The Documented Life Journal
Week 9 "Recycle/Collage"
I've been painting tulips for my demonstrations in preparation for my upcoming watercolor classes -- and I've struggled with getting just the right mix of realism and abstraction. So I have a large pile of 'misfits' that I could use for this week's challenge.
My pile of disappointing tulips was growing as was my frustration -- when I went to teach Thursday's class. We're finishing up garlic and will work on pears this week -- so imagine my surprise when one of my students in that class opened her book and showed me a tulip SHE was working on... and it was just PERFECT for breaking the block I had formed on this topic. I was so relieved and grateful ... and so wrote about that event on this journal page ... Grace.
I like the tulips I've done here but the background I had painted became too dark and murky looking .. so I cut out the tulips, painted a light blue background, glued down the tulips .. and used it as my challenge and journal page.
Grace indeed.
(Tulips I like better to be posted later.)
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Recycle Tulip Grace AT5 week 9
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Daffodil
Watercolor
Arches 140#CP
Snow is gone, spring is 'almost' here, seeds are germinating in their little trays, and temperatures are teasing us with intermittent warm spells.
Though we're due for another 'Arctic Blast,' I think we're all ready for some sunshine, clear roads, a riot of bright colors --- and spring ....
Saturday, February 15, 2014
The View from my Front Porch - Whiteout
Watercolor
Arches 140#CP
It's raining as I type, and between the warm up (close to 50F yesterday) and the rain today, our 8" of snow will soon be a memory ....
This small painting though will be my recording of that historic storm as well as the winter white, the fat, soft flakes falling fast, the coating of ice turning everything crystalline, the magic hush the snow gives us....
We had a full moon last night too -- and the glisten of moonlight on the remaining snow was so breathtaking ...and so rare ....
We're to warm to almost 70F next week ... crazy weather indeed, but filled with such memorable moments ....
Friday, February 14, 2014
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
Despite the wind, rain, snow, and ice, despite the power outages, the aching back from shoveling snow, despite the wild weather conditions and discomforts ....
Love really does conquer all ...
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!
Polar Experience
Alcohol Ink
Yupo Paper
We are in the throes of a blowing snowstorm .... We have already 3" of snow and it's been snowing only 3 hours .... so we're going to wind up with a bunch ... It's cold, wind is blowing, and this is a MAJOR storm for my part of North Carolina!
Stay and warm!
Saturday, February 08, 2014
Against the Orange Sky
Alcohol Ink
Yupo Paper
Playing with alcohol ink and various colors ... enjoying the flow and spontaneity of the medium ...
Monday, February 03, 2014
A Dash of Spring Color
9" x 12" Watercolor
Arches 140#CP
After beginning last week with temps in single digits, frozen pipes, school closings, numb fingers and a gorgeous blanket of snowfall, the week ended on a note of teasing spring warmth with temps in the mid 60s, blue skies and sun bright enough to rid one of any winter blues or cabin fever.
To celebrate this small burst of warm weather, I was inspired to splash about some bright colors and crack open the seed catalogs. Though our furry weather predictor, the ground hog, saw his shadow and says we're due for another six weeks of winter, and quite truthfully I wouldn't mind another snowfall or two, I was ever grateful to have a bit of warmth again and the sunshine cheering the landscape.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Snug in the Snow
YIPPEE!! We finally have a blanket of snow! Though the NC coast received the majority of the snow, we too were gifted with at least 2" of snow that has covered the fields, lined the trees, and closed the schools. I'm doing the happy snow dance with the kids!!!
The deep cold will keep the snow on the ground a bit longer than usual and the roads will make driving hazardous -- so prayers for those who must get out in it ....
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Wiinter Helebores
There's something amazingly uplifting about winter flowers. They seem to defy the weather, the grey, gloomy days, the bouts of freeze, the scant sunshine. Whether grown midst the harsh conditions of this season or the protection of greenhouse warmth and watering, flowers at mid-winter seem to warm us in all the ways we need.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Cardinal in the Snow
Finally -- another dusting of snow! This time the half inch sitting in the fields and roads comes with a second Arctic blast that has delayed or closed schools and businesses. Though the sun is not up yet, I can see the ice formed on my steps and my property covered in a shallow blanket of white.
