Sunrise Garden

18"x14" oil on canvas

"The difficulties which I meet with in order to realize my existence are precisely what awaken and mobilize my activities, my capacities."
- Jose' Ortega Y Gasset

Ah, dreaming of summer and what seems like infinite blossoms. It's still quite cold, but (when it's not pouring rain like this week) the sun is just beginning to give hints of longer days to come. This is what we call our sunrise garden, it's the first place the sun hits when it comes across the valley, up the hill and illuminates all of life. This week has been a cold windy rain here in south-eastern CT....so working on this painting, bit by bit has kept me sane from the winter blahs.

For those who've been following my blog, this past Tuesday was my last radiation treatment for breast cancer. YAY!!! Now I'm just hoping my energy levels will come back quickly (hope, hope, hope). And what will I do now that I'm done with that task??? "I'm going to Disney World!" Actually not to visit the park, (don't know that I'm quite ready for that yet), but I'm going to watch my twin daughters run in the Disney Princess Half-Marathon! They've been training since last summer, and the countdown days are here! We'll all be staying with my mom, so it will be a fun (and hopefully warm & restful) visit.

I've had a lot of time to be thinking about what's coming up in the garden this year. What projects we'll take on next for some more painterly visions? That's what this yard is all about, scenes at every turn for me to paint, paint & paint. It is truly a thrill that I'm looking forward to throughout this long winter! I'd like to send a thank-you out to Cris Larson, garden consultant for her advice in our planning process last year. Our first summer with our garden was lovely, but as each year passes, and things mature, wow! We had an idea of what we wanted & where, but being that "we're not from around these parts", we needed help selecting a list of hardy plants that would make it through the winters & be resistant to all forms of 'ick', be it fungal or mammal!

What's next on the easel? More garden views, beach scenes, and Ireland landscapes- all my favorite things! And I'll have many in smaller, affordable sizes - just the right size for that spot of necessary cheer on that shelf or nook, you know the one.... this gal is still earning her travel money..... & Ireland is calling my name.


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How to Purchase:
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Wee Sprites, Sea Sprites (Inch Beach, Ireland)

10"x8" oil on gallery wrapped canvas

"Adventure can take many forms. Sometimes, following your heart is the greatest one of all."
- Dagny Scott

Holy Cow- middle of winter and I need a beach day really soon. This will have to do until I can leave town and really make that happen. If you've been following my blog for any length of time, you see that my paintings are a bit of escapism. Shouldn't something you look at on the wall be a bit of a mini-vacation? A way to hold off & keep the 'hope alive' until you can make that happen. Sunny warmth in the winter, dappled shade in summer, beauty when you really need it most. If you think I'm being dramatic, well, living with me in the cold, dark of a New England winter can be a bit trying at times. Yes, there is certainly an austere beauty about snow, but my temperament prefers sunshine, beaches, & flowers year round. I think it's how we grow up that determines what we love. I've come to realize that growing up in Central Florida really does leave you at risk for having a 'disneyfied' take on life. And you take this with you where ever you go. So even though the first few snow falls up here are quite magical....I've 'punched that ticket' and am ready to move on to spring!!! which is glorious all the way til summer shows up! That's even better!

Still trying to "live in the here and now" but the "now" has been somewhat "trying". Patience is a tough lesson. ;-)

Grazing Near The Cliffs, (Culoo, Valentia Island, Ireland)

20"x20" oil on canvas

"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials."
- Lin Yutang


This painting has been a process over time. I started with sketches from last summer, then blocked in an under-painting. There it sat while other projects came to a higher priority. Until now.... I finished it last week and I am just now getting the energy to blog about it! There lies the noble art of leaving things undone. My current priority has been healing, wellness and painting whenever possible. The memories of these particular sheep keep coming back to me when I look at these here in my studio. They came running up over a rise of rocks, and then stopped in their tracks as if startled by us. But then they quickly proceeded to start eating as if , "maybe if we look like we're busy, she won't notice us". But there is always at least one sheep 'on alert', ready to have them all run off again if things look too threatening. The sky was late in a summer afternoon, with some changing weather blowing in, that high thin pinkish blue, no shadows cast. The waves off of Culoo rock were crashing behind us, we sat for a bit on the rocks, listening to the ocean, watching the sheep...watching us.

I now have two new paintings started on 2 different easels in my studio. New
beginnings waiting for the next burst of energy.

Contact me for availability of this painting - roxannesteed@gmail.com