class each season we teach it.

The calendar is moving forward despite the lack of a snow this winter and the rain and cold we typically have. Already the bulbs are up, many more in bloom, and even the trees, bare these last months, have broken bud. On a sunny day one can notice the changes in the woodlands - froma winter-dull gray to a mild haze of magenta as tree buds swell and begin another season in the sun.

Spring's coming ....

Let us plant!

My New Car 2

My New Car 2, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

Spent the weekend trading cars ....

After 23 years driving Toyotas, I am STILL loving those reliable, sleek, incredibe cars.

So, my 2012 Camry Hybrid in a 'clear water blue' - with all the latest gizmos include moon roof, Entune navigation system that will allow my text messages to be READ to me while driving, bluetooth capabiity .. and yes, payments for the next five years ....

My new car 1

My new car 1, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

I can even reach the petals!!! LOL A real concern when you're as 'tall' as me! LOL

Winter Wonderland - In my Dreams

Winter Wonderland - In my Dreams, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

1/8 Sheet
Arches 140#CP

Though we FINALLY have a few 'snow flakes' in the weather predictions for this weekend and Tuesday, and a three-day cold front that will plunge our 60F temps to the low 20sF, this touch of winter will be over before we even know it came through.

Still, with hopes of seeing the white stuff before ALL the daffodils have bloomed (they're already up and dancing), I viewed Susie Short's (http://www.susieshort.com/) webpage and dreamed along with some of her snow scenes ... this small painting was inspired by them.

It'll be a mildly busy weekend with cheesecakes to bake for Charles' jam on Friday, errands to run, chores to do, and catching up with some organizing and housework ....hope to get a bit of time to paint. The workdays are so busy lately that I am longing for the relaxation and reneweal I find in the act of splashing paint and pigment across a page ....

Have a great weekend!

Oxford Barn in the Grasses

Oxford Barn in the Grasses, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

10" x 13"
Arches 140#CP

There are favorite rural sites that I thorough enjoy returning to time and time again - even though I am living among them. This barn is one of them.

It sits on a number of acres bordered by the road we drive when going to our favorite park to walk, and I love seeing how different it looks in each season. It's been long abandoned, but every once in a while, the tall grasses get mowed and the fields around it are planted - so apparently the property is still owned and somewhat maintained.

What I love most about these old structures is the history contained within their weathered wood, the architecture, and most of all, the fields upon which they stand. These are the remnants of stories and life and seasons and plants that provided a livelihood, a way of life, relationships, a family. If the wood could talk, we'd know of the hardships and joys, the failures and successes, the rain and the wind and the sun over time. We catch a glimpse of what was, while viewing what remains. They remind me of our fragility and impermanence, and most of all, time passing.

"Make hay while the sun shines" isn't just for farmers. It's for all of us as we too wear the seasons on our bodies and our faces ......

White Flowers - Thank You Teresa Loba!

White Flowers - Thank You Teresa Loba!, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

February -- what an odd month, especially this year. From 'Sundial of the Seasons' by Hal Borland:

"February can't be taken seriously too long at a time. It starts with Groundhog Day, which is neither omen nor portent, but only superstition, and it ends, often as not, in a flurry of snow. It is sleet and snow and ice and cold, and now and then it is waxing sunshine and tantalizing thaw and promise. February is soup and mittens, and it is a shirt-sleeve day that demands an overcoat before sundown....February is sunrise at 6:30 for the first time since November.

"February is a gardener pruning his grapevines today and shoveling a two-foot drift off the front walk tomorrow morning. It is a farmer wondering this week if his hay will last the Winter, and next week, wondering if he should start plowing....February is the tag end of Winter--we hope. But in our heart of hearts we know it is isn't Spring, not by several weeks and at least a dozen degrees.

"There's no evidence to support it in the dictionaries, but some say that February's name comes from an ancient and forgotten word meaning "a time that tries the patience."

How apt can one description be???? LOL

We've a chill in the air today after another bout of incredibly warm weather. Our volunteers cleaned the vegetables beds in shirtsleeves last week, and I left the house yesterday in an overcoat, gloves and frost on the flowering bulbs. Yep - it doth try thine patience!!

This painting was inspired by my dear friend Teresa and a photo of white azaleas. Please see her wonderful images (www.flickr.com/photos/teresalaloba/6697141907/in/photostream). Thank you so much, Teresa for permission to use your photo and the inspiration!

This painting is a loose interpretation of her photo, for I was trying to capture that in between-ness of the seasons - the winter leaving, the spring not quite arriving - but flowers still blooming ... Again, thank you so very much, my friend!

Take a look at the landscape if you get a chance. Already the maples have broken their buds and there is a mild haze of magenta mixed in with the gray tree branches and olive tones of the evergreens - at least here in piedmont North Carolina. Each day finds more flowers blooming unseasonably early. I spotted some flowering quince yesterday along with the crocus, forsythia, hyacinths. Not a full flurry of emergence -but certainly the tease of a few plants that let us know spring is heading our way.

Hope your weekend is wonderful!

The Last of Winter?

The Last of Winter?, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

Today is Groundhog Day -- the day folklore and festivals bring out the slumbering ground hog to determine if he sees his shadow and predicts if winter will last another six weeks.

For us in the piedmont of North Carolina, it's hard to think of winter lasting - when it hasn't even arrived! Yesterday reached 70F and we're due for another warm day. And though we will have cooler weather this weekend (in the 30s and 40sF), already crocus are in bloom and daffodils are about to pop.

So, in honor of Mr. Groundhog, no matter his prediction, I have posted my painting based on my friend Dori's wonderful snowfall (www.flickr.com/photos/djr-aquarelle/6559071041/in/photost...). Please stop by to see her wonderful, wonderful watercolors!!! Thank YOU Doris for sharing your snow with me!!

This morning, we begin another year of Plant a Row for the Hungry. We've some new volunteers coming in, and it's time to plant our seeds in the greenhouse as we ready for spring. We're in for a bit of rain, so this indoor activity will be fitting.

Hope your day is wonderful -- and we'll see if Mr. Groundhog's prediction is correct!

www.flickr.com/photos/djr-aquarelle/6559071041/in/photost...

Blue Flowers - THANK YOU AMG!

Blue Flowers - THANK YOU AMG!, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

When I arrived at the Arboretum this week, I was astonished to find so much in bloom already! Our viburnums have begun to bloom, the forsythia, a few roses struggling to burst their buds ... sigh. The warm weather and change in climate have been confirmed with the 2012 edition of the USDA Plant Hardiness map (http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/) Here in Smithfield, North Carolina we used to be zone 7b -- and now we are listed as zone 8a! So what does that mean? We'll be able to grow more cold-sensitive plants - plants that delight in warmer temperatures, and perhaps a few more tropicals. On the downside, it also means that some cool-weather plants just won't have much of a season to grow well.