Despite all the inconveniences this snow/ice will cause, I am thrilled to see it.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
My Winter Sentinels
Watercolor
Arches 140#CP
Such crazy weather -- temperatures yesterday afternoon were close to 60F ... and so many folks were walking around with light jackets. This morning, we are having a wintry mix of rain and snow flurries ...geez. No accumulation expected, but the large fluctuations in temps are really playing havoc with everyone.
We won't have the snow blanket I keep hoping for, but it's good to see a bit of the white stuff between the rain drops.
Have a great day!
Monday, January 13, 2014
Garlic
Watercolor
Arches 140#CP
Winter for me is the season for nesting -- for hunkering down, resting, relaxing, staying a bit closer to home. Doing so also makes me appreciate once more the little things that say 'home' to me. It's also the time when I tend to focus on the small, everyday objects that make me smile. To that end, the still life is a wonderful study of these very items.
Often my winter kitchen is filled with the scent of warm, hearty meals - especially soups and pastas -- and what would either be without the benefit of tasty garlic. That humble bulb makes a wonderful study of shapes, tones and contrasts and is a perfect still life candidate.
I sketched this watercolor in two sizes - the larger to use in my next class as a demonstration, the other, this small one, to complete as my own practice. Lots of fun, and lots of reinforcing watercolor basics ... especially those promoted by Danny Gregory in "Everyday Matters" ... It really IS the little things that made each day matter.
Have a great week!
Monday, January 06, 2014
Elm among the Birch
Yupo Paper
Alcohol Inks
Getting back to alcohol ink paintings after a busy holiday season. I so love their spontaneity and their vivid colors!
Sunday, January 05, 2014
Doors - Week One Theme Continued
To continue the 'Door' Theme, I made copies of some of the doors I painted over the years, added them to cardstock, and created 'mini' doors, closed by ribbons. Behind each door, I added quotes about doors that appealed to me.
The background is textured paper glued to the journal pages.
Friday, January 03, 2014
2014 - A New Year - Challenge One My Home
Journal Pages
It's been a busy busy year for me and somewhere along the line, my intuition/prompting/sense made me realize a need to slow down a bit and return to some basics.
I've been drawn to journals of all kinds and my first dip into visual art was by journaling.
With the inner prompting I was sensing, the pull toward a bit of contemplation, and a need to return to basics such as sketching, drawing, writing, I've decided to honor these nudges.
I'll do this by spending a good amount of time this year on journaling. Sure, I'll continue painting - watercolors, alcohol ink, and a bit of mixed media as I explore these options - but I'm thinking that 2014 will be a time of inner exploration as well, a bit of art experimentation, and a return to my 'journaling/writing' roots.
With this intention, serendipity seemed to find me ... and somehow 'The Documented Life' project and challenge (see www.arttothe5th.com/ ) found its way to my desk. I've dived into this project with a new journal and a few pages ...
I've also chosen a 'word' for this month (well, at least this month; it may last longer) --- the word "Line' .. I'm enthralled with the variations of lines, calligraphy, squiggles, contours, pen and wash, and so I'll be working on the many meanings of the word 'line' and will make that part of my journal explorations.
I hope to share this journey with you as I can ... who knows where these 'lines' will lead me ...
Here's to a creative year of contemplation and exploration!
Happy 2014!
First page for week one of The Documented Life Project. Tipped into my journal.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2014!
Wishing everyone a prosperous, healthy, creative 2014!
May it be the very best!!!!
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Merry Christmas
May your light shine brightly this Blessed Season and throughout the New Year ...
Thank you for all your kindnesses, support and friendship! You are indeed a blessing!
A most Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Snow Along the Creek - First Day of Winter?
7" x 9"
Arches 140# CP
According to the calendar, today is the Winter Solstice - the shortest day and the longest night. And while I can only hope for the snow I love and paint my dream for a white Christmas, the temps today will reach mid 70s!!
It'll be most pleasant, of course, and compared to the wicked snow and rain storms throughout the US, we have been spared such extreme weather - a blessing to be sure.
So though this year Winter has sent us a day of summer on her Solstice, I'll welcome the season with the Winters I remember and paint them into my own celebration.
