..A Spot of Heaven on Earth

“A work of art is above all an adventure of the mind.” – Eugene Ionesco

Each year Lynn Wallin (my artistic soulmate) and I plan a art painting vacation. Our respective husbands are very supportive of this endeavor as they get to play endless rounds of golf while we pursue our creative passion. This year we decided upon the California Wine Country, with it's countless opportunities for plein air art painting and for golf...everyone wins. Wine country isn't just about wine...it is a lifestyle. The picturesque rolling hills planted with vineyards and wineries dot the landscape and provide endless opportunities for creativity.

Day 1 of our adventure began by heading south towards Sonoma. Without the comforts of my studio in Orlando I found myself having to prop my easel on the trunk of the rental car and sitting on the hotel luggage rack. It was a sight to behold, however was quickly forgotten as I lifted my paintbrush and started sketching and filling in the canvas with what was before me. This painting is representative of the Sonoma landscape which is ringed by world class wineries

On the Road To Sonoma

Day 2 of our creative pursuit started with Lynn and I heading out in the early hours to capture the morning light in the valley. After two hours of scouting for a location that had that 'WOW' factor we came upon "Clos Du Val". Clos du Val is a world-class vineyard and has been producing wines for over 40 years. They are best known for their Cabernet Sauvignon. On this particular day we were not blessed with the ideal conditions for plein air art painting. However we were not to be deterred. The wind was blowing so hard Lynn had to tether her easel to the trunk of the tree to keep it from blowing over. I had to sit on the infamous hotel luggage stand and hold on to my paint box.  Despite the conditions this painting is my favorite of the three pieces, so much so that I painted a larger on 16x20.

Clos Du Val

On a matter of interest the roses planted at the end caps of the rows of grape vines serve a specific purpose and are not merely decorative accoutrements. The rose brushes are there to alert the growers when a disease or fungus is on its way to threaten the grape vines.

Day 3 of our adventure and we headed north to Yountville. Napa Valley is not large; it is about 30 miles long and 5 miles wide at its widest point which made traversing the many areas relatively easy. Yountville is the unofficial culinary capital of the Napa Valley and centrally located. The red barn framed by the California eucalyptus trees and the Mayacamus mountains in the background were hard to resist so we set up our makeshift art studio and wallowed away several hours filling in the blank canvas with our paint brushes. 

Yountville

At day's end Lynn and I setup yet another makeshift studio in the courtyard of our hotel to allow us to continue working on our paintings. Bruce and Ned decided to join us after their hard earned rounds of golf and we all participated in the "fruit of the vine". The image below is included with much humor; men and their toys. In this case, our creative pursuits were trumped by technology. Nonetheless we look forward to our journey together in 2014.

Art as Story Telling

“Story is the vehicle we use to make sense of our lives in a world that often defies logic.” – Jim Trelease

Art is storytelling and the narrative can be presented in many ways. The two paintings, ‘Come Sit With Me’ tell the story of my father’s family collection of antique cups. My father, who is 92, remembers his mother serving tea in these cups when she gathered with her group of women friends for tea and friendship.  These delicate and fragile teacups have stood the test of time.  These pieces of porcelain which hold such sentimental value together with the book, "Three Cups of Tea" provided the inspiration for the paintings. The theme of the book and the teacups convey the belief that relationships take time and sharing tea together provides the chance to deepen those relationships. This premise provided the basis for the title to the paintings.

"Come Sit With Me"

"Come Sit With Me II"

The painting, “Amen Corner” is a story in itself. Amen Corner is located at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta Georgia. Augusta National has played host to the annual Masters Tournament since 1934.  This particular painting was actually commissioned by a client whose only stipulation was that the painting be of a widely recognized golf hole. So with that in mind I sought the counsel of a golf aficionado, my husband, who suggested this most photographed hole in golf.  With that “Amen Corner” was created.

"Amen Corner"

In keeping with the theme of art telling a story, “Florida Summer” was visualized and created to convey the mood and feeling of a typical Florida afternoon as the rain clouds begin to form.

"Florida Summer"

“Sarasota 2013” was conceived and created while on a painting excursion in Sarasota with my good friend and painting soulmate, Lynn Wallin. It was a cold March morning, but undeterred we positioned ourselves at the city marina and proceeded to capture on canvas what was before us. Although it was very cold and windy, there were many walking enthusiasts out for their early morning constitutional and they did not hesitate to comment on our efforts. The painting attempts to convey the tranquility of the area.

"Sarasota-2013"

The last piece that I was able to complete prior to embarking on a short vacation to California was the result of yet another excursion, this time a little closer to home, to the Orlando Wetlands Park.  Orlando Wetlands Park comprises 1,650 acres of hardwood, hammocks, marshes and lakes. My photography friend, Laura Knight and I set off on yet another early cold morning. As we traversed one section of the park this stand of palm trees with their reflections in the water brought a smile to my face and the picture they created reminded me of a water wheel; or a Ferris wheel in the middle of the wetlands.  As that was the story I wanted to tell I set up my easel and proceeded to sketch an outline, which resulted in the creation of this painting.

"Wetlands Water Wheel"