french broad crossing

This weekend we are visiting our friend Lee in North Carolina, a little much-needed time in the mountains. We crossed over the French Broad River at dusk tonight on our way here, and paused to take in the view. Most often when we travel here, we seem to get to the mountains after dark, but we were fortunate to witness the golden hour in the midst of still-bare mountainsides and winding streams. Looking forward to a beautiful next few days. As always when I am camping or in a remote area, I may not be able to post each day, but will post the pieces as soon as possible.

on the path

I found this image in a group of photos we recently had developed from Derek's old 35mm camera. Apparently the film had been in the camera since it was replaced by my digital SLR two years ago, so it was a roll full of little surprises. Neither of us could recall the location of this image, though, even though it was by far the most intriguing one in the stack. I loved the dramatic light and the way the path led into the distance.

water tower

I ended up in a part of town this afternoon where I would normally not step out of my car. I had to step out of my car today, however, to have some repairs done. While I waited outside in the sunshine, I realized that I hadn't really experienced the urban, industrial neighborhood on foot before, and it felt strangely comfortable. I liked the concrete, the textures, watching people coming and going. I spotted this old water tower a few blocks away and thought it would be a good thing to paint today.

pencil cactus

Today was the first official day of spring, and it completely lived up to its reputation. All this sunshine put me in the mood for plant shopping, even though technically our last frost here is not until April 15th. After a few good frost-prevention tips from my garden guru at Gardens of Babylon in the Farmers' Market, I carefully selected my first flat of the season: an odd collection of snapdragons, sweet basil, hens-and-chicks, sedum, and two very cool cacti. One of my prized finds is a thornless prickly pear rumored to reach five feet in three years (assuming my black thumb doesn't kill it first), and the other is the subject of today's painting: a pencil cactus, reaching out with spindly "arms" for the light that promises only to grow brighter and hotter as spring comes to stay.

raccoon skull study

Today I introduced the study of the human skeleton to my portfolio class. The students loved it, especially since Watkins is blessed with a real human skeleton for their life drawing studio. Of course, this is a somewhat rare thing to find (most biology study skeletons are plastic), and to a class full of teenagers, a real human skeleton is a pretty cool thing. I have to confess that it was a pretty cool thing to me, too! I have a fondness for collecting skeletons and skulls, something only my closest friends know about me. It began when I studied with Chris Misencik-Bunn back in high school--she is an amazing artist and her husband is a game warden with an incredible collection of confiscated taxidermy (from poachers and those who possessed the specimens illegally). Thus began my "natural history museum." Since then, with the help of my dear father, I have collected all sorts of skulls, bones, and various other natural treasures. It started out for the benefit of my students' drawings, but it really is more because I like to have these things around. This is a raccoon skull that my father found and cleaned for me, and in the spirit of studying bones (and my current lack of human specimens), I decided to paint it today.

butterfly

Today I began teaching a portfolio class for teens at Watkins College of Art and Design here in Nashville. It was quite enjoyable working with that age group again (it has been several years since I have had the opportunity). We were doing projects focused on still life drawing, and I found it a little difficult to watch over their shoulders instead of joining in. I brought many "props," most of which included natural objects like skulls, flowers, etc. The most enticing was a jar of dead butterflies I collected last year in a friend's greenhouse, trapped inside (already dead, alas). I think this was a black swallowtail whose "swallowtails" have broken off...please correct me if I'm wrong.

hidden lake

Today was a perfect early spring day, so we took the opportunity to explore some new territory in the Harpeth River State Park Complex at a natural area called Hidden Lakes. After hearing plenty of rumors about the beauty of this hideaway, we finally explored it for ourselves wih some friends this afternoon. It certainly lived up to its reputation... beginning with a bluebird trail, the path winds past a dry streambed, through old overgrown farmland along the Harpeth River floodplain. It splits to traverse a beautiful cliff overlooking the first of the hidden lakes, and the lower trail leads to an even more beautiful lake surrounded by limestone cliffs and cedar. It all made for the perfect afternoon, and much anticipation for summer to arrive.

forest floor

This is an image I have wanted to paint since early last fall. This spot seemed almost magical to me when I came upon it in the forest, with its deep shadows and carpet of pale-blue flowers. I plan to do a larger version of it later this week.

