Vins Vigneron - Living with Intention... and Best Wishes for a Lovely Thanksgiving!!

6"x6" oil on archival panel

For more information, and to bid on this at auction, or purchase directly, 

click here!

I had the good fortune to return to France in early October...exploring some wonderful towns and villages with my hubby... practicing my French, eating some amazing food, and bringing home beauty to share in paint! I'm always amazed at how beautiful some of these places are...all the loving care in appearances, softening rough edges of weathered buildings with flowering vines. I always try to bring some of these experiences home to incorporate into my daily life, simple beauty, thoughtfulness, living with intention...and not necessarily 'by the seat of my pants'!

I'm especially grateful this year, for family and friends..

and collectors who believe in the work I do  -

and trust me enough to purchase my art.

I'm especially grateful for a husband that is super supportive of my efforts. 

Grateful for those friends who have helped me achieve some life-long dreams over the years ....of learning to paint and make a career of it;

of learning new languages,

of traveling to far-away places,

seeing life in new ways...spiritually and earthly,

and cheering me on when I have doubts.

 Y'all know who you are- 

I am forever grateful to you!

Best wishes to you all, enjoy your Thanksgiving week dear friends!

 

Coastal New England Autumn

8"x10" oil on linen mounted on archival panel

For more information, or to purchase, click here.  

Gosh, it's been a couple weeks now since I was out to Barn Island and painted this. One of the last bits of color this autumn before the temps plummeted, the harsh winds blew and cleared out most of the trees. brrr!  It's wicked out there right now. That day was quite beautiful; with interesting clouds rolling through...just enough grey in the sky to make the trees stand out in contrast. Ever notice how the stormier the skies, the autumn color seems even more vibrant? 

If you've received my Cheer Factor newsletter, you already know the exciting news...my Barn Island series will be heading up to Hartford, CT; to be shown at the state DEEP headquarters there. (Department of Energy and Environmental Protection).  I'm over the moon excited, humbled and honored by this! We're hanging the show Dec. 9th and will hang until the end of February 2015.   

Remains of the Day - 2015

It's here and just in time!! Those of you who have ordered my "Remains of the Day" calendar before know that it has my personal favorites (and hopefully yours, too)!

Click here to place your order (and to find out more about these)!

Here's the rest of the months:
(and for the life of me...I can't figure out why I'm not able to format these images today....blogger is defying my patience!) but here they are! And YES!, in the actual calendar, they are in correct sequence! 

 

Pink Peonies

 

6"x6" oil on gessoed archival panel

For more information, or to purchase, click here!  

 In our friends, 

we see our own humanity, 

our frailties, 

as well as our best sides.

A mirror of ourselves, 

reminding us that we are not invincible...

but we are loved.

Recently I've been thinking of a dear friend and neighbor who passed away following a long struggle with ovarian cancer. It had been difficult to paint during that time. I'm slowly getting back to the paints, back to the plein air work out doors, and back to the studio on days when weather doesn't cooperate.  I'm in the middle of one commission, and another waiting in the wings...as well as another show of my Barn Island paintings coming up.  I'm grateful that these things are here for me, and I'm able to share these paintings with you all.  But I do still miss my friend. 

 ***

This one was a bit of experimenting with color. I came back in with a muted/grayed blue green to soften the effect of the background and allow these pink peonies to really 'sing'. Much happier with them now! This large bouquet was in my studio window, back-lit from the window on a bright day. The piece is finished with a light coat of varnish, ready to frame, or to display on a small table-top easel. I can recommend a beautiful silver frame for this piece, just contact me!

It's Here!! On the cover of new novel "Homing Instincts"

"Mystic Country Farmhouse" -  2008 - oil original (SOLD)

now on the cover of the new novel, "Homing Instincts" by Karen Guzman

I just got my copy...and WOW! I'm loving this story!  Here's a quick intro from the back cover: "Seth Hingham, a young wildlife biologist, is struggling to put his life back together after his news anchor girlfriend walks out on him and his beloved father dies.  When he returns to his Connecticut hometown, old ghosts pop up, as Seth's cousin proposes a plan to honor the memory of a high school classmate killed in a long ago accident for which Seth has always felt responsible.  At the same time, changing family dynamics in the wake of his father's death are toppling the old status quo.  While Seth tries to figure out who he is and where he belongs, a spirited, yet fragile, single mother offers him a chance at love.  

An unforgettable story of loss, change and transcendence, Homing Instincts heralds the arrival of a remarkable new voice in fiction. "

And now, allow me to introduce the author to you, Karen Guzman.  She has worked as a journalist at the Hartford Courant in Hartford, CT, and the News and Observer in Raleigh, NC. She holds an MFA from George Mason University and a journalism degree from Boston University.  Guzman works as a writer for the Yale School of Management. 

She found my work online....and contacted at that point, wanting this painting "Mystic Country Farmhouse" on her cover.  The story takes place right in this area of southeastern CT.  I'm deeply into the story now, really enjoying this character in familiar territory! I think there will be a few late nights for me...I can't wait to see how the story ends! 

Karen has two book-signings this month, and yes, I will be there as well! The first one is:

Saturday, Nov. 15th, 2014 

2:00pm - reading & signing

Breakwater Books

81 Whitfield St. 

Guilford, CT 06437

(203) 453-4141

AND

Saturday, Nov.22nd, 2014

1:00 pm - reading and signing

Bank Square Books

53 West Main Street

Mystic, CT 06355

(860)536-3795 

For more information about her and how to order YOUR copy, please visit her website: www.karenguzman.com!! Hey, it's also available on Amazon!