Returning from another Westerly Adventure

Went back out to South Dakota to see Michael's beautiful and smart daughter Aly graduate.  We had a great trip, saw many state parks along the way.  Of course we camped in Max, and Theo got to go.  We decided never to go more than 300 miles a day, and to stop and see the beauty along the way... With a 3200 mile trip, that can take awhile!    But so much more fun to have time to take a morning hike before getting in the van to drive... and to set up camp before sunset, and take time to enjoy a camp fire.  We're back home and I'm busy preparing for an Art Show this week-end, but will be ready to get back on the road for more adventures soon.  My mom is calling me a gypsy!

Here's a view from Hanging Rock State Park - our last stop on the tour...

Arendell Room

This is a painting I've been working on for awhile.  Its from a photo Michael took in the Arendell Room in downtown Morehead City.  We stopped in there the night the SeaFair exhibit closed.  We were trapped on that side of the street because of a long train going to the Port, and our vehicle was on the other side.  Ended up having a great time and really enjoyed meeting folks and people watching...

Greens are nice too...

Our garden is going full tilt boogie.  When I first started painting, I often painted vegetables.  I love the colors in greens, peppers, tomatoes...  These greens are inspiring me to paint them.

Nice light...

...on my palette this morning.  

Neusiok woods

I run or walk a section of the lovely Neusiok trail in the Croatan National Forest almost every day with my dog Theo. Michael goes too, but he runs a lot faster so he is soon way ahead... Theo stays with me and we enjoy our slower pace. Or I should say mine, since Theo runs back and forth at much higher bursts of speed!

Right now the Oyster Point section of the trail is especially beautiful. They did a controlled burn there earlier this year and everything was black. Now spring is taking over and beautiful green ferns are growing up out the dark black ground. Very striking. And now the marsh grasses are appearing purple! Just breathtakingly beautiful... Here's a photo which doesn't do it justice. (If you click on the photo it makes it a bit bigger, which helps). I'm trying to capture a glimpse of it in a few paintings I'm working on. I hope I can convey some part of the beauty that's there...

Minimalist

In my move to the river, I really worked to downsize, both my living space and my "stuff." My family has been teasing me that I've become Minimalist.

Perhaps. But I call it "un-encumbering" and it feels good to me.

So today, after struggling with a landscape painting, I decided to take a break and do a painting of Emily Carr. I just read a fictionalized account of her life as an independent artist in Canada at the turn of the century. Its called The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland. That prompted me to research some of the facts about her, and inspired this little 12" x 12" painting. It too is pretty minimalist, but I like it.

Plein Aire

The Neusiok trail near my home is a continual source of inspiration. In this section near Oyster Point, they completed a controlled burn a few months ago. Now the colors are returning - just beautiful. I got started on a painting there the other day. Not completed yet, but here's the work in progress.