As an avid gardener, what concerns me more is the challenge our plants face as they'll need to tolerate higher temperatures over a longer period of time. The American Horticultural Society has issued a "Heat Zone Map" (http://www.ahs.org/publications/heat_zone_map.htm), but unfortunately, there are many more plants that need to be added to that map than are currently included. Add to these changes the cold we didn't have in order to kill some of the insect pests that overwinter in our gardens, and we all know what that will mean come June and July. It's going to be an interesting year for gardening.

Which brings me to painting blue flowers. I fell in love with AMG's image, and she kindly allowed me to use it as inspiration for this painting. THANK YOU AMG!!!! Please see her marvelous photostream!
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/60166527@N07/6694380605/in/photostream).

Blue is unusual in the natural world and perhaps that is why I am so drawn to it. I warmed my interpretation of AMG's photo with some violet - and I really enjoyed the chance to focus a bit on the coming spring season. Thank you once more, AMG!

This week we spend some time in the greenhouse as we begin planting our seeds for our plant sale in April and the Plant a Row for the Hungry raised beds and gardens. It'll feel good to get my hands in soil once again and begin that miraculous process of the life cycle. We've been covered with seed catalogues that truly tempt us into dreams of color, scent and view, and now it's time to add a bit of labor to make those dreams a reality.

Oh yes, I'm still wishing for snow .... but if I can't have snow, let me have flowers!

Winter Tree

Winter Tree, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140CP

The imagination is a wonderful thing. We walked around the park yesterday with light sweaters and jackets, and there were folks in tee shirts and shorts! Temperatures were in the low 60sF, the sun was bright and cheery, and yet, the calendar read "JANUARY!" Sigh.

I look forward to winter ... and while I do appreciate the mild temperatures, somehow, the season of rest and renewal that winter promises just doesn't reach the depth I need when the sun and warmth continue to beckon me outdoors to play and work. For that seasonal renewal we all need, I need a bit of cold and hibernation. And that just hasn't happened with such a warm winter.

So I've created my own little snowstorm, decked my beloved trees in a bit of frosting, and splattered my world with the snow I crave.

I'll turn the air conditioning down a bit lower, don my warm blanket and stir the fire. Care to join me with a cup of tea and scones?

Pink Poppies - To Dream of Spring

Pink Poppies - To Dream of Spring, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

When I got home last night, the evening was so warm that it felt like spring was really stirring. The fellow who mows our property had just spread some rich looking compost in the front garden bed, and so in the bit of time I had before sundown, I collected my seed packages of poppies - pink, yellow, red, purple, orange. In our region, these seeds are to be scattered in January so that the winter's cold and rain will help them germinate.

I scattered all the seeds I had in the front garden - so that the blooms can be enjoyed from approaching the house as well as the porch. This garden receives a lot of light - and the most attention. I used all the seeds I had, and some very special seeds from one of my dear friends.

And this morning the rains that were predicted -- came -- and has been falling in a fierce downpour that woke me, and will be with us all day. BUT! they'll also be one essential ingredient that the seeds will need to begin their lives.

The second thing will be cold. And to be honest, this season hasn't seen much of that. Still, we are expecting a day or two this weekend with temperatures in the 30sF - and I'm hoping that this will be enough of a freeze to break the seeds' dormancy.

So today, as the rain drums the windows and the skies remain gray, I can think of poppies ...and imagine a garden filled with their joyous blooms.

Hope your day is bright!

Another Snow - Thank YOU - Fran!

Another Snow - Thank YOU - Fran!, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

It's been such an unusually warm winter. Already the temperatures are in the 40sF and dawn hasn't even broken. We're expecting to reach the high 60sF by this afternoon. The flower buds are swelling on most plants, and some have even been fooled into blooming. I watch the Prunus mume (flowering apricot) trees by one of our campus lakes as they dress our gray days in vivid pink blossoms, and I hope that if the weather is to be as mild as it's been, that perhaps THIS year, the fruits will survive any remaining winter winds, and I'll be able to make apricot preserves once more. It's been well over four years since any of their fruits have survived a winter.

Still, I know those folks in the north are tired of it, but I still would love a good snowfall. Somehow it just doesn't seem like winter without at least one dusting of white. Barring that, I am ever grateful for those folks who do have snow, like my friend Fran in Canada, generously share their white worlds with us. If I can't experience the softening silence of the white stuff, thank heavens I can vicariously share a bit of it through photos and paintings. Thank YOU again, Fran, for the inspiration and for allowing me to have a bit of snow this year through your photos and my painting of your marvelous world. Please see Fran's incredible flickr stream!! (www.flickr.com/photos/fahansen/6703711969/in/faves-linfrye/).

May your day be warm and wonderful -- sun, snow or rain!

Olives

Olives, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

1/8 Sheet
Arches 140#CP

Though I have been to Italy several times, I've never been there during the olive season. I have seen these incredible trees, old, gnarly and with the most challenging-to-paint leaf color - like a pale blue green. They're typically not too tall - maybe 10-15 feet - at least in the groves I've been to - and in the spring, their tiny white flowers are ever so fragrant. I've walked through the dappled sunlight under them, stumbled over their crawling roots - but have yet to see with my own eyes the turning of those wee flowers into the fruits that we love and the oil that we depend upon for our healthy cooking.

So each year, I return to painting olives ... symbol of peace, reminder of a country that has claimed my heart.

The weather has turned cold again, at least for today, with a warm up promised for the rest of the week. It'll be a week of planning for us with back to back workshops from February through May ...no restive winter for us. We'll be gearing up for gardening season!

BTW, we had a ball with the grands! I've never turned a pot on a wheel, before, but I could tell that my granddaughter is a natural. Her long fingers just gently molded that bit of play clay as easily as if she had been doing all her eight years of life. It'll be thoroughly dry when she returns and we can paint it. I'm so proud of her! And then both she and her brother and I made cupcakes, and finished the day with a tea party! Fun!

Hope your week is enjoyable too!

The Lake

The Lake, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

1/8 Sheet
Arches 140#CP

Dawn breaks in a misty, dreamy light. Though there's a chill in the air that reminds us it is still winter, there's a subtle warmth too, promising that today at least, will be a bit warmer.
The light comes slowly to the land, and the day begins.

This is how our winter has been here in the piedmont of North Carolina. A few mornings of misty cool followed by warm days. Every once in a while, probably not more times than ten, have we had extreme cold. Clouds would gather and look like the promise of a snowfall, but instead, we have another day of gray, drippy rain.