Have a happy weekend!
Monday, December 16, 2013
Poinsettias Merry Christmas
As the days pass quickly in preparations for the holidays, I'm wishing everyone a joyous time of preparations, contemplation, serenity ... a time filled with family, friends, love, festivities .... a time to remember the reason we celebrate this time of year ... and a wish for love, joy and peace ....
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Friday, December 13, 2013
Cardinal in the Snow - Holiday Card
So the season of 'snow envy' has begun ..... It seems each year when the skies turn grey and the cold makes me hide under electric blankets, and my energy levels drop and the Winter 'nesting' syndrome begins, I fall into the hope of seeing snow here in my part of North Carolina.
If I lived four hours west of my home town, I'd see more of the white stuff, certainly, but I do prefer the rolling countryside and the long days of summer and sunshine and milder temperatures of middle NC. STILL, there is something so hypnotic and calming, restive and quiet and serene about a snowfall, that I just can't help my seasonal plea!
And to make matters even better, WHEN we do have snow, it lasts a day or so -- rarely longer ... A very nice way to enjoy the stuff! LOL
So while I wait for those rare conditions to fall into place and snow finally falls, I'll sit at my art table and paint my wish for a powdery, white landscape ...
HAPPY WEEKEND!
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
A Dose of Vitamin C for the Cold and Flu Seasons
12" x 16"
Arches 140#CP
With the weather sending us cold, rain, grey, sleet, ice, snow and more, I'm doubling up my vitamin C ....
How about you?
Stay safe and warm!
Wednesday, December 04, 2013
Christmas Bells Celebration
Arches 140# CP
My watercolor classes have spent the last month working on Christmas cards and winter scenes. This one focuses on the sounds of the holidays -- the tinkle of bells ...
Hope your holiday preparations are joy-filled!!
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Snow on the Fir Trees
5" x 7" Alcohol Ink
Yupo Paper
Outside the trees are mostly bare and
Winter is nudging remaining oak and Bradford pear leaves
from their limbs.
The moon glints the deep, dark night, and
there is a deeper, colder quiet
than in any other season.
The Thanksgiving turkey remains
in leftovers, the holiday rush
has amplified, and
December is knocking at the door.
I say goodbye to autumn
reluctantly,
and huddle down,
like the wildlife,
to begin the long, long winter.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Wishing everyone a blessed Thanksgiving - filled with love, family, friends, joy, and abundance!!
I am thankful for each and every one of you! Thank you for your continued support and encouragement!
Big HUGS!
Lin
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Friday, November 22, 2013
Falls Glow
12" x 16" Watercolor
Arches 140#CP
November -- the frosts have come, leaves continue to fall, and daylight fades far too quickly ... but the memories of a glorious Fall linger in my mind and on my paintbrush. I stretch my favorite season a bit longer.
Painting allows me to do this, and while temps dip and rise with the passing of the season, I return to the warmth and glow of my autumn memories.
Hope you have a fabulous weekend!
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Autumn Over the Valley
Alcohol Ink
Yupo Paper
Thank you for all your well wishes and prayers. I"m back home, but my mom continues her battle with Parkinson's Disease and her health continues to fail. She's a fighter or sure and the battles will continue for a while.
Again, thank you for your kindness.
Friday, November 01, 2013
Fall - We have Leaf COLOR!
Fall - We have Leaf COLOR!
Older
10" x 13"
Arches 140#CP
We finally have leaf color!! SCARLETS, Purply reds, GOLDS, Yellows, Sunkissed Oranges -- even the oaks have turned that marvelous burnt sienna/crimson!! I have to admit that it's now dangerous for me to drive -- each turn of the road has produced such colorful vista that I either have to stop and take a photo or stop to just gasp! WOW!
We're due for thunderstorms and rain today, so we're out taking photos before the winds remove these beauties from the trees.
Hope your weekend is marvelous and filled with color!
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Party in the Pumpkin Patch- Happy Halloween
Alcohol Inks
Yupo Paper
In my neighborhood, the leaves are finally gaining the brilliance of autumn --- golds, oranges, scarlets, and several maples that made me stop in my tracks to take a photo and admire -- a candy apple red so incredibly gorgeous they brought me to tears.
