Blog

After 2 weeks on Cow Island in Lake Winnipesaukee, we have all, to one degree or another, gone Native. I have not put on makeup once and my perfume of choice is sunscreen. The fashion statement is shorts and a swimsuit. (Why did I bring all those clothes?) I do shower every day but it's lake water and I can only speak for myself about that. Hair is strictly drip-dry, and shoes are exclusively sandals, water shoes, or hiking boots. Even the "City Dog" has gone rogue. However; everywhere I look is a painting, so I am constantly inspired! This morning, the dog and I wandered down to the Frog pond and while I painted, she hunted for frogs in the mud. I discovered that Waterlilies only bloom in the morning and close up in the afternoon. Also, they usually only last 4 days and then sink back into the mud... Kind of like me these days. It's going to be hard to get on that plane.

Living on an island is an interesting way to escape city life distractions; if a bit extreme. To go anywhere you have to first get on the boat. You become much more aware of the local weather as storms can pop up fast, and you must plan ahead. None of this, "I think I feel like Mexican food today" business. There is no room in the refrigerator for extras; However, the island also provides! Beneath the trees, the island is covered with blueberry bushes and they all become ripe NOW! We got out yesterday morning and picked 5 buckets of blueberries in 30 minutes for blueberry pancakes. I noticed that my granddaughter's blueberries were bigger than mine and she said, "You must first pick near the water in the shade." Ah Ha! Life on the island is full of lessons you didn't know you needed! We saw one of the biggest woodpeckers I have ever seen which some thought was a Pileated Woodpecker. However; my grandson and I think we also saw a Northern Flicker. And speaking of birds, be sure to watch out for Bald Eagles if the pet cat is outside. Even the French bulldog is not totally safe as she is small and they are hunting for prey! However, right now the ducks have gotten the word that the blueberries are ripe so I need to go. There are quite a few families whose sport is catching blueberries tossed off the dock. It's a yearly tradition.

Poor Houston! I left a week ago, but like the rest of you, I am most anxious about my house, friends, and the city! I have no idea what damage Beryl has done yet, but with the Texas heat and no power, the situation has got to be BAD! I am in Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire with lovely weather, boating, swimming, hiking, painting, and reading. I hope I don't have to fly home early to a damaged house, but I'm sending my condolences to ALL Y' ALL.

Yesterday, I painted this little pleinair of my son-in-law on the raft in front of their house here on Cow Island. It's a good thing I painted small because I struggled mightily with composition, which is my weakest link. Often we tend to paint an object instead of shapes and I get into trouble every time I forget that. It's best not to name what you are painting. Try to detach from what you see and just break it down into color and value shapes. Vary the sizes of the shapes and simplify! More detail does not help a poor composition.

An Artist is in the business of constantly making decisions. When to add something and when to take something away. How dark or light, warm or cool, thick or thin, to paint something and most importantly, when to stop. Right now I need help on when to stop. Here is an artist's quote, "It takes 2 people to paint a masterpiece. One to paint it and one to tell her when to stop". In the painting above I started with the plein air I did last year at Cow Island on Lake Winnipesaukee of the lily pond on my daughter's family property. When I made it larger and changed it to a square format I needed to add more lily pads to fill the space. I had every intention of adding the white lilies, but when I painted a few I thought the painting became too "Sweet". So, Gentle Reader, should I add the flowers or not? Does it look more contemporary with just the lily pads, or is it incomplete? I welcome your thoughts.