Flowers in my life

As I approached the flower area at Kroger recently, I felt my heart leap and my spirit gladden. My nose and pores all tingled. Colors, textures, lines, fragrances - as they each lift their proud faces to me, or shyly turned away. To be chosen to come home with me - or not. Over the years of my painting, I have looked deeply into their souls, and in turn, they have peered into mine. We bond. With each study, sketch or painting, I come closer to knowing how my spirit depends on continuing this bond of getting to know and cherish flora. And our worlds intertwine. 

The travels of the pale spider

The nearly white spider and I nearly collided

on the path from the library

The breeze carried her away a bit - then the nearly invisible thread

continued swinging back and forth

The pale creature kept hanging on - tightening her many legs,

then loosening them once again.

Curling and unfurling on her trapeze -

Her constantly traveling tight rope

I felt the pleasure and exhilaration the spider feels, I suppose,

Sunlight and air and just enough freedom.

Pink kalanchoe in golden basket

Soft pink blossoms

Tiny dots of green pierce each bud

The clusters nestle and rest 

Between shiny green leaves

Enamaled slices of jade

Perfectly placed in their gilded basket home

A friend's living room in the historic district of Savannah

   

  My dear friend is a collector of the most intriguing and elegant furnishings, art, artifacts, and ephemera. As the French would say, he has the gift of being able to dénicher, or unearth, sometimes glamorous, sometimes retro, sometimes whimsical, objects, often elegant They are all filtered through his curated eye and then assembled with his zest!

 

A balmy December in Savannah, Georgia with wicker, shutters and palms. Morning light gives a fresh, hopeful perspective on life. And pastel colors have a soothing balm. A warm thank you to Elsie and Keith for generously sharing this perfect loveseat. 

Several projects came together beautifully here, The wooden shutters were being tossed out by a neighbor. They were loaded with many layers of old, hard paint. I surprised myself how determined I was to scrape them properly and then paint them with oil base paint. My friend hung them cleverly from the beam. 

When I "inherited" the loveseat, it was stained dark brown, from its previous life. Many coats of spray paint brought it into my palette. 

The philodendron Basket garden was a gift from beloved Alvin, in honor of my mother. Over 2 years later, it's still thriving. 

The Lilies' Life

 

 

The lilies' life

Always a joy

Having lilies in the house

with their colors - and fragrance

Mingling with the air

As soon as you come in the front door -

Fragrance first

Color and form next

These lilies are in the middle of their lives -

and a cluster of petals -

already at rest -

others continue to open -

bright and optimistic

Kitchen table in the morning

 

Sometimes, I have an inspiration that is spurred on by a few thoughts to write and paint. Simple thoughts can spur on simple paintings. 

Sometimes - life is simple-

Peach carnations on the turquoise linen cloth on the kitchen table

A bank of bamboo in the distance

A field of yellow poppies in the dip of the highway median

A slow cluster of water on the teal marble tabletop in the garden

And a single cardinal comes to rest on the nearby chair

Honor the simplicity