There is a marvelous quote by Albert Camus: 'Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.' And I couldn't agree more.
We celebrate Halloween today - tricks and treats for the young folks, ghosts and goblins, pumpkins and carvings, and dinner with friends. I'm reprinting an article I wrote years ago on the origins of Halloween -- enjoy!
And remember to be generous -- prosperity may follow!
The Origins of HalloweenThe Origins of Halloween
By: Lin Frye
Hobgoblins, ghosts, black cats, pumpkins, haystacks, scarecrows,
larger-than-life cartoon characters, and more “other worldly” figures parade around the streets, knocking on doors and begging “Trick or Treat!” Each fall the holiday many children, and lately adults, look forward to is Halloween … but where did our traditional observances come from?
Most folklore authorities agree that Halloween as we know it began as a combination of druidic practices and classical Roman religious beliefs. During the second century B.C., the Celtic communities of Northern and Western Europe, especially in Ireland and Scotland, celebrated their year’s end on October 31, the eve of “Samhain (“summer’s end”). This event was marked with agrarian festivals that celebrated the ending of the year (with foods such as nuts and apples). After grains had been gathered the sun was thanked for the harvest. At the same time, the sun was “honored” in hopes that the winter would not be too severe and would return in the spring. “Samhain” was an occasion for feasting since the harvested foods were often abundant.
It was also on this feast night, that townsfolks extinguished the fires in their hearths and met at the center of town. The priests would alight the sacred oak to kindle a new fire in honor of the sun god and to frighten away any lurking evil spirits. Each family head of household would receive an ember from the sacred fire so that he could kindle a new fire in his own hearth to protect the household throughout the year.
The Celts also believed that on October 31, the lord of the dead assembled the souls of those persons who passed away during the year. Since it was also believed that on this day the souls of the dead played tricks on the living, the druids offered sacrifices to appease the souls and protect the survivors.
Our modern Halloween practices reflect some of the influences from the Roman festival honoring “Pomona,” the goddess of fruit and nuts. A harvest festival was held November 1 to thank Ponona for the harvest bounty. Today, many of our Halloween decorations and foods include seasonal varieties of these crops.
It took centuries to incorporate October 31 into the Christian calendar. During the fourth through seventh centuries, the idea of honoring numerous martyrs and saints grew out of the fact that there were fewer days in the calendar than there were saints to worship. Pope Gregory III placed a single day in the church calendar to celebrate all the saints. This day occurred during the
spring of the year. However, during the reign of Pope Gregory IV, he placed All Saints Day and the vigil All Hallows’ Eve on November 1 and October 31 respectively. Historians believe this was done to offset the paganisms of the old “Samhain” rites. Nonetheless, the Christianizing of the Halloween observances took even more time.
Customs of pagan origins continued to flourish in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and parts of England well into the 18th century, and even later in some places. Outside of the Church, folks still held the belief that Halloween was the gathering time for unruly spirits, including witches and those with evil intent. Common practices continued as folks believed the “spirits” were out on Halloween stealing milk, playing pranks, and destroying crops. To allay their
fears of these spirits, people would gather in groups and make strange or loud noises, to keep the evil spirits away. As they wiled away the time during this fearful night, they played games, such as bobbing for apples, and feasted on new crops that included the traditional fruit and nuts.
Halloween was also considered the time of prophecy, and various “discoveries” could be made that night. For instance, young women would divine their marriage prospects by placing nuts in the fireplace coals, naming one nut for her and the other two for admirers. If one of the admirer’s nuts burned quietly besides the woman’s, it meant that the gentleman would remain true. If, however, one of those named nuts split, it meant no lasting happiness with that individual.
Another discovery was made when young people went in pairs into a field of cabbages. The shape of the cabbage and the size of the vegetable they selected indicated the appearance of their future husband or wife.
