Sunset, Sunrise, Be Here Now

Time moves on, the seasons turn, I watch and ride the waves...

Sunset at Seaside, Oregon as another full year draws to a close.  But it will never really be gone, as I have lived it, and it is written in my bones to remember the highs and lows as life moves on.

A gentle feather blown about, nestled atop the rocks.  Soon it will be lifted by a breezy beach wind or tumbled by a rising tide.  Who knows where it will find itself next.  Are we like feathers sometimes?

A new year dawns with wide horizon and open skies, many are on the path, who knows who you might meet.  As far as my eye can see, sky and water.  Barely separate, they merge and dance, and beckon.... come.... walk and see.... feel that cool wind touch your cheek....  be in this delicious moment.... here.... now.

Peace, Tradition, and Light

Lights, nostalgia, Chinese and a little TRAditION...

Joining in the fairyland of Christmas and fantasy lights, we cruised thru the neighborhoods recounting stories of years past these brought to mind.  If you live in the Seattle area, look up Candy Cane Lane and Olympic Manor, these are the two best areas to see.

But first we watched the wonderful film "Fiddler on the Roof" at the Uptown Theatre on Queen Anne Hill...  as a sing-along!   And with a Chinese buffet lunch right in the theatre too.  So very Jewish and satisfying fun.  And one of my favorite films, full of nostalgia and tradition.

More lights, a Hawaiian theme...

A dungeness crab...

Lots of candy canes...

Only small artful decorations at home, as we no longer cut our own tree while skiing, or do intense Christmas.  It's more our own created simple version of various traditions, and we like it this way a lot.  Quiet, harmonious...

Our tree...

A postcard from a clear lovely night in Seattle while we enjoy the wonders of the season and the turnings that began with recent Winter Solstice. 

A time to reflect, rest, and sometimes, play with my camera...

Wishing Peace and Harmony and Light Shining Brightly on You.

Art Show, Recent Paintings and Crows

Painting images, playing with paints, such a joy...

Art Show
The recent acrylic paintings above (5"x5") plus two more will be included in the annual by-invitation- only Kaewyn Gallery miniatures show.  Many talented local artists will display their small or miniature paintings which are ideal for gift giving this time of year.

 November 30, 2012 - January 8, 2013

"Miniature Masterpieces and More!"

Kaewyn Gallery

10101 Main St.

Bothell, WA

425-483-7385

Recent Paintings and Crows

"She Listened to the Soothing Songs of Her Friends"

Monoprint Mixed Media  12"x12",  Copyright Delorse Lovelady

The painting above recently was being shown at the Northwest Hospital Breast Center.  Earlier this year I was experimenting with monoprint techniques that I learned from local artist Lisa Snow Lady.  This one was difficult to photograph because of the shine of both the acrylics and gold leaf in the branch and circles.

 

While on another wonderful painting retreat in September on one of our NW islands, I painted the watercolors above.  I enjoyed trying out new shapes for the crows, trying to capture the gestures and behaviors I have observed.  Talented artist Bev Jozwiak shared some of her watercolor techniques, loose washy expressive painting. 

Wanderings, Home Again, Sunday Meditations

Wheels on my feet, wandering for 2 months, it's good to be home...

 I have been on 3 different trips, each so different and so full of inspirations... a painting retreat on one of our NW islands, a family visit in Texas, and then a road trip through 7 states.  This posting is a little about the road trip.

We had to stop and take the picture above as we entered Nebraska for the first time.  A crossroads, wide open spaces, flatland, nothing there at all, except a few lonely man-made wire structures.  The sign proudly says "the good life."  And it makes you think, what do you really need, after all?  Maybe less is more.

Along the way I sketch and paint in the car when it's not my turn to drive.  I've mastered balancing my tiny palette, bumps in the road, and moving scenery, but it's always challenging.

I liked this rest stop along the way in Wyoming.  The rock structures were so unusual, it was called the Holy City.  There are many places and times when I am lost in nature that I feel I'm worshipping in the Holy City, there is something so restorative to the soul, so wholesome, fresh and raw. 

We spent several days in the Badlands areas in North Dakota and South Dakota (Montana had some too).  Awesome colors, textures, shapes, my painter's heart was so filled with inspiration.  I learned that there are even black veins of lignite (coal) that catch fire from lightning, burn for very long periods, baking the clay soils, turning them into red veins called scoria or red topped hills called "red clinkers".

Fall colors were stunning, aspen, birch, and more, especially along the rivers. Golden yellows, beiges, siennas, umbers, rust, reds, sage greens, a lush parade.

Yellowstone, one of my favorite places.  All misty, smoking geothermal, volcanic wonderland.  I was privileged, shortly after entering the east gate from Cody, Wyoming to spot a bunch of cars.  Yes, look for cars, and you find the wildlife.  I saw my first wolf in the wild, such a treat.  And many bison, and elk.