While this kind of weather has helped everyone's heating bills and has been a delight in terms of outdoor activities, gardeners and nature observers watch with concern as flowers, shrubs and trees are fooled into an early bloom, and then promptly get 'nipped in the bud' by those infrequent days of real winter cold. At the Arboretum, we remove browned flower petals and pile more mulch around those early plants to try to keep them warm through the cold days. But there is only so much we can do against this type of weather roller coaster.

Today will be one of the warm, rainy ones, and we'll be spending time with the grands this afternoon. With all the busyness of the holidays and then mom's illness, they haven't even had time to play with the Christmas gifts they received from us ... so today, we play with clay, bake cookies, build a few things, and maybe get to paint a bit.

Hope your day is wonderful!

Marsh View of River - THANK YOU, Sally!

Marsh View of River - THANK YOU, Sally!, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

I spent some of my most formative years on the coast of South Carolina where the salt marshes played a most important part of my life. I learned to love these incredible waterlands teeming with all sorts of life - from fish to birds to flora. I love the subtle seasonal changes of the spartina grasses ... and when Sally posted this dramatic image of the river from the marsh side, I was deeply moved - and had to pick up my brush to capture it in watercolor. Thank YOU so much, Sally, for allowing me to paint from your photo and for the inspiration and memory-evoking !! Please see Sally's webstream for more inspiration and wonderful work! www.flickr.com/photos/salbug00/6672808157/in/photostream.

I've been far from the Atlantic Ocean this week. My cooking workshop went exceptionally well, and I think I have convinced a few more gardeners to add additional herbs to their plant lists. I've also spent this week learning about new plants coming to the industry that will dazzle and please the homeowner and gardener. I have to admit that I am a 'utilitarian' gardener -- so my plant excitement, while aesthetic, focuses on those plants that can serve more than one purpose - such as attractive plants that are edible, plants that bring butterflies or birds, plants that can be used for medicine or crafts -- and the like. Yesterday was spent in classroom lectures; today, we get to see, feel, smell the plants we were introduced to on the screen. Should be exciting!

And though I will be very involved with the plants and displays before me (along with the hundreds of other conference attendees), my heart will return, again and again, to that rich waterway and marsh .... a place for me, of solace, peace, and quiet.

Hope you have a great day ... and once again, THANK YOU, Sally, for returning me to the marshland!

Mattinale - Inspired by Maurizio!! THANK YOU!

Mattinale - Inspired by Maurizio!! THANK YOU!, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

There is something about the sunset and the color orange that seems to most inspire me most these days. According to some authorities, orange is vibrant. It's a combination of red and yellow so it shares some common aspects of those colors. It denotes energy, warmth, and the sun, and can bring to mind thoughts of vitamin C and good health. In the western world, orange is often viewed as a symbol of warmth and nature, and in religion, joy and a catalyst of God's blessings. It is also viewed as being associated with creativity. Perhaps for all of those at least to me, unconscious meanings, I have been most drawn to all things orange these last few weeks.

This painting, inspired by Maurizio51 (www.flickr.com/photos/53359531n04/6158717850/in/faves-lin...) was thus a huge inspiration for me. His work is filled with such beauty and hope - that each image makes me gasp in appreciation. I am honored by his permission to be allowed to paint and post my painting created from one of his works. Thank you ever so much, Maurizio! Blessings! Please stop by his flickr stream for some incredible, awe-inspiring viewing!

I spent yesterday in the kitchen preparing for my herb cooking class this Tuesday. What treats! Appetizers, salads, pasta and a main dish and desserts - mint chiffon cake, lavender-lemon cookies and a most unusual chocolate candy to end the evening. I hope my participants will be pleased.

Charles has his jam today so our home will be filled with music. My mom, thank heavens, and you for your prayers, is doing so much better. According to my sisters, she's returned to her pre-infection state of mind (best of all news!) and is slowing beginning to gain her ability to stand on her own.

I hope your Sunday is filled with the orange glow of health, warmth and joy!

Landscape - Season's Light

Landscape - Season's Light, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

When I was in New York with my mom and sisters, I spent most of my days in the hospital with mom. When she slept, I'd sit in the break room that happened to be across from her bed, so I could keep an eye on her room while not disturbing her with any of my own activity. I found a work of art on the wall across from the seat I typically occupied ...and as time permitted, used it to inspire this work. I could never make out the artist's name, but what appealed to me about it was the seasonal light. It spoke to me of hope, warm weather, and yet the turning of the seasons.

And so, bit by bit, I painted, and with the act of painting, wove the hopes and prayers for my mom, and hope for another season of her life. She's improving daily, and I know that each time I view this image, it'll bring me right back to that room, right back to the memories of this particular season.

It's funny how the act of capturing a certain time, scene, or feeling in words or images can have such emotional attachments. I suppose that is what 'art' is all about ...and I'm grateful for it.

Dreaming of Snow -- Again

Dreaming of Snow -- Again, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

1/8 Sheet
Arches 140#CP

No -- no snow here -- instead another grey, rainy day. We're expecting over an inch of rain -- and all the while, I'm wishing it were snow. I heard on the news that Alaska has received 18 FEET of snow -- wow! That's a bit more snow than I'd want too - but a dusting of white, the welcome hush that comes with it, and the clean, clear air -- yes --- ! That's what I'm dreaming of!

It's been a catch-up kind of week with preparations for next year's events, budgets, and workshops. We have a late night tonight but an exciting program on landscaping with herbs. We've a full house, so by the time everyone leaves this evening, it'll be after 9 pm.

I've been preparing for my own workshop next week- Cooking with Herbs. I've found some unusual recipes to share so I'll be cooking this weekend to prepare for Tuesday's presentation.

Mom continues to improve and seems to be doing well. She still has a long road to recover her freedom of motion but from the sound of her voice, she is growing in strength. And today, she celebrates her 89th birthday! Happy Birthday Mom! Again, thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Stay dry today -- that rain is going to be a 'big event' all along the East Coast.

The Fogotten Season - Pods - THANK YOU Ronah Lee

The Fogotten Season - Pods - THANK YOU Ronah Lee, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

As I walk the fields and streams, the beauty I find in winter, the fogotten season, reminds me that even the pods and seedheads that remain after fall's glory contain their own splendor.

This painting was inspired by a fabulous image by my dear friend, Ronah (www.flickr.com/photos/kookie895/6654941143/in/faves-linfrye/). Please drop by her site to admire the most wonderful images!!! Thank you again, Ronah!

Though my walks through the fields have been curtailed of late, I have an earthware pot filled with forgotten winter beauties. Dried grasses, pods, capsules, seedheads fill that floor-standing vase and it brings all the colors of winter to the corner of my home where it lives.