While most of these earlier beliefs and observances have disappeared, many others have survived with the European settlers in the new world. Through time and changes, many of these former traditions were revamped and revitalized. In pioneer days, some Americans celebrated Halloween with corn-popping parties, taffy pulls and hayrides. With the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s and the influence of great numbers of Irish immigrants, Halloween mischief of the “fairy folk” or “little people” came to America. Instead of using pumpkins, which were unavailable in Ireland, the Irish used oversized rutabagas, turnips and potatoes to carve into hideous faces and light with candles to be used as lanterns during Halloween. In fact, the name “Jack-o-Lantern” is reputed to have come from an Irish tale of a man named Jack who was famous for being stingy and drinking too much. In several encounters with the Devil, Jack tricked him, making the Devil very angry. When Jack finally grew old and died, he was banned from Heaven because of his past behavior and banned from Hades because of all his pranks. Jack, in desperation, begged the Devil for a live coal to light his way out of the dark. Jack put the coal in a turnip he was eating at the time, and according to myth, was condemned to roam the earth with his lantern until Judgment Day.
By the late 1800s, Halloween had become a national observance in the US. Traditions had been altered enough to recognize the parties, dressing in costumes and trick or treating that we do today. Though not all folklorists agree as to where trick or treating came from, one suggestion is that this custom came to the US when European peasants went from house to house asking for
money to buy items for a Halloween feast and demanding that contributions be given to them. If donors were liberal, good fortune was assured to the giver. However, if the donors were stingy, then threats were made and pranks carried out.
A drive around the area assures us that Halloween observances are alive and well. Decorations of haystacks, scarecrows, black cats, witches and the like spice up many neighborhoods and shops. And on the night of October 31, we’ll hear the ghosts and goblins knocking on our doors threatening “Trick or Treat!”
Remember to be generous … prosperity may follow!
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Autumn Leaves in Alcohol Ink
Can't help myself! Got to have some autumn color! LOL
From Hal Borland's "Book of Days" (1964) "Autumn in your Hand:"
"A tree in Autumn is a lovely sight. One tree alone can concentrate the beauty of a whole woodland, leaf by leaf and branch by branch, as one flower can give the essence of a whole garden.....Watch even a single branch outside a certain window, and you are watching the color of change. One morniing there is a spot of yellow on a certain leaf....Another day and that glow may be there. It spreads. The spot becomes a splash of gold...edged perhaps with a thin line of scarlet. It creeps down the leaf between the veins, and then across the veins; and the scarlet edging widens into a band and then a border....Thus comes Autumn, leaf by leaf and tree by tree, thus the woods become a hooked rug flung across the hills with all its folds and all its colors....Pick up one leaf of those already cast adrift, and you hold Autumn in your hand."
Happy Autumnal Sunday!
Friday, October 25, 2013
Fall Migration in the Foothills
7" x 11" Yupo Paper
Alcohol Ink
We awoke to temps in the 30s this morning, frost making its first appearance and announcing that the splendid fall we've been enjoying will soon come to an end.
I am loathe to let go of my favorite season and so I'll continue to brighten the shortening days with vivid colors on my palette and extend the season a bit longer.
From Hal Borland's "Sundial of the Seasons" (1964) "Frost Walks the Valleys:"
"First frost has walked through the valleys under the half moon. You could hear it whispering through the fallen leaves as it hurried down the hillsides in the evening, feel its crisp breath as it passed you on a country road. And at dawn you could see its path, glistening on the goldenrod stems and powdering the purple asters. Midmorning, and the tender gardens in the lowlands had limp and blackened rows of tomato vines to mark its path.....
First frost is like a newcomer in a strange country, following the beaten paths of the valleys .....
Meanwhile, there will be mornings when the valleys are lakes of mist, with the frost there beneath them. There will be noons when the valley air is almost touched with June. There will be evenings when the long light on the hillsides is full of magic. And there will be nights when the wood smoke wreathes the starlight in the hollows.
But once first frost has passed this way, the pattern is set ..... and after that the frost will walk boldly over the land."
Catch the color while we can! Happy Weekend!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Viburnum Berries
Arches 140#CP
The cool weather has found us this week, and we awaken to temps in the 30s and 40s -- BRRR -- a reminder that the marvelous fall weather we've been enjoying will soon come to an end, winter will settle in, and the holidays will begin in earnest. For me, I'm still waiting for the reds to show up on the trees!! LOL
Still, the colors here in Piedmont North Carolina are intensifying, and dropping. Already the crunch of footfalls can be made in the growing leaf litter, and more of the sky is visible through the tree canopy. Sunshine is far less intense, and the morning shadows are long and long. The season is fast moving forward.
