Impressions

It was funny how the two of them kept matching their clothes. It was like they planned it.

I am joining my sweet friends, Mamabyrd and A Huntsville Gathering in their Friday Impressions. If there was a photo of the week that has left an impression on you please feel free to share it with us.

The Little Fox

The Kit Fox

12x12

Oil on Canvas

When you have children, there is whole world of things that you are repeatedly exposed to. "Cute" things are certainly on that list. How could I not paint this!? We had the rare opportunity to watch a fox this last spring and summer. It lived and played...and probably ate my neighbors chickens, on this log in full view of our backyard. In the spring there were two foxes playing on the log and it was sooooo much fun to watch them!

I hope we will see them again soon! Please come spring!

Sara and the Babies

Sara and the Babies

12x12

Oil on Panel

This is one of those paintings that I REALLY want to paint much bigger than I know my life can manage right now. But rather than wait, I have resigned myself to paint the paintings that are inspiring me, just keep it small.

I could not wait to paint this image any longer. It is such a beautiful moment. I have sketched it out multiple times, and  I have been itching to try it out with paint. I have learned soooo much with this experience. It has me very excited to start the next one.  

I pulled this image from a friends blog. Technically though, I did take the picture. She was so picturesque standing over by the water with her twins. We share of love of photography so I took the liberty of grabbing her camera and started snapping pictures. She had no idea I had the camera at this point. Could she be more breathtaking! In my experience, most of the women and mothers I know are so humble they have no idea how breathtaking they truly are. It has become an unofficial mission of mine to try and help them have a glimpse of what the rest of us see in them.....inspired beauty!

Trappers Loop in October

Trappers Loop in October

12x12

Oil on Panel

My most favorite stretch of road, Trappers Loop. It is breathtaking year round. At one point the view makes you feel like you are literally on top of the world. This is just one angle. I have great painting plans for this road.......this is just the beginning:)

The Corner Barn

The Corner Barn

5x7

Oil on Canvas

This was a quick little painting from a photo my Dad and I took together. Over the last year my camera and I have visited this barn, frequently. Brace yourselves, this is not likely to be the last painting of this barn. :)

The Apple Leaf

The Apple Leaf

10x8

Oil on Canvas

We have some beautiful apple trees on our property. This fall I was supposed to be raking them up and putting them in garbage cans, but they were so distracting! They were so beautiful! Every leaf turning to fall so differently. I "saved" about 40 and pressed them. This is the first one.

Blue Roof Barn

Blue Roof Barn

5x7

Oil on Canvas

This is another barn that my Dad and I found to photograph one day. I love working from my Dad's old photos. I feel like we are collaborating. 

Summer Night

Summer Night

12x12

Oil on Panel

Maybe it's the coming of Valentines Day..I don't know, but I have been very inspired by the idea of LOVE these days. This is one of those images I have been looking at and experimenting with for a while. It felt like it was time to put it to paint. 

This couple is for real, just a young couple, really in love, and they let me follow them around last summer and take a few pictures of them. We took this walk on a summer night, and they were later married...on a summer night. The title seemed fitting. They have a sweet and sincere love. It is inspiring.

The Red Barn

The Red Barn

14x11

Oil on Canvas

One day my parents, my husband and my young baby and I went for a ride in the mountains, just as the leaves were changing. My Dad and I took our cameras and took pictures together. Our sweet spouses endured a lot of stopping and long pauses without a single complaint, just so my Dad and I could take pictures of the scenery. It was such a beautiful, breathtaking day. This red barn was so picture perfect, we had a really long pause at this barn. I had no idea, years later, this exact barn would become my neighbor.

The Swim Lesson

The Swim Lesson

6x6

Oil on Panel

One of the sweetest treats about my life is that I get to live every day in a world full of beautiful women and their breathtaking children. I am forever inspired by the people who surround me. I am very lucky in this way. I live in a Mary Cassatt painting:)

Be Still

Be Still

12x12

Oil on Panel

I came across this image some time ago. I have been hanging on to it for awhile, just casually sketching it and thinking about what it would be like as a painting. Perhaps it is because I personally know these two beautiful people, but I have been feeling super inspired by this image. Individually they are beautiful people, but their relationship is as sweet and sincere as you will ever find. 

So, here is the first painting of the year.

The Spooky Owl

This week's square painting was inspired by the coming holiday and my children. 

How they loooooove all things Halloween.

Baby Owl, 12x12 inches, Oil on Canvas

Maple Leaf

Maple Leaf, 12x12 inches, Oil on panel

My children and I went for a walk on Sunday evening. Wow! The trees are lit up around here!

My little ones helped me pick the perfect leaf to paint. 

The Black Widow

This beauty is about 5x7 inches, created with ink and watercolor.

I just loved how she turned out!

The First Apple

The First Apple
12x12
Oil on Canvas

One year ago, on October 1st, we moved to the cutest house in the world.

Among the many things we loved it had four mature and beautiful apple trees.

The trees looked like this in the spring

The apples are so beautiful and plentiful, I felt inspired to paint today's painting.

Maybe on our 2nd year anniversary, I'll paint 2 apples.

Barn

I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world!

Sketching

Sketching.

It is probably my most favorite part of starting a painting.

My paintings always begin with a sketch.

I absolutely love to draw.

The Morning Workout

"Currently I am studying swimmers and their graceful, often playful movements. I have discovered wonderful patterns of energy created with the interaction of light and color. I have just painted my way through a study of my little pink swimmers. I was so intrigued by the combination of childlike energy with the quiet grace of movement found so often in the water. I chose pink, as it seemed the perfect color to recall the playfullness of childhood.

 Additionally,  the shadows of these swimmers have caught my eye as there is so much life and energy in these simple and charming forms. I was interested to see how I could show the interaction of people and relationships in the simplicity of their shadows. The possibilities are exciting and endless."

My most recent swimmer is everything about water paintings that I love. Light, color, distortion, movement. It is on its way to Horne Fine Art for the show on September 20th.

The Morning Workout, Oil, 30x24 inches

The art show will be beautiful. There will be a couple new artist and their work is lovely. Of course Karen Horne and her mother Phyllis will be showing their latest and forever breathtaking work.

The Latest

This year has been great so far.

Some great little paintings have come off the easel.

 The titles are not necessarily permanent yet, but here they are.... 

Mother and Daughter

11x14, Oil

 Swimming in Pink

 9x12, Oil

Pink Silhouette

12x12, Oil

Testing the Water

28x22, Oil

Women Like These

I am so, so blessed to have amazing women in my life. 



8x10 inches, The Blessing Day, Oil



8x10 inches, The Beach in Autumn, Oil

Beautiful, Amazing, Inspiring Women

 

Priceless