robin

When I was growing up in Ohio, we always watched eagerly for the first robins to return, as they signfied the return of spring. Every year, we would find at least one nest on the front porch with pale blue eggs and watch as the babies ate, grew, and fledged. Here in Tennessee, we seem to have robins year-round, but I seem to notice them more this time of year and think of their reminder of new life.

southern sunset

I painted a large version of this piece earlier in the week. I have been experimenting with different palettes for skies, different times of the day, etc. The image is from northern Georgia, a beautiful farm that we passed by once at just the right time of day.

winter skies

I have been spending a great deal of time in the studio this week, so many of the pieces are small studies for potential larger pieces. This is another image from my trip to Ohio. I think the final piece will be more vertical in format.

emerging

At last, I am able to post images again! This piece is from earlier in the week when I first noticed blossoms coming in on the tree outside the window. I thought it was a beautiful sign of spring coming.

technical difficulties

For the last two days, I have been unable to post images, so even though I havve been painting, I have no way to get the pieces online. We bloggers have been assured that they "are working on the problem" and it should be fixed soon, so in the meantime I will keep painting each day and post the images as soon as possible. Sorry!

beaman park

Today we made a truly thrilling discovery: an amazing park only 15 minutes away. The weather was so perfect here today that we just had to get out of the house for a hike. Derek had heard of a park donated to the city by the Beaman family, and we had never bothered to explore it, thinking it would be like many of the other city parks-- nice, but overused and with little freedom or privacy. We were happy to be proven wrong! The park itself is 1500 acres of steep terrain, with a shallow, clear creek cutting through limestone bluffs. There are no old trees left near the trails, but this early in the spring, the view is clear from the ridge of surrounding hills and valleys. We only met a couple of fellow hikers on the trail, a definite plus. I felt what most other women must feel when they hear that their favorite store is opening down the block! I look forward to watching the seasons change there this year.

roots

Since today was a gorgeous spring day here in Tennessee, we decided to go to a favorite creek near Derek's childhood home with our friends Brian and Nicole (and Nicole's parents, who are visiting). We have long been promising Nicole that we would take her to our "secret" creek, where we have collected hundreds of crinoid fossils over the last few years. Nicole is almost as much of a nerd as I am, with a penchant for collecting unusual rocks and artifacts. With a degree in Biology instead of art, she actually knows the origin of many of these precious finds. We had a wonderful afternoon wading in the creek, taking pictures, and finding hundreds more fossils to add to our personal "natural history museums."

model in profile

In my figure class this week we had our first male model, and the session was excellent. I did this small study from a 20 minute drawing, so it is fairly loose and vague, but I really liked the emotion of the pose.

daffodil

I broke one of my own rules today. I swore to myself when I began this blog that I would not paint any fruits or flowers. Not that they are bad subjects, they are just not things I would typically paint. Today, however, it was so warm and beautiful that I ventured outside to find (much to my surprise) clusters of daffodils in the backyard. I desperately wanted an excuse to sit outside and paint, so I decided to break my own rule and paint this flower today. My fellow painters will relate to the joy I found in discovering a new color combination for the background: a blend of alizarin crimson and old holland golden green.

blue skies

Today in Nashville the skies were blue and it felt like spring. I wanted to paint a blue sky piece to commemorate the day, and I chose an image that I photographed in Kentucky on Friday of some remarkable clouds. Even though it is not the exact sky that we had overhead today, I think the image embodies the freedom and awe of a sudden sunny day after many dreary ones.

bare fields

I am still experimenting with images from the Ohio trip this week. My father suggested we drive out to this farm, where a beautiful old farmhouse once stood. Now it is only a treeline at the top of the hill that distinguishes the landscape. I liked the small crust of snow that grazed the frozen mud in the field.

icy day

I certainly liked the actual experience of this place better than the painting of it. Wanting to get in one last hike in Ohio (such close proximity to rural, unpopulated lands is too tantalizing), my father and I took the dogs out to the USDA research station where he works. We often walk there when I visit, since there are a few thousand acres of vacant land at the end of a highway and we usually have the place to ourselves on the weekends. This time he took me to a place I had not seen, down a hill through woods thick with deer (which my dog was thrilled to chase) and briars, to a small pond at the base of a valley, encircled by rolling bare hills. The timber had been cut in a wide swath near the pond's edge, leaving stark stumps and empty trunks towering above. It was a place of solitude...perhaps a little too much. I look forward to seeing it in the summertime, when the leaves and flowers are out and it seems more like a sanctuary than a cloister.