Thought I'd play a bit with watercolor and do a quick study of our viburnum ... a mix of gold and scarlet, and luscious, dark berries that are just ripe for a bird feast.
Hope you have a great week!
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Fall Leaves in Alcohol Ink
Alcohol Ink
Yupo Paper
The fall weather is fast upon us ... we've had cool temps all week as well as rainy, overcast days, making summer a memory, despite a warming trend later this week. Leaves have quickly turned to yellow and tarnish, and as yet only the sumac and dogwoods have put on any kind of scarlet. Our peak for color, though, doesn't happen for at least another few weeks, so we're all keeping our fingers crossed.
In the meantime, I'm using the intense colors of ink to summon fall .... and loving the brightness and the flow of ink across yupo.
Hope you have a great day!
Monday, October 14, 2013
Twilight Near the Lake - Alcohol Painting
Alcohol Ink
Yupo Paper
Our quick trip to the mountains of North Carolina was a lot of fun with two festivals and a leisurely visit to the many craft and art shops of Black Mountain. We saw fabulous quilts everywhere and even took in a demo of "Bed Turning" where new quilts were displayed and work explained as quilts lined a bed covered with them! Fabulous artwork, and the food of festivals - corn, candy apples, sausages, kettle corn and more were the highlights of the weekend. We found an awesome Bistro for our dinners while in Hickory, NC - incredible food and a server that was not only friendly, but one of the best! We came home with new quilts for our home and those luscious North Carolina apples ...!
The leaves hadn't quite changed to the golds and scarlets we were hoping for - but here and there a single maple would catch our eye with so many different colors that it was a joy to behold. The rain held off until our return on Sunday, and we arrived rested and glad to see so much leaf color in our own backyard!
This alcohol painting was done to celebrate the fall season - and I gave it the colors that haven't yet made it to our part of North Carolina.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Evening Stream
Alcohol Ink
Yupo Paper
My experiments with alcohol ink are proving to be addictive (no pun intended!!! LOL) -- and I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying the fluidity, flow and spontaneous nature of this medium on yupo paper. In so many ways, doing these small abstract landscapes reminds me of my 'splash and splatter' technique where one really has to let go of 'control' and let the paint do the directing while we take a backseat and 'fine tune' as we can.
It's been a week of cold, rainy weather and though we've needed the rain, I've sure missed the sunshine. Still, the leaf color changes seem to be happening far faster with the cooler temperatures, and already there is leaf litter everywhere. I hope to catch more tree color on some car rides this weekend.
For those who've asked about alcohol ink process and information, I would highly recommend extensive searches on Youtube and Google as I am so new to the process I have a difficult time finding words to explain what I'm doing. I hope this changes as I become more familiar with results from my experiments, but in the meantime, there seems to be a lot of information already on the web that will do a far better job of explanation than I can right now.
Have a great weekend!
Tuesday, October 08, 2013
Path thru the Trees - Alcohol Ink
Alcohol Ink
Yupo Paper
Alcohol inks have been around a long time -- but they came to my attention during a gallery tour several weeks ago. I fell in love with their vibrancy and their spontaneous workings.
I purchased a number of these for my birthday and have been attempting a number of experiments and having a blast! This small work is the result of those 'playful' evenings. I really love the blend of semi-realism and abstraction ... and quite truthfully, the 'surprises' that these inks produce on non-porous subjects.
I'll continue my experimentation as I really can't say I've mastered 'any' of their workings --- but oh my is it fun!!!
Friday, October 04, 2013
Falls Barn Oxford
12" x 16"
Arches 140#CP
It's that time of year again when fields turn golden and the light brings a glow to the woodlands. My favorite barn now sits among grasses that are thigh-high and wave with each passing breeze. I love to come upon this place in the morning when the sun seems to highlight the aging wood and yellowing fields.
