Lemons

Lemons

Last weekend upon entering the grocery store I was greeted with the sight of a beautiful display of Meyer lemons WITH THEIR LEAVES!  They were absolutely beautiful.  I carefully picked out a few making sure that they were gently bagged so the leaves would not come off.   Even as I did so, some leaves fell at the slightest touch.  I asked the cashier to put them on top of the groceries.  She must have thought I was crazy when I said I was going to paint them and wanted to make sure the leaves stayed attached. 

I came right home and started this 5 x 7" painting.  It took me a couple of evenings to finish the painting.  The second evening the leaves were dropping and I tried to reattach them with pins.  It was a race against time.  A friend said I should have painted one of the dropped leaves--a momento mori.

Now, to the internet, to find a good Meyer lemon recipe!

The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon

Last June I went on a white water rafting trip down the Grand Canyon on a Western River Expeditions trip.   You might wonder. looking at this picture, where are the rapids?  They are right around the corner just out of sight.   I wasn't brave enough to take any pictures while we navigated the rapids.  I was totally focused on holding on!  Travelling on the Colorado River through 188 miles of the Grand Canyon was an amazing adventure.  The rock formations were stupendous and continued to hold me in awe for the seven days on my trip.

By the way, do you see that little sand bar on the left?  We pulled our boats over to a large sandbar each evening, set up cots and tents, and slept under star-filled skies.

I hope this little 8 x 10" oil conveys something of the majesty of the Canyon. 

Kaaterskill Falls Stream

Stream, Kaaterskill Falls

A couple of years ago friends and I spend time visiting Hudson River Valley sites including Kaaterskill Falls.  This woodland scene has been something I have wanted to paint.  I have not painted since this summer and two weekends ago I decided to pull out a little 5 x 7" canvas and painted directly without the benefit of sketching the scene first.  It was very liberating and fun.