Chiminea

What picture comes to mind when you think of the word cozy? 

One year I waited on the deck while my husband and son carried the oddest anniversary present I could have ever imagined... a chiminea!  I'm sure my mouth gaped as I pasted on a smile.  But, sometimes the very best gifts are the unexpected ones that you never even knew you wanted.

I love my chiminea.  I've seen them as decoration on porches, but mine is more than a decoration.  We actually use it.  On fall evenings when there's a chill in the wind, sitting right in front of a roaring chiminea fire is the perfect place to be... cozy...

What an honor to be featured in Etsy treasuries (collection of art pieces and vintage items)!  Click on two to celebrate staying warm when it's cold.  Click It's Cold Outside... So Warm Up! and  It Warms You in the Coolness to enjoy the treasuries. And, one other collection celebrates all that a weekend morning has to offer, Lazy Weekend Morning. Finally, click on Match Game for a little matching fun.

Original oil painting on 9x12 Canvas Board
[SOLD]

Sunflowers

What color is autumn?

Maybe gold, red, yellow... I think it must be orange.  Besides the leaves, there are mums,  pumpkins... and Halloween!

Although I embrace chilly mornings and longer evenings, I still need little flashes of sunshine or reminders of warmth like a sunflower can give.

Send a little spark of sun with "Sunflower Note Cards."


These cards were featured in an Etsy treasury (collection or art pieces and vintage items) celebrating sunflowers.  Visit  "Simply Sunflowers" to enjoy the treasury.

Colorado Memories

When a family member asks, "Remember when..." where does your mind go?


These are the words of a friend who asked me to paint this 'memory' for her.
     "Our trip to the campground was the same every year.  We would go up the windy switchback mountain road with my grandpa driving.  We would all be nervous because he would be busy looking to see if the reservoir was up or down (he was a farmer that used that water) while driving.   We would pull into the campground, put the watermelon in the stream to cool, and eat our KFC (Grandpa’s favorite).  We would then go to the meadow for a game of wiffle ball.  We used  dried cow patties for bases. Grandpa always pitched and Grandma always kept score for the game that always ended in a tie.  After the game we would eat our watermelon.  Some would hike, some would throw rocks in the creek, and others would sit and visit at the picnic tables.  Before dark we would head back down the mountain…still nervous about Grandpa watching the road."

Purple Hyacinth

Why do roses get all the credit?

Mmmmm..... What a lovely fragrance the hyacinth has!  This one was a gift from a student.  After I enjoyed it inside for a while, I divided it and planted it in my front flower bed. 

Now, don't misunderstand... I love flowers, but I'm a vegetable gardener at heart.  My poor flower bed... I wish I'd give it attention, but I rarely do.  That's why I like hardy bulb plants that I don't think will need me.  Somehow I'm always amazed each spring when, indeed, those determined flowers return and do their best to make my flower bed beautiful.

These little hyacinths have done just that. ....Mmmmm... I can almost smell them now even though they're months away.

 

Two Etsy treasuries called Spring is in the Air and  Spring Flower Inspired Color Palette celebrate all the colors of the season. Or have a look at another treasury called Nowrouz Moubarak  to learn a little about the Persian New Year through its symbols.

Cottage in Fall Forest

What would you do if you could spend a week in this cottage?

It's imaginary, and I painted it so I get to decide what you see and don't see.  I say there are no nearby cell phone towers.  There is no internet, no cable, and no highway just beyond the trees.  There are no magazines, newspaper deliveries, or bills to be paid. There is a crackling fire and a stack of split logs just outside a back door.  There is a cozy chair a soft blanket beside a shelf filled with books.  There's an easel with a blank canvas, brushes, and tubes of paint.  There is some cookie dough in the refrigerator.  There is a yellow cat curled up on the pages of an open book.  

Ahhh.... If only....

And, ok, let's be honest.. the Blackberry still works...

I entered this piced in a challenge that encouraged artists to think about "Color" and what colors represent in different contexts.  Visit "In the Moment" to see the other "color" pieces.

This painting was featured in an Etsy treasury (collection of art and vintage items) celebrating autumn.  Click "Fabulously Fall" to enjoy it.

It was also chosen to be in a group of pumpkin paintings in a lovely blog called SixThirtyThree.

Pickin' Punkins

How do you know which pumpkin is the perfect pumpkin?


I think this little one would say it's the biggest one she can pick up and carry!  


And, how do you know which pumpkin is perfect to carve into a jack-o-lantern? 


I don't think this little one would care just as long as you didn't pick her perfect pumpkin!


[SOLD]

Autumn Leaves

What's the best thing about autumn?


Is it the smell of the first smoke from fireplaces, the crispness of the morning air, the kickoffs of a new football season, the spices like sage that we seem to save for this time of year, snuggling under a favorite blanket?   Or, is it simply the changing leaves?


 This little painting was done as a challenge for Rookie Painter.  I love the concept of this site - an image is presented then artists are invited to create and share art inspired by that image. It's so interesting to see the diversity in style.  


When I decided to paint this one, I knew I wanted a long canvas, but I didn't have one; there wasn't one on the shelf in the art store either.  So, I decided to try painting on an artist's panel. Very different, odd not the have the give or springiness of canvas.  I haven't yet decided whether I will use it on a regular basis.  In some ways I did like it, but in others I'm undecided.  Anyone else have opinions? 


An Etsy treasury (collection or art pieces and vintage items) celebrating a year of seasons includes "Autumn Leaves."  Click on Catch a Falling,  Fall Leaves...Fall Foliage,  Fallen Leaves,  Atutum: The Most Wonderful  Time of the Year or The Colors of Autumn to put you in the mood for fall.

[SOLD]

Feed the Ducks

Why is it that the simplest things in life often bring the greatest joy?

The thing I love most about this painting is the joy in the grandmother's (actually she's a "Memaw".) face.  I don't think it's the ducks that are making her laugh.  I think it's the simple happiness of sharing the moment with the little one beside her.


To purchase a giclee of this painting, click "Feed the Ducks."