A warm summer afternoon, a gentle breeze blowing through my studio, and my heart side sitting with me as we listen to a recording of Ram Dass talking about getting old. I started by painting Mount Si. When that was done, oh the obvious, I realize I have a perfect model before me. So first I painted his face. Oh, I didn’t want to stop. So I painted his hands. Hands are very hard to paint (says the lady who paints portraits). Sometimes I put hands into a portrait for the challenge. Other times, like this, there was no way to get them both into the same plane. So I painted them each separately. What a beautiful day!
I just finished the portrait of a blue persian cat named Rain. He was a beloved companion for 17 years before he crossed the rainbow bridge. Lucky for me, the grey or blue coat color in cats is one of my favorites, I love the way the colors in the coat change all over the cat. This particular little cat liked to watch the world from his trellis.
All proceeds from this commission will go to the International Society for Endangered Cats. They work all over the world, both educating people about how precious their local wild species are, and also studying the cats in the wild.
If you asked me what I liked best about Bulgaria, besides the fresh fruits and vegetables, it would have to be the fact that people there still use horses as a means to get from one place to another. The best part about these horses was that they were obviously well loved and well cared for. Every horse I saw was in optimum condition, well fed, with glossy coats. These two young men were bringing some fresh hay home in their cart. I bet it was itchy. In the distance, you can see a cell tower. I included it so that there was no mistaking that this is a modern scene. This is a quarter sheet painted on fine Arches watercolor paper. It is for sale.
Ok, I said I wasn’t going to paint any boats. But a friend suggested we go to the Center for Wooden Boats, so I did. At first I struggled with horizons and greenery, but then I discovered this boat. It was glowing in the sun. The reflection was glowing in the water. The dock was even glowing. It was a beautiful day to be outside in the fresh air.
I spent two weeks in Bulgaria with Stella Canfield. Every day we drove, we passed by fields of green; they were sunflowers. Sunflowers are one of the biggest cash crops in Bulgaria, they are used to make sunflower oil. But the flowers weren’t open. As our two weeks flew to a close, I feared they would not open before we left. Finally, the day before we left Provadia, we witnessed the most incredible sight. Sunflowers, open, all facing the east. The fields were so big, they reached the horizon. Fields of yellow stretching towards the sky. Truly a beautiful sight.