To some eyes, the winter terrain is dull and colorless, especially following fall's more brilliant, vivid hues. But if one looks closely, the colors, quieter, a bit more serene, are just as magnificent: chocolate, ecru, coffee, russet, tan, olive, auburn, ginger. Naming the colors is almost as enticing as finding all the variations of earthtones!

There's a book I read ages ago entited "The Forgotten Season" that identifies the pods and seedheads that we tend to overlook. That wonderful volume reminds me that each season has its magnificence - all we need are eyes to see and a heart to appreciate.

Mom continues to improve and once more I thank you most gratefully for all your prayers.

Nick on his Seventh Birthday

On Golden Pond - Thank you, Fran!

On Golden Pond - Thank you, Fran!, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature.
It is Earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures
the depth of his own nature.
from the chapter "The Ponds" in Walden

The true peace of God begins at any spot a thousand miles from the nearest land. ~Joseph Conrad

Water, the essence of life and an essential part of the life force, seems to be beckon me these days. I'm drawn to the water as a thirsty woman, seeking the solace and tranquility it provides. This painting, inspired by my dear friend, Fran and her awesome images of her homeland, drew my attention and admiration. Painting it, brought a huge measure of solace.

Thank you so much, Fran! Please stop by and visit Fran's flickrstream for more of Nature's finest beauty (www.flickr.com/photos/fahansen/6474424161/in/photostream/).

Mom's days are up and down - filling us with sad worry one moment, and huge joy and hope the next. I've never been fond of roller coasters, and so this emotional one is pretty taxing. She seems to be making a bit of progress in rehab, has a fine room-mate and she is enjoying the sunny and warm room she's in. The nurses have been incredibly kind and helpful, and she's finally been able to use the wheelchair successfully without, like when one first learns to paddle a boat, going in circles! LOL I'm praying her progress continues and her bouts of confusion lessen.

Today we celebrate my grandson's seventh birthday. Wherever did the time go? I can still remember my son walking out of the delivery room to tell us the news of Nick's birth - the absolute JOY in his face, the tears of elation! This young man, so much like his father, is the only male in a family of female grandchildren - so needless to say, he is teased, but spoiled magnificently! He's a 'male's male' following his father and Pawpaw Charlie around like a mimic - with a sweetness that is abiding. He, like his father, loves the water, and boating and fishing, but today, he'll rollerskate with friends and family as he glides into another year.

In our part of North Carolina, ponds are fairly common. Most farms have at least one pond for livestock especially, for fishing, for storm water control. I like to think that at least some of these ponds, are there too for the inspiration and tranquility they bring. For when the sun sets and turns that water to gold, can anyone not be moved?

Iceland Poppies

Iceland Poppies, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

Home. There are few other words in the language of humans that conjure up so many emotions and thoughts, images and memories. I feel as though I haven't seen my own for months .... and to finally sleep in my own bed, drink my own coffee, make order how of the remains of my hasty departure, are truly balms to the soul.

I chose flowers today, Iceland Poppies painted in between times of mom's wakefulness and sleeping; the quiet colors, simplicity and stark white of the paper to remind me of mom - her gentleness, simple ways, love of flowers.

She's finally well enough to be in rehab and moved there yesterday. She's still somewhat confused, and thinking she's in her former dwelling in Florida - but she's being looked after well and the stimulation of moving around more, exercising her new hip, eating with other people, should (?) we hope, give her a bit more liveliness and normalcy.

I too hope to return to a more normal schedule, but since her illness is long term, we'll all be preparing to repeat the last few weeks experiences.

What all this keeps telling me is how very precious each and every moment of our lives, the way we choose to spend each moment and with whom. I find myself even more grateful for those friends and loved ones who take the time to chat a moment, give a smile or a hug, have a cup of coffee, share their own lives. I have always found solace in the natural world and this continues even more.

The situation brings up the question, once more, of priorities, and how our lives are lived, and what is truly important. I've always been one to share such thoughts and ideas, and hope to do so here in words and images, as I too work through my own evaluations. I suppose we do this each New Year - resolutions of a kind. But I hope this 'evaluation' is far larger than dieting (again), keep off the cookies, and exercising daily!! LOL

Meanwhile, it'll be rest, a walk through the woodlands (isn't it unusually warm again???), and God willing, a bit of painting.

I'm thinking of starting a journal again - I used to keep one but I find it challenging to add one more thing to my day - so we'll see where my contemplations lead me.

Thank you once more for all your prayers and kindnesses. They have sustained me and my family more than you can know.

Biggest hugs ... and a heart of gratitude!

Rosy Sun-Up - THANk YOU!!!!!

Rosy Sun-Up - THANk YOU!!!!!, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

Rosy Sun-Up - THANk YOU!!!!!

9" x 12" Arches 140#CP

My Thanks to BeataCz for inspiring this work!!! Thank you, Beata ---!! Please see her incredible photography (www.flickr.com/photos/57909733@N02/6522120939/in/faves-li... )!

I painted this before Christmas and long before Mom's illness, but it is fitting to post this positive and glowing work today! Mom has finally 'woken up', regained her consciousness and cogency, is eating, even walking a bit since her hip replacement, recognizing us, and returning to herself!

Thank you is a paltry few words to express the heartfelt gratitude of my entire family for your thoughts, prayers, good wishes, support and kindness during this most difficult time. I think now, especially, this painting speaks louder than any words I might find. Though the road to full recovery is long, we believe we've turned a corner - and can finally smile a bit more optimistically than we have in the last month. And we owe YOU our gratitude to helping bring that hope and glow to life.

My mother's favorite flower has always been the rose, and the symbolism of this painting - the sun rise, the colors, the woodlands (such a source of comfort for me) - couldn't speak more loudly of the joy and gratitude we are feeling.

Thank you again, Beata - for inspiring this -

Snowy Lake - HAPPY 2012!

Snowy Lake - HAPPY 2012!, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

2012!
A new year
A new start
A new hope for all the best and brightest in this
New year!

May 2012 bring everyone joy, creativity, prosperity and good health!
May we all enjoy the little, everyday things that make a life,
May we spend more of our precious time with those we love ...

Here's to 2012 ... May it be wondrous!

Wintry Landscape

Wintry Landscape, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

I painted this wintry landscape before I left to be with my mom. I was playing with some of my friend Doris' techniques (www.flickr.com/photos/djr-aquarelle/) and this was the result. It wasn't what I had hoped to post at the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012, but it sort of fits with the experiences I've had this week with my mom's illness.

She's suffering from Parkinson's disease, had a bad fall, a hip replacement, infection. Her condition seemed to be improving, but the roller coaster ride we've been on this week continues, and the optimism we felt yesterday, has been dashed today.

If I can use this painting as an anology, my sisters and I stand in the foreground, aware of the snow and the trees and the winter, and mom, sadly, stands in the magical light away from us - much like the etheral forest of this painting. At times, she joins us, othertimes, she's across a chasm ...