This last is Opal Pool, lovely carribean colored turquoise water, there were several like this one.

I'm so refreshed (though tired) from all this traveling, new ideas for painting are percolating, canvases are waiting.  I'm thankful for our beautiful world out there "in nature".  It's good to remember we aren't just observers or "consumers" of nature, but we are part of it...   Life is good.  

Summertime, Friends and Sketch Paintings

A little bit of heaven with balmy Northwest days, friends and artmaking...

Summertime
I have been savoring our beautiful Northwest, so balmy, just ideal weather.  We may get a day or two of really hot days but so mild compared to other parts of the country.  And even then, we have the cool breezes coming off the waters.  Ideal.

Friends and Artmaking
And also ideal time to get together with special friends and play with art.  My long time friend Lisa (in the photo above) and I reconnected last week, playing, sharing the day, we have seen many Artfests together, that's where we met.  I love the gorgeous colors in her large painting in the background - and her shirt, apron and new Goddess pieces she was working on.  Go see her stunning spirit-filled art here.

Here is one of the sketch paintings I finished that inspired day, from a pot of flowers in her artist's garden:

"Red Flowers", 5"x7"  watercolor & ink

Copyright Delorse Lovelady

And lucky me, I got to go to this lovely place for our Painting Critique group's annual day out retreat a couple of days ago.  Beverly so graciously hosted us at her Hansville cottage.  There were eight of us, decked out in our sunglasses and big floppy hats, walking the beach, enjoying the view. 

We had fun celebrating the 80th birthday of one of our members, Pam.  We each painted a small piece for her from the same photo.  It was SO amazing to see the different art styles, each so unique, like the women.

 "Pam the Magician", 5"x7"   Acrylic

Copyright Delorse Lovelady

On the way home on the ferry, I sketch painted this scene.

Here's another Northwest day - out with the Plein Air group at Matthews Beach.  There were five of us enjoying the day. 

I combined a couple of areas in the park to come up with this scene.

"Painting at Matthews Beach", 5"x7" watercolor

Copyright Delorse Lovelady

So you see I have been having a lovely summer, with these few samplings of my comings and goings...  and tomorrow I depart for a week long painting retreat with my painting club.  I have big plans for painting projects, canvases are prepped, supplies are at hand, now on to packing...

White Flowers,Letting Go, and Sunday Meditation

In letting go, there is a falling, then a soaring freedom to rise upon...

Flowers

So much color abounds this time of year, lovely rich saturated colors and so many wonderful flowers and gardens.  Rich in inspiration.  They grace my table and sometimes I place a single bloom elsewhere in our house.  Refreshing visually, some with a luscious scent too.  But so short lived, as so are we... a reminder to live fully in our days and savor our moments in the sun.  

Sunday Meditations

"The Art of Letting Go" by Richard Rohr is an audio book I am enjoying listening now.  Rohr is a Franciscan priest in New Mexico, the land of enchantment, and is engaging in this book centering on the wisdom of Saint Francis, exploring spiritual mystery, and letting go.  A very good and worthwhile summer read.

  A recent page from my journal:

Flowers bloom
Then fade...

Falling beautifully,
Cascading down gracefully,

Falling is unstoppable.

I savor the moments of those heady pure white blossoms,
I linger a moment in reverie and wistfulness,
And know I must soon turn the page...

Trees, Inspiration, and Art Show

Paying attention by practicing mindfulness, the small moments of happiness are everywhere to be found...

"Morning Joy Among the Trees #1"         12"x12" Acrylic

Copyright 2012 Delorse Lovelady

Trees and Inspiration

I continue my exploration of trees with paint.  There are endless possibilities of shapes and colors and moods.  These two paintings were done rather spontaneously on a Saturday morning, and I hate to admit, but for a painting exhibition with a deadline due the next day.  I don't usually wait til the last minute, but I had been having a particularly bad summer cold (thankfully gone) that affected my eyes.  Maybe it's a reminder to not labor so much on minutia or thinking when approaching the canvas.  Capturing a feeling or moment may be easier when we let go and let the brush and hand go where it will.

The inspiration for these paintings come from a certain walk that my spouse and I take occasionally.  It's a lovely hidden spot, a walking trail with lovely undulating trees along a small running creek.  So as I began to paint, I recalled the crisp air, the colors, the shapes, the enjoyment of the moment of walking with my best friend.

"Morning Joy Among the Trees #2"         12"x12" Acrylic

Copyright 2012 Delorse Lovelady

Gallery North Art Show

Both of the "Morning Joy Among the Trees" paintings will be in this show, do stop by, it is a lovely gallery set in the artsy community of Edmonds:

Plein Air Edmonds - Beauty of the Northwest Art Show

August 1 - 31, 2012

August 16, 2012 - Edmonds 3rd Thursday Art Walk

5:00pm-8:00 p.m

Refreshments will be served.