It's been an incredibly busy week for me with obligations, paintings to put up, take down, classes, car maintenance, house chores, celebratory lunches, supply gathering for new classes I'll teach and more. There's been little time for resting and it seems September has blown by with the wind. Hopefully October will be a bit slower ...! LOL
Weather has been warm and beautiful, with summer temps returning in the afternoons. I picked the final fig from my trees and my first persimmon. The fall apples have started to arrive, and I am in heaven. My favorites - Pinova (very hard for me to find in my part of North Carolina), Honey Crisp and Pink Cripps -- YUMM!!!! I see a lot of apple dishes on my menu!
Hope you have a great weekend!
Monday, September 30, 2013
Rose Hips - Happy Birthday
to me!
7" x 9"
Arches 140#CP
Today is one of those milestone birthdays and we've spent the weekend celebrating. A wonderful dinner out on Friday, birthday party with friends on Saturday and a lovely dinner with my son, grands and in-laws yesterday ... all delicious, fun, wonderful, heart-warming - and all helping make this 'getting older' business much easier and far more pleasant! LOL
The weather too has been incredibly glorious! Fall blue skies, bright sunshine, slight breeze, and a sky show of clouds that makes "looking up" both a metaphor and a reality. We've seen hay bales, fields turned golden yellow with rudbeckias and goldenrod, spots of crimson among the sumac and dogwoods, new apples in the grocery stores, the promise of festivals and fairs over the next few weeks, and the whisper of change on the wind.
It's been one of those weekends filled with all of my favorite things -- and a gift beyond measure.
I am truly grateful and send a warm, heart-felt thank you to my friends and family here for their love and support and encouragement. Blessings.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Bittersweet Berries in Gold
7 1/2" x 11"
Arches 140#CP
While visiting my mom, I would often take a short walk along the woodland roadsides that border my sister's road. I am always enthralled by the treasures I find in these 'wild' areas. This year, the bittersweet had already set seed and the berries were mustard in color - a deeper brown/yellow than the leaves I've painted. I plucked a bit of branch to bring inside to paint. After a few hours, though, the golden husks of the berries had shattered, exposing the most glorious orange/red seeds ... and creating the subject ripe for painting.
As the days went by, I found more 'shattered' husks as more of the golden bittersweet turned crimson with seed and brightened the roadside foliage. Leaves were beginning to turn color in earnest, and I was enjoying the orange, gold and russet of the sassafras as well as the bright red of sumac.
Here at home the sycamore and tulip poplar have already turned a rich mustard/gold and in some cases, earth-brown as they fall fast from the trees.
I really do love this season, and it won't be long before I'll have enough under my feet for crunching!
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Dahlia Collection Bayard Cutting Arboretum, LI, NY
While visiting my sisters and mom this past 10 days, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend an afternoon with my dear friends Susan T. (www.flickr.com/photos/52358552@N06/) and Joan T. (www.flickr.com/photos/23074176@N08/) at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum (www.bayardcuttingarboretum.com/).
The day couldn't have been more gorgeous - blue skies, mild temps, sunshine -- and a garden filled with blooms! We visited the area near the community gardens where the Dahlia collection was housed and in full glory. We sat among the vegetables and sunflowers and painted plein air together. It has been so long since I've done any plein air work -- such fun, and to chat and enjoy the scenery, flowers, and weather with good friends - was just a bit of heaven!
The time, of course, went far too fast -- but I hope to see these gals again soon.
Thank you again, Susan and Joan for a most delightful afternoon!
Please see
http://www.flickr.com/photos/linfrye
for dozens of photos from this trip including plein air sketch.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Orange Leaves of Fall
12" x 16"
Arches 140#CP
WELCOME TO FALL!!
The weather in New York has been incredibly fall-like --- warm, pleasant days, blue skies, and cool crisp evenings.
Leaf color is changing slowly here - but already the berries are formed and turning colors, seedpods are drying and the reds of sumac are showing themselves. I picked some bittersweet for our table- yellowed berried and golden leaves. By morning, the pods had opened to reveal bright red capsules.
Mom has had a good week and it's been a joy to spend time with her doing the things my sisters do daily for her care. I had a couple of days to visit with my sisters - and that too was marvelous.
The time, though, always flies, and it will be good to get home again and resume my life there. With loved ones scattered across the country, though, it often feels like bits of my heart are left here and there and only truly united when all of us can all be together.