It's mighty sad, depressing, frightening, for us ... and more ... for her. We all deeply appreciate your prayers thoughts, encouragement. We'll all need the strength to endure this until the end, whenever that comes.

We know that we are not alone in this kind of challenge as we watch our beloved parents age and decline, and we lose them bit by bit ... physically and mentally.

Thank you for your patience as my family and I work our way through this...

I'll come home in a few days time to pick up the threads of my own life and my sisters try to fit this new challenge into their daily routines. I imagine I'll be making more frequent visits to see my sisters and mom and lend what support, encouragement and relief I can.

It's going to be quite a different new year than we had hoped for ...

But we're strong, we've got some wonderful support, and like many others, we'll come through this ... and we thank you for being with us through the long, journey ahead.

May 2012 be bright and surprise us all with miracles!

Illness in Family - Back Soon - Foggy Night - Morning Moon

Illness in Family - Back Soon - Foggy Night - Morning Moon, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches140#CP

My thanks to TT_Mac (www.flickr.com/photos/j_mac_tt/6514098065/in/photostream) for inspiring this painting!!!! THANK YOU TT! Please stop by to see some incredible photographs from TT!

It's been a roller coaster of a holiday for us. We've had some incredibly joyful times with our grands and visits with family.

But my mom has been ill. Just before Christmas she had a fall, fracturing her hip and requiring a partial hip replacement. She was doing quite well in rehab, but then fell ill with an infection. Just before Christmas Day, her infection worsened and she was rushed to the hospital. For a few days, we weren't quite sure if she would recover.

As of last night, she seems to be making a bit of progress - though it's slow going. I'm heading out of town to visit her for several days and will be MIA.

Thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers on my mom's behalf. At 88 years old, these set backs take a long time to work through.

Hope your holidays were joyous ...

Stay well!

Winter Roses - MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Winter Roses - MERRY CHRISTMAS!, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140# CP

MAY THIS SPECIAL DAY AND SEASON BRING EACH OF YOU THE MOST PEACE, JOY AND LOVE YOUR HEARTS CAN HOLD!

May you be filled with peace and blessings!!!

We are sharing this day with our grandchildren - and thus have returned to the wonder of children and the delight of the holiday.

We pray for those who are ill, sad, depressed, lonely....that the holiday season may fill them as well with hope and with love.

MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

Quarter Sheet
Arches 140#CP

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...
Just like the ones I used to know ....
Where treetops glisten
And children listen
To hear
Sleighbells in the snow......."

Yes, my dream as well for that soft blanket of white that hushes the world and carpets it with a momentary innocence and a feeling of hope....

That white that casts an incredible shimmer of light when darkness falls

That white that seems to amplify the magic of the season.

Denis Collette recently posted a photograph that inspired this painting (www.flickr.com/photos/deniscollette/6534622675/in/photost...) and it fed the dream of white Cristmases that I hold dear. Thank YOU, Denis, not only for permission to use your photo, but more for the inspiration that continues to feed this holiday season and the white Christmases I love. Blessings, my friend!

I wish each of you a most joyous, memorable, peace-filled holiday season. And may you be surrounded by love, family and friends, and all good things....

Buon Natale..........May the peace and joy of the season fill your homes and your hearts!

Gold Ornament - "Celebration" - Thank you, Ronah! Merry Christmas!

Gold Ornament - "Celebration" - Thank you, Ronah! Merry Christmas!, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

1/8 Sheet
Arches 140#CP

This painting was inspired by a glorious photo taken by my dear friend, Ronah (www.flickr.com/photos/kookie895/6499102511/in/photostream). THANK YOU SO MUCH for the inspiration!!! Please stop by Ronah's flickr stream for some amazing and glorious works!

Today is the first day of winter .... the solstice has passed, and now, ever slowly by bits and bits of time, with each circle of the earth our days will begin to lengthen. I know, I know, it's hard to believe, when in the northern hemisphere, the cold, damp, freezing temperatures have really set in, and the deep dark of night seems longer than ever. A trick of perception perhaps ...the cold making those jet black nights seem longer than they are. For most of us, we'll rise in the dark, travel to work in the dark or just at daybreak, and end our workdays -- in the dark once again.

Another reason, I think, for the wonderful emphasis on "light" during this special season. The twinklings on the tree, starlight, candles in the windows, flames of fireplaces, Advent wreath candles, the shininess of gold and silver -- all offer that mystery and magic of light than can illuminate even the densest, deepest dark...

Let your light shine this holiday season! Let's make merry!

Rainy Winter Day

Rainy Winter Day, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

1/4 Sheet
Arches 140#CP

In the denser air of grey, brooding clouds
I smell the coming rain.
Muted autumn colors are saturated, yet
Dulled without sunlight’s bright touch.
There’s a somberness to this winter's day,
A foreshadowing of the season's advance, creeping
ever toward us
As the earth slides away from center.

We've seven days of rain predicted for this last of the pre-holiday weeks. It's warmed up again, with temperatures in the mid 60s - and tomorrow, we're to reach 70F! Though I welcome the warmth - I really dislike being cold - there's something un-Christmasy about it.

Each Christmas when I was a girl, my father, who also disliked the cold, used to take our family from the frigid, damp New York suburbs to the sunny, warm sands of Florida. We'd wake up Christmas morning to swim in the Atlantic, while we bathed ourselves in bright sunlight. After a week, we'd return with our holiday 'tans' ...

While it was fun and felt good to be warm in the middle of winter, the palm trees and Santas in airplanes instead of sleighs somehow made us long for snow and cold even more! (go figure! LOL)

I suppose I am still that little girl longing for 'chestnuts roasting, sleighbells and white Christmases' .... and if it's going to be damp and wet and grey, it'd be more enjoyable if it were white and snow! LOL Guess I'll be painting my own, this year!

Today is my last day at work before holiday break. Already the students have left for a couple of weeks and most of the staff and faculty will leave after this evening. The campus is quiet, and it's a good time to get a few of those 'never can get to' things accomplished.

Hope your day is terrific!

The Pond

The Pond, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

The Pond


1/8 Sheet
Arches 140#CP

The cold has finally come - at least for a short while - but here in the piedmont of North Carolina, no ponds are frozen, and there is an unlikely chance that we'll have snow for Christmas. I suppose I'll just have to make my own -- on paper, at least! LOL

After such a party-filled workweek, it's been a far more quiet weekend. I've prepared our Christmas spaghetti sauce (traditional for our family) and a few other things, and all that remains is the cheesecake from my mom's recipe om and handed down to all her children and grandchildren.

