Day 237 Turning Towards the Sun

This was also painted at the Littleton Historical Museum. It was a cloudy morning and I thought we might get rained on. Since it was not sunny, there was no moving light which actually helped me slow down enough to get two paintings in. Sunflowers, old barns, pumpkins, farm equipment, sheep, pigs - so much to paint out here. Eventually, the sun did come out and then the sunflowers started moving. Nature. Gotta love it.

Turning Towards the Sun
8x10 pastel

Day 236 Right Spot

This morning I painted at the Littleton Historical Museum. I love this place and have many fond memories of bringing my kids here over the years. Todays "animal adventure" involved 2 lambs that escaped the enclosure and desperately wanted back in. The momma sheep kept bleating at them, the lambs bleated back and jammed their heads repeatedly between rails that were too close together. They got their heads stuck a few times and were pretty panicked.

We steered them to an area where there was room to slip back through, but they continued to clunk their heads over and over in the wrong spot. Finally, another woman (with a very young child) grabbed the lambs and shoved them through the right part of the gate. Hero.

Hmmm, I wish someone would come along and just shove me in the right direction sometimes.

Right Spot
9x12 pastel

Anita Winter ended up with an excellent oil painting today

Before the hero mom lifted them up to the higher rail

All's well that ends well!

Day 235 Still

I watched the sun come up today; as I have many, many times -- it really is the best part of the day.
On this particular day I was up at 5 am because the coyotes were yipping and howling. I have a marmot living in the firewood pile and for the past several days the coyotes have been pretty vocal about a possible breakfast right outside my front door. I love nature but occasionally we find some "leftovers" (like an unidentified bone, grizzle attached) in the surrounding woods. Ewww.

Anyway, there were no clouds, no bright colors bursting over the mountains, no drama at all. It felt like the sky was getting up extra slow. It felt peaceful. And still. I've been striving for that feeling of utter calm for the last several years and it has arrived. Only for brief moments but better than never experiencing it at all.

I hope each of you finds a moment to be still in all of our overly busy lives.

Still
8x10 pastel

Day 234 First Snow

I sort of expected to see my first snow of the season this weekend. I'm anticipating a dusting of snow with the aspen trees shimmering gold and I produce some fantastic painting that is the best one I've ever done. Everybody thinks that way, right? It's why we get out of bed each morning, the optimism flowing though our minds that today will be better than yesterday. Or, you just get up because you have to pee.

Well it didn't snow and I haven't churned out the best painting - ever painted - but I've got 117 tries left in me for this year. Today is really the 249th day of the year with 117 left. I'm a little behind. Don't you hate always feeling a little behind? The coyotes woke me up again at 5 am and I worked on 6 different paintings yesterday (none completed) so instead of feeling a little behind, I've going to call today a little ahead.

First Snow
16x20 acrylic

Day 233 Vaker Asp

My neighbor has a swedish aspen tree, its leaves are turning already. It's in the midst of a grove of good old Populus Tremuloides.
"Populus tremuloides is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, one of several species referred to by the common name aspen. It is commonly called quaking aspen, trembling aspen, American aspen, Quakies, mountain or golden aspen, trembling poplar, white poplar ... the list goes on." wikipedia
Damn beautiful I say. The leaves on the Swedish Aspen have a jagged edge rather than a smooth edge, that's about all I know. Since I don't speak Swedish I googled how to say beautiful aspen tree and there's my title. Or possibly, someone at google just made me say a swear word. Who knows.

Vaker Asp
8x10 pastel
sold

day 232 Fall Arrival

September means fall to me. Officially, the first day of fall is September 22 but I'm going to start enjoying it now anyway. The mountains are chilly, and if you look carefully there is a rebel tree or two starting to turn yellow. On the to do list today includes cutting some firewood, breaking out the flannel sheets and making soup in the crock pot. All after a daily painting of course. To be honest, I don't really cut the firewood, hubby does that chore.

Meanwhile, coyotes are yipping and I heard an elk bugle this morning so I say - come on fall!!

Fall Arrival
14x18 pastel
Sold

Day 231 Blending In

For this painting of winter aspen trees, I referenced a photo I took on my iPad. Then I started noticing mysterious lines of purple pastel ... everywhere but in the studio. Counter top in the kitchen. My computer. On some mail. Inside my purse. On a pile of laundry. Damn, the white sheets on my bed. Finally, I discovered the culprit on the felted iPad cover. A thick 4" line of purple dust, gleefully pollinating my whole house with pastel.

Apparently, I managed to set my iPad on a crumbled pastel then as I moved about the house I left streaks of purple EVERYWHERE. I'm easy to pick out in a crowd, I always have a blob of paint or pastel on me somewhere. Unless I'm in a group of artists - then I blend in well.

If you come over, just think Harold and the Purple Crayon. One of my favorite books; remember when you were young enough to think that magic was possible? Instead of being annoyed (let's just say the purple lines will be permanent in several areas) I'm going to smile and remember how much I loved that book. And face it, I'll apologize to my husband but probably continue to spread purple lines around my house, on my clothes and all over my world.

Blending In
18x24 pastel