 

Gallery North

508 Main Street, Edmonds, WA

425-774-0946

Monday-Fridays from 11:00am-6:00pm

Saturday from 10:00am-6:00pm

Sunday from Noon-6:00pm

Retreat, Art Play and Sunday Meditation

Beautiful scenery, good company and blissfully painting...

Retreat

A retreat is a wonderful thing, good for renewing the spirit, getting away from the regular routines and events going on in life.  And so, that's what I was doing this last week in a beautiful corner of our Northwest.

I arrived a day late after recuperating from a three week trip to Texas followed by a short illness after returning.   I quickly immersed myself in the camp of good company of our painting club, and gave myself up to painting and experimenting as much as possible.  Our instructor was the talented Jennifer Bowman, a high energy acrylic painter.

Art Play and Experimenting
In 5 days I produced 12 small paintings, experiments in color, shape, lights/darks, subject matter, materials, and using a palette in a different way.  Jennifer showed me how to do the eye on a couple of the paintings and in two others showed me the use of dark and light passages.
Here are the results of my experiments with birds:

and pears, rooster and trees:

and tulips:

I chose this retreat in place of the Artfest retreat in March this year.  And as it turned out this was this last Artfest, so I did manage to go for one day only over to Port Townsend to take a great workshop from Lisa Bebi on painting and photography.  Here is a one sample from my several paintings in that workshop:

Sunday Meditation
The exquisite scenery of both retreat locations nurtured my soul.  Nature does that.  And the one day March workshop plus last weeks retreat will serve as inspiration for me as I try out  different things in my paintings.  I am going in the new directions as I wanted...and am seeing where it leads.

I wonder if every day, there isn't a "mini retreat" waiting to be found by me... an hour painting outside on our deck, meeting at a park with fellow plein air painters and sketchers, a museum visit, or just quietly studying and playing with the many photo's I've taken of places, examples.

Art Show, Trees and Whispers

Night whispers among the trees...

"Night Ceremonies #1"   16x20 acrylic

Copyright 2012  Delorse Lovelady

Art Show

This is a little late for posting, but I was pleased to be juried into the annual Seattle Co-Arts show.  The last day is tomorrow.

May 1-31, 2012

Seattle Co-Arts Juried Show "Eye of the Artist"

 at The Art Institute of Seattle, Burnley Gallery, 

South Campus, 6th Floor, 2323 Elliot Avenue, Seattle, WA

Trees and Whispers

"Night Ceremonies #1" is my latest in a set of two paintings on trees.  They were an experiment in faux monoprinting.  And I listened to the whispers telling me they wanted to be pink moving about in the night with the winds blowing around them...

Attic Babies, Sunday Meditation, and Wonder

You never know how much goodness a little peep will make...

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Photo

Attic Babies

Exactly one week ago I woke up to some very faint peeps... and they have gotten more insistent and loud as the week has progressed.  Yes!  Our woodpeckers, Northern Flickers are back!  While I am so happy to share in this joyful occasion, the nesting location is not the best... our busy little flickers took advantage of our absence on a road trip for a couple of weeks in late March to hammer a hole thru the top side of our 2 story house and establish residence.  So we will not disturb them, and hope for the best in our attic, to see the fledgings take off.   I read that both the male and female share incubating the 6-8 eggs which takes about 11-16 days before the hatching.  Then both parents feed them constantly til they leave the nest a month later.  So I'm guessing the launching date for the babies will be sometime around June 6...  

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Photo

I've attempted but missed photo's of the comings and goings.  I so wish I could photo the going's on in the nest, but will have to be satisfied with one of the adults feeding at our bird feeder.

 

copyright Delorse Lovelady 2012

Sunday Meditation
It's been a full week for me.  Connecting with friends, art groups, family.  I won an award for a painting!  And yesterday I had the thrill of meeting NY artist/author Seth Apter (so charming) and 5 other Seattle area artists in his new book at the book signing.  Yesterday one of the attendees was speaking about the effect of a few words of a teacher on a student.

So I remembered a couple of personal instances where someone shared some words with me that made a difference, "stuck".  And I wonder how much we all really hear in all the symphony of life that goes on around us.  I can't help but think it could be a few words from anyone at a certain moment when we really take it in and hear it.   Words and images are so important, conveying meanings and layers of meanings.   It's as important to notice what we are sending out to the symphony, as it is to stop and listen to what is coming our way.

Wonder
Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the little singing chorus of peeps, the new energy, spring, life, the growing of wings for flying on the tiny flickers, my attic babies.