We drove around a few towns last night to view the Christmas lights and beautifully decorated homes, a display of decorated and lighted tractors (so much a part of our rural life), big Santas and snowmen, Crèches, candles in windows, snowflakes -- a wonderland indeed.

What struck me most, I think, were the lights .....those bits of brightness against the mantle of black sky.

Each tiny bit of illumination seemed to defy the cold depth of the dark - offering a glimmer of optimism and promise against the deep vastness of space ...

Ancient peoples worshipped the light, the sun - and knew the power of a tiny spark, and how that one glowing ember could light the world. These days, with lights and warmth at our fingertips, we tend to take them all for granted...and forget the miracle that they are ....

But driving around in the cold, ebony evening, those bits of light glowed their messages of hope ..

And isn't that what this season is all about?

Pink Poinsettias

Pink Poinsettias, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

Poinsettias - the icon of the holidays! The greenhouse program at our college (run by Johnston County Mental Health as horticultural therapy) grows HUNDREDS of poinsettias each year. A walk through their greenhouses is a visual delight - poinsettias in all styles, colors, sizes - pink, speckled, ruffed, red, marbled and more!

I chose to paint PINK this year - perhaps influenced by the unseasonably warm weather we've been having. For our holiday parties yesterday - the temperature reached 70F!!!! And here we all were with Santa, jingle bells, bright red, holiday fashioned sweaters and scarfs! LOL

We had one wonderful, incredible day yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!! It began with our Plant a Row for the Hungry volunteer breakfast--- oh my gracious -- the tables were bowed with the bounty! Breakfast foods, candies, sweets, cookies, cakes, veggies, dips -- holy moly! What an AWESOME - and DELICIOUS feast!

And to add to the flavor -- these over-the-top generous individuals brought gifts -- for everyone! Wrapping paper was flying, gifts were admired, giggles drowned out the talking, the recipe books we put together were examined and ooohed and ahhhhed over! There was more food, calendars, ornaments, hugs, laughter...I tear up just thinking of the heart-filling JOY and friendship of this small group of women and men. But those hours together --THOSE to me, were the essential spirit of Christmas .... amplified by the smiles and good cheer of folks who thoroughly enjoy one another, the work they do, and the enthusiasm them demonstate! What a blessing!!

After eating more than any one wee, short woman should do, this delightful time was followed by our annual college luncheon ... another scrumptious feast! Every employee, staff, faculty, board of trustee member, past president, retiree, council member -- all squeezed into the auditorium lobby for some of the best holiday music performed by our chorus, mouth-watering food, laughter, years of service recognition and more. I was recognized for ten years of service yesterday - the time sure has gone by quickly! And more gifts - and at each table - a marvelous poinsettia! (I didn't win it - but it was great to SIT by the beauty!!! LOL)

By the time I got home last night and unpacked the car (truly loaded down like Santa's sleigh), find a place for everything, feed the cats and catch up on email and flickr ... it was after 11 pm ... and I turned in.

But the day replayed in my dreams last night...
As I lifted again a heart filled with thanksgiving .....

Ice on the Lake - Thank YOU - Denis Collette

Ice on the Lake - Thank YOU - Denis Collette, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

10" x 14"
Arches 140#CP

When the day begins with frost on my windshield, and the darkness of morning seems deeper and denser than any ink,
When day breaks with a mere changing of the grey,
and clouds gather even more closely,
When sound echos and arrows through the cold air
Then THAT
is a day that I so hope
for snow.

But here in the piedmont of North Carolina, even with days that begin with such promise, by afternoon that bright El Sol seems to win the battle of the sky, temperatures rise, and no snow falls.

But it is most often then, that my Northern friends on Flickr, provide just the inspiration to fill that longing -- and one of these dear hearts, Denis Collette inspired and filled me with joy with his image "Rivage sur glace...!!!" (http://www.flickr.com/photos/deniscollette/6489454849/in/photostream). Thank you Denis -- not only for permitting me to use your photograph for this painting -- but for bringing me that longed for SNOW that sends my heart singing!!! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Driving into work this morning, I saw a shooting star -- another rare event for me ....it so made me smile!

We have our 'eat-a-thon' today - our volunteer brunch and our college annual Christmas luncheon ...The day will be filled with holiday music and laughter, the joy of folks coming to celebrate the season, and for those of us in higher education, the close of a fall semester. We are all ready for a small break.

There's no snow in the forecast for the next week - but I'll keep hoping. And thank Denis, and those of you who are fortunate enough to have some, for sharing that part of the season with me!

Christmas Swag

Christmas Swag, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

Everywhere I go, the homes, rooms, restaurants, towns, buildings, stores, even PEOPLE - are bedecked for the holidays. Red and green are the predominant colors, and Christmas carols and music, specials on television and radio, have taken over the airwaves.

The newscasters give daily countdowns for the number of days until Christmas, and the lines at the Post Office and UPS stores are as long as those at the food kitchens.

The weather has turned cold - no snow predicted - yet (fingers crossed!) - and frosty mornings envelop the fields, and windshields need scrapping.

Work remains intense as the list of 'get done by this week' grows as long as those other lines. And in between the push for the year's closure, are the celebrations of food, gift exchanging, and visiting.

And all the while ...

I wish for snow

and that quiet cloaking,

so the frenzy of the season can slow a bit,

the white, peacefulness

still the racing and the madness,

and the world return to center.

Sunset - Thank you Taru!

Sunset - Thank you Taru!, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

10" x 13"
Arches 140#CP

Sunset.

Day's end - the putting down of a rushed, intense busyness that marks this time of year. The last glimmers of an almost 'celebratory' completion of a day filled with cooking, wrapping, preparing, planning, and more cooking.

My Friday.

My Saturday.

And then -

Sunset!

That soul-lifting, heart-jumping joy of 'finished' - with a kitchen that still holds the aroma of the day's work. The amen and halleluhah of a good day of labor followed by sundown and the satisfaction of a long night's rest.

Sunset.

This painting began with a challenge posed by my friend Doris with permission from Taru to use her incredible capture (www.flickr.com/photos/taruski/6256283498/) to inspire a painting that both Doris (www.flickr.com/photos/djr-aquarelle/) and I would do. A most special thank you to Taru for the inspiration and the jaw-dropping beauty of her work! THANK YOU, Taru!! Please take a look at Taru's wonderful flickr stream! And check out Doris' alternative and spectacular approach! A really interesting aspect of imagery - to see the same scene through different eyes!

I began the painting after a two-day marathon of holiday baking and gift wrapping and completed the work yesterday. I took a more moody approach to the image, trying to capture that rosey, sienna light that marks the kind of sunsets I love best.

In writing my comments this early morning, with the last glint of moonlight in the west and the sunlight just rimming the east, the sense of celebration did indeed inspire the work ... as it truly marked the ending of two long, long days. It was indeed - my sunset - felt through every tired muscle! LOL I LOVE when life comes together like that!