Used to be when I was younger and more foolish, I wished for things ... but now, older and I hope more wise, I wish for TIME -- the only thing we can't save, borrow, or hang onto.
It truly makes that saying 'Live each day to its fullest' even more urgent.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Colorful Falls
Arches 140#CP
Summer temps have returned, but my mind is already geared for fall and for playing a bit with new color combinations.
This painting is an interpretation of the waterfall (cascade) that I photographed when I was visiting Doris in the spring.
www.flickr.com/photos/linfrye/8984863108/
You can see how I cropped the photo and simplified the subject ... and changed the greens to more colorful paints. It was a lot of fun!! and not as 'bright' as it appears on some monitors. The pinks and purples are more subtle in real life.
I'll be on and off line for a while as I care for my mom ...
Friday, September 06, 2013
White Roses
6" x 6"
Arches 140#CP
The high heat of the summer is less intense these days as we make our way toward fall. Bright greens have dimmed and the yellows and purples that tend to mark the onset of autumn can be found in wild flowers and in garden beds.
Mums are finding their way to retail shelves along with bright pansies. And for my garden, the last of the roses are bidding the summer adieu.
This small splash and splatter was a demo for one of my classes .. I like the use of turquoise in it - to me, at least this year, it seems to fit the seasonal color shift.
Have a great weekend.
Monday, September 02, 2013
Bittersweet Berries - Welcome September!
12" x 16"
Arches 140#CP
According to local weather forecasters, today is the 'meteorological' start of fall. To my eyes, the season, at least in my part of North Carolina, has been gradually showing herself in the hints of yellowing leaves, the appearance of fall yellow flowers - Helianthus and Coreopsis varieties), the browning of the sedges, the start of another haying season.
The muscadines are ripe now on the wild vines, the berries of the hollies and sumac are finally red, and the beauty berries are starting to turn their autumn purple.
The season has started and I plan to enjoy each subtle change and color.
I haven't found bittersweet berries nearby yet, so I painted these from a photo taken last year while visiting my sisters. I love their reds and golds and how they seem to herald the season.
Have a most marvelous week!
Thursday, August 29, 2013
The Pond in Fall
1/8 Sheet
Arches 140#CP
Already the light is changing in the late August sky. I've spotted dogwoods already kissed with a red blush, tulip trees have begun dropping their leaves, and the emerald green of summer is fading to tarnish. My ornamental grasses have developed their plumage, and the figs are almost gone. School has begun in earnest, and the last horrah of summer is ahead this weekend.
I LOVE the fall - with its harvests and ripening, colors and berries, seeds and apples, campfires and holidays. Though our summer this year, feeling shortened by cool temperatures and rain, has been incredibly pleasant, I am eager for the fall and all the culmination it represents.
This painting was done in preparation of a larger work and the use of a few new paint colors. I'm already collecting leaves for fal projects and hunting for berries. There are a few apple festivals coming up, the State Fair, and other joyous events.
I'm making preparations -- how about you?
Have a great weekend!
Monday, August 26, 2013
Sunflowers - pen and wash
140# Arches 140#CP
Thank you all for your well wishes for the festival. It was fun, exciting and successful! The day couldn't have been more beautiful - sunshine, low humidity, and not too warm. There were over 50,000 people at the festival, and the sea of humanity kept walking and talking and looking and laughing, eating and enjoying hour after hour. I want to acknowledge the tremendous help of my husband and friends who were there with me talking with customers, dashing for snacks, setting up, tearing down, and supporting my efforts. I owe them a huge amount of thanks.
School begins this week for my North Carolina grandchildren. In these final days of August I too return to enjoy the last of the sunflowers as they say good bye to the season of light and heat. Already I see their yellows mirrored in the fields and here and there among the trees .... I hear the words of John Denver this morning from his song "Fall" ....
"Reflections in the water like shadows in my mind
Speak to me of passing days and nights and passing time
The falling leaves are whispering, winter's on its way
I close my eyes remembering the warmth of yesterday
It seems a shame to see September swallowed by the wind
And more than that it's oh so sad to see the summer's end
And though the changing colors are a lovely thing to see
If it were mine to make a change, I think I'd let it be
But I don't remember hearing anybody asking me ....."
Enjoy the week and the warmth and the sunshine!