Magenta

 After bypassing this color for so many years, I found that I'm head over heels in love with magenta this spring.  I always considered it to be too bright, too loud or too something for my own palette.  Somehow it crept up on me and wormed it's way into my artist soul.  And looking back, I've always admired this color in other artists' paintings.

 Maybe it's because the crab apple tree looked so luscious this year.  I stare at it through the front window and am amazed that it looks like a giant bouquet of flowers.  At sunset the flowers turn a lovely magenta color.

 The scattered petals at the bottom of the tree on the lawn look like faerie sprinkles.  So utterly charming.

As with any new love affair, it takes a while to work things out.  These small studies are just the beginning, as I certainly need to put in a lot more studio hours into the relationship.  And to be honest, I don't know if this will be a long term relationship or just a fling.  Only time will tell.  But for now, I'm totally enamoured  with magenta.

Studio is Finally Organized

Whew, it took a while to get my downstairs studio organized.  I wrote about it back in October here.  After painting in pastels, then switching to oils, there were so many art supplies, etc. accumulated, that some serious reorganization was in order.  I can finally put my hands on any painting or any thing at any time.  The only thing out of place is the Scrabble game on the wicker bench.  I need to know where to find that at any time too!

I ordered another painting trolley.  The painting at the far right isn't mine.  It's a collaborative effort of different people who were over at the house one night.  They all thought it would be fun to try painting and this is the result.

Now that I feel organized, I can finally concentrate on the important stuff.  Painting!

P.S.  The Space Rover trolly can be found at ASW Express.

April Inspiration

Time for another artist's date.  My husband and I went to Starved Rock State Park last week and stayed in a log cabin for three nights.  Most people think of Illinois as completely flat.  This area is one of rolling hills and canyons and waterfalls.  It was carved out by the glaciers 116 thousand years ago and people come from all over to witness the incredible beauty.

 We walked for miles on the trails throughout the park.  The above photo is Council Bluff.  Of course the photo doesn't do it justice because in reality it resembles a cathedral in the woods.  Legend has it that here is where the Native Americans would come together for community and ceremony.

 I didn't notice the rainbow at the time I took this picture.  Indeed these woods are magical.

Here is one of 18 canyons in the park.  My husband and I have come here in the winter when the waterfalls are actually ice falls.  It's hard to say which time of year is more beautiful.

Trips like this inspire my soul.  There is nothing like being out in nature.

Update:  Sam asked why this place is called Starved Rock.  According to Native American tradition, some Peoria Indians who came under attack by a war party of Potowanami Indians suffered starvation when trapped on a rock without food or water.  You can check out the history of the park here.

Moonlight

Moonlight

12x16

What is it about the night sky that makes us feel in awe?  During the magic hours of night we adjust our eyes to the darkness and peer across the landscape at the silhouettes and shapes.  If there is a moon in the sky, our eyes are naturally riveted to that glowing orb.

No sight is more provocative of awe than is the night sky.

- Llewelyn Powys

Joy in Common Hours

Joy in Common Hours

12x16

This painting painted itself.  I felt like I was along for the ride to see what would happen next.  All I had to do was show up at the easel.  This happens to me occasionally when painting.  Usually it takes a lot more thought, but not this time.  Maybe it had to do with being in the zone.

When my days are uninterrupted, the work flows seamlessly.  Or maybe it has to do with the quality of light at this time of year.  The sunshine streams into my studio now.  There is a promise of Spring.

 It is the first mild day of March.

Each minute sweeter than before...

There is a blessing in the air...

-William Wordsworth

I Could be a Florida Painter in a Different Life

 Naples, FL Sunset

After the BIG snowfall this year in Chicago (20 inches), my husband and I had the opportunity to go on a business trip to Naples, Florida.  It couldn't have come at a better time.  Sunlight deprivation starts setting in this time of year.  After digging out from under the snow and experiencing extreme cold, it was time to head south.  Oh yeah, I forgot how good it feels to walk without worrying about slipping on the ice.  I forgot how the air smells when all is lush and green in the landscape.  

Our back porch after the snowfall

I took this picture through the dining room window before we started digging out.  As you can see, getting out the back door was impossible.  Luckily the front entrance as a big portico, we we were able to go out that way.  The snow was incredibly beautiful.  Especially if you were one of the lucky few who didn't have to remove it. 

Gazing out over the mangrove forest, I took some pictures of the incredible Florida sunsets.  Oh yes, I could definitely be a Florida painter in a different life.  But my lot in life is live with the four seasons.  I do love the four seasons because there is beauty in each.  Here are a couple of WIPs.  Now that we're back in Illinois, I can settle down and finish them.  That is, if there is no more digging out.

Winter Inspiration

 Watercolor painting by Joel Optholt

Finding inspiration in the depth of winter can sometimes be a challenge.  Here in the Chicagoland Midwest, it sometimes feels like we're hibernating in between going about our daily lives of working.   There are the challenges of bundling up every time we step outdoors and moving slower everywhere we go because of the snow.  I think of this time of year as "filling the well".  Here are a few of the things that inspire me.  The above painting was done by my talented brother.  His watercolors are done in a style uniquely his.  I often think of "stealing" some more of his watercolors when I go to his house.

 Evening Pines by Deborah Paris

I feel so lucky to own this original oil painting by Deborah Paris.  I've taken online classes from her and continue to learn from this very talented artist.  Her work has certainly inspired by own painting and      is a constant source of inspiration. This painting hangs in my dining room and I sometimes take it off the wall to examine this painting up close.   

 Landscape Study #28l by Tracy Helgeson

This small landscape study by Tracy Helgeson inspires me on a daily basis.  Tracy is not afraid to use vivid color in her landscapes.  She is a prolific artist and is completely original with her designs.  Here you can see the layers she uses in her painting.  I'm in awe. 

 This is a good time to dust off some old titles in the library.  Reading certainly inspires the soul.

My latest addition to the library is A History of American Tonalism:  1880-1920.  My goal is to read it from cover to cover.  It explains the mentality and philosophy of the American artists in historical terms.  But that's a subject for another post.

Where are all of you gather inspiration from at this time of year?