Hope your Sunday is filled with celebration and all good things!

Winter's Coming Landscape - Thank YOU Andrey Salikov!

Winter's Coming Landscape - Thank YOU Andrey Salikov!, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x12"
Arches 140#CP

One should be careful for what one wishes. Our warm weather has disappared, and the freezing morning temperatures have arrived! And though I throw on an additional article of clothing -- it FEELS more like the season -- and I can begin to ready for the holidays with a more spirited soul.

My thanks to Andrey Salikov for inspiring this painting! Thank you Andrey! Please see his awesome flickr stream! www.flickr.com/photos/andrey_salikov/6441432041/in/photos... Andrey's view is of a frozen winter scene - and it looked so much like the view of my neighbor's farm that it begged to be painted! Thank you again, Andrey!

Here and there beech and oak leaves linger on the trees....but for the most part, the woodlands are bare save for the evergreens that seem to anchor the landscape. While the mornings are frigid, the afternoons warm to a wonderfully pleasant 50F to 60F. There is often fog in the morning, and often sunshine in the afternoons. Yesterday was one such marvelous day as we took our Plant a Row for the Hungry volunteers to see the Christmas decorations at our state's capitol and Governor's Mansion. What a treat!

There was a small crowd queing to go through the metal detectors before entering the stately home, but we moved quickly - and oh was it worth the wait! The main floor was decorated in high style - enormous Christmas trees from various North Carolina counties decked in different styles. Some were gold, some old-fashioned reds and greens, others, like the one tree in the sunroom and dedicated to our state's military, fashioned with children's drawings and ornaments in red, white and blue! Carolers were singing in one of the rooms and chandeliers, walls, doors, stairways were all swagged with our native greenery! Eye candy to be sure.

Our own wreath-making class the night before - see
www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002973201572
made us even more aware of how rich our own woodlands and properties are for collecting an incredible variety of different greens and berries and using our native plants for decorations and wreaths.

We had a warm, talk-filled lunch, did a bit of holiday shopping, then returned to the college to finish out the day. A grand time for everyone - bringing this kindred group of generous volunteers even closer.

I got home late last night and began this weekend's busy commitments. Next week is the last workweek for most of our college employees (not me, sigh), and so it will be filled with gift exchanges, luncheons, and the like. I must have all my gifts, recipes, lunch items ready to take on Monday - so I'll be in the kitchen cooking, baking, and then wrapping and mailing gifts in order to get those delivered in time for Christmas. I won't have much painting time, but the house will smell divine! LOL

I hope your weekend is wonderful and filled with those memory-making scents of the holidays!

Rose Hips Redeaux

Rose Hips Redeaux, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

Fickle weather this week -- for the last three days, we've had temps in the mid 70sF, sunshine and mild winds. The plants too are confused - and though they all need cutting back and readying for winter, here and there these same plants are sending up new shoots and blossoms!! YIKES! We have a cold front moving in tonight with rain and cooler temperatures -- and though I am the LAST one who wants to see -- or feel -- the cold - this lingering heat spell just seems out of season!

I suppose it's where one spends most of his or her time that determines what 'feels' like a normal seasonal weather. Growing up on the East Coast of the US, I'm used to four pretty distinct seasons -- winter, spring, summer, fall. Even when I moved to the South, I could still have a winter season -- milder and shorter, perhaps, but a winter - cold, grey, wet, and snow every once in a while. I like this sort of weather -- albeit for a short time -- but enough to be called 'winter.'

Winter for me is a calming and slowing down, a contemplative period when the sun doesn't quite beckon me out of doors, when the plants and animals can be left to slumber and hibernate -- and in a way -- so can I. Winter for me is a time of planning, a time to consider the year and activities ahead. And even though at work we hold classes all winter long, that frenzied feeling of spring and summer activities just isn't there. Quite truthfully, I need a bit of winter to recuperate from the activities of the past year, and rest up for those to come -- don't you? Right now, I am longing for fireside cups of coffee, cuddling up with a good book, retreating to my art table for more than a few minutes at a time... and winter seems to provide just the 'excuse' I need to do these things -- bring it on! (ahem ... but only for a short while ...it doesn't take me long to miss the sun!! LOL)

So that brings us to rose hips. There are still some lingering on the bushes ... provider of vitamin C, bright berries for the birds, and wonderful color amid all the sere foliage. I painted this view of rose hips a while back and the painting found its way to a new home. I enjoyed painting it and so, with warm weather still around me, I repainted the view .... adding a bit more leaves ....perhaps my bit of a nod to the unseasonable weather ... and making the painting as bright as the sun has been this week.

Today we make our wreaths. The workshop has been sold out for weeks and we've a full house. I'll be glad for cooler weather coming later this week - it will help keep our fresh greens brighter and longer lasting. AND it will feel more like winter...!

Holly - Time to Gather the Greens

Holly - Time to Gather the Greens, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

Already the first days of December are behind us, and the days seem to shorten as cold returns and daylight disappears. It's after 7:00 am Eastern Standard Time before the first glimmer of sunlight breaks the cloak of dark and merely 4:00 pm EST when the sun begins its decent and evening begins to creep back. Add to this scant bit of 'day' the hustle and rush of the season.... the frenzy of preparations, decorations, purchasing, cooking, finishing up, closingup of the year ... and the days collapse into seemingly mere moments of time.

While it's true that daylight is shortening with the winter solstice is only weeks away, it seems that the FEEL of time is shortening as well. I took an incredible Anthropology class when I was an undergraduate - "The Reckoning of Time" - and how different cultures around the world sense and calculate time. Fascinating. And there's that marvel of a book "Einstein's Dreams' by Alan Lightman where ever few pages, time is being lived in different ways -- like we do - from past to future, or perhaps like in the movie Ground Hog Day - repetitive, etc. etc. Again -- fascinating and imaginative.

But think about it ... each of us lives the same 24 hours - but does every day FEEL the same way? For me, when I'm sad or disappointed, the same hour seems to DRAG and the clock click so v e r y s l o w l y. But when I'm in the flow of painting ... the same hour FLIES by! So .. time... and its reconing .. and its FEEL.

All this to say - it's that holiday "time"....

And for me it's marked with evergreens and berries. My holly trees are chockful of bright red berries and the shiny, pointed, prickly leaves that seem to mark the season. Today we 'gather in the greens' - holly, red cedar, wax myrtle, pine, cryptomeria, juniper, spruce, fir, boxwood, magnolia, ivy, hemlock, bay, boxwood, arborvitae, and pods, cones and berries such as pyracantha and holly berries, and more as we prepare for our wreath making class on Wednesday.

The time will fly as we stalk the woodlands and gardens seeking those plants that will decorate our doors. We'll be noting the wonderful fragrance of the evergreens and the bright berries that will brighten our eyes (and wreaths) with joyful color.

'Tis the season -- and time to gather the greens! But hurry --- time is aflyin'!

Winter in the Country

Winter in the Country, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

Nope, still no snow -- but THINKING about it as the holidays approach.

The cold welcomes me each morning, and though the temps rise nicely during the day, by 4:00 pm, the cold returns - seemingly even more frosty than the morning with the sudden drop. Still, I favor a bit of cooling these days, as it seems more 'holiday-ish.' I find it difficult to sing Christmas carols when I'm in short sleeves and flip-flops! So, I dream of snow, and imagine that the morning frost is really an inch or two of the white stuff, and the fleeting frozen dew stays on the ground long enough to create a winter wonderland. And what's even more fun ..... as picture-makers -- we can paint what our hearts see ... and not just our eyes! LOL

We begin our holiday cooking today as well, and a bit of decorating. My chores, except a few for work, are about done, and so the weekend can be filled with holiday preparations.

The sun is shining, the frost is quickly disappearing, and the clock is moving swiftly ....

Hope your day and weekend are wonderful.

Pair of Teasels

Pair of Teasels, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

1/8 Sheet
Arches 140#CP

"The color, we say, is gone, remembering vivid October and verdant May. What we really mean is that the spectacular color has passed and we now have the quiet tones of Winter around us, the browns, the tans, a narrower range of greens, with only an occasional accent in the lingering Winter berries. But the color really isn't gone. The meadow is sere tan....the bronze curve of the goldenrod...the cinnamon seed head of the pungent bee balm....the white parentheses of the stark birches...bronze tuffs of one-winged seeds...of the box elder..." (Hal Borland - 'Sundial of the Seasons'

One of my most influencial nature writers - Hal Borland - was once a columnist for the New York Times. He died in 1978, so his books and words have been keeping me company and helping me 'see' the world around me for many, many years.

I like to start my day (when I'm home) with one of his 'journal' entries, In his book 'Sundial of the Seasons' these entries are daily and mark the progression of the seasons day by day as he saw them in his Northeastern home. Some days, like today, his sentiments echo the words I'm searching for, the observations I too have made - his pen far more eloquent than my own.

When I finish one of Hal's passages, I find myself a bit more aware of the world around me, better able to approach a new artwork with a heightened sense of 'seeing.'

Do you have books or music or words to inspire your paintings and creative work? I'd love to hear them ....

Fall Flowers - Almost All Gone

Fall Flowers - Almost All Gone, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP

December 1 -- and yet here and there in my own garden and at the Arboretum, I can find flowers that have not yet succumbed to the frost and cold. A few knock-out roses, some of my red verbena, clematis, and here and there, since it has been so warm during the day -- a few IRIS have been fooled into blooming!

These fall flowers were painted more in memory than in reality - as all of my daisylike flowers are slumbering for the winter. I wanted to paint something somewhat soft while using my splash and splatter approach. These remind me of some of those wonderful Thanksgiving bouquets that bright such cheer to the season.

Our soap crafting class was a BLAST! Oh my gracious -- so much going on - great creations, wonderful scents, herbs, ideas, and everyone went home with gifts for the holiday. We've been asked to hold another class so we'll probably do that in January. It was a late night, as expected, and so I'll be dragging as we weed the Plant a Row beds this morning and collect more of our cole crops for the hungry.

Hope your day is terrific!

Snow to Come ? - Memories of Last Year's Snow

Snow to Come ? - Memories of Last Year's Snow, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

1/4 Sheet
Arches 140#CP

No, no snow here, just the cold and damp following our heavy rains yesterday. Instead of white, our world is grey and only those long-clinging leaves on the oaks and beech trees give our evergreen woodlands a bit of autumnal memory.

Snow fell in our mountains, and according to 'weather signs' - like the inside of persimmons seeds, we're to have a snowy winter. I like snow -- of course - when I don't have to shovel it, when the power holds, when I don't have to go out in it. So in the warmth of my office and no snow in the forecast, I can DREAM of snow, remember it from last year, and anticipate its falling this winter.

It's been a busy, productive week - designing portions of the ethnobotanic garden, preparing a wreath as a sample for our class, year-end reports and the like. Tonight, we hold our soap crafting class - and if it goes like those in the past, it will be a late, late night --- but a lot of good, clean fun! LOL

Temps will remain cold today but the sun should be up soon ...

Hope your day is bright!

Sunflowers for a Rainy Day

Sunflowers for a Rainy Day, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

1/8 Sheet
Arches 140#CP

The weather has turned cooler with rain, rain, rain and more rain - and this early in the morning (6:00 am EST) the dark is so DARK that the roads, especially with the precipitation, were difficult to navigate. I thought we might all be enjoy a bit of sunshine this morning in the form of some splash and splatter sunflowers.

I enjoy doing these types of paintings --- the freedom of splashing paint, the finding of form, the negative painting. It must be like the work of sculptors, in a way, the carving out of a 'thing' from the surrounding 'confusion.' Very meditative.

While we're having rain in our part of North Carolina, our mountains - four hours west of me - are having snow. Snowfall seems a bit late to the ski industry there, so we're hoping this snowfall will bring kick off the season for them.

Hope your day is sunny and bright!

Riverside Trees - Luminescence - THANK YOU Denis Collette!

Riverside Trees - Luminescence - THANK YOU Denis Collette!, a photo by linfrye on Flickr.

1/8 Sheet
Arches 140#CP

Frosty, gray mornings greet me this time of the year - and early mornings smell like winter on the wind. My friends to the north already have experienced snowfall - and it is especially around the holidays, that I begin my annual 'pining' for snow.

I have to make do with the frost - and your inspirational images - right now! I owe a special thanks to my friend, Denis Collette for allowing me to paint from his image of luminescence (www.flickr.com/photos/deniscollette/5214285398/).... THANK YOU, Denis! I have been admiring this capture since LAST November - and tried and tried to paint it without any success. Finally, my muse decided to be kind, and sat on my shoulder as I rendered this interpretation of winter trees, riverside. I LOVE Denis' work- there's a fabulous sparkle and light to them that is such a challenge in watercolor. Still, I hope I was able to capture a bit of the 'magic' I see in his incredible photography!

Though rain is in the forecast, snow is the furthest thing from reality for us. Temps reached 70F yesterday, and our visit to the JC Raulston Arboretum found roses, flowering maples, camellias and more still blooming like colorful candy!

And yet,

THIS morning, the sun waits behind pink/gray clouds and the woodland trees are somber in melancholy - and I wait
for the snows
to come.