A Mother's Love

During the Holiday Season, it's not uncommon to remember and cherish the memories of those longer with us.  I recently had a conversation with a fellow artist about losing a parent - who also guided and encouraged their artistic path.  The void of losing a parent seems amplified during this season and I want to take a few moments to remember my mother, Ursula, who taught me so much about art.

Looking back at my childhood, we lived in a simple farmhouse outside a very small community.  My mother immigrated here from Germany in her early 20s, married my father and they eventually settled here.

Our home farm

 

Little did I know it then, but my mother had some of her books shipped from Germany and decorated our farmhouse with pages from these publications.  Later, she purchased art prints of many great masters and soon the entire house was a mini museum.  We had prints of "Portrait of a Child" from Peter Paul Rubens.  See picture below.

About 1966?  My mother and grandmother and big brother. 

Rubens portrait to the right.

Van Gogh behind the Christmas Tree.

Some of her books from Germany she used for color plates and framed.

After a Scrabble game...Renior above the piano.

 

As the years went on, we had "The Milkmaid" print by Vermeer framed in our dining room, Renoir above the piano, Degas in the bathroom and Durer in my bedroom. 

 

As a child I had the opportunity to enjoy these prints all around our home and I had no idea the impact it would make in my life at the time.  As parents, our influence is great.  Expose your children to music and art, they need it now more than ever!  It is a great gift. 

 

In the past few weeks, I have started on new paintings - low and behold they are a mother/child theme!  It just dawned on me yesterday and this is why I'm taking the time to write.  God's whisper in my ear to paint what is in my heart.

Mother/child theme...works in progress in studio.

 

This is our family and our last group picture with our Mom before she passed away. 

In her Bible, she underlined a passage and wrote my name next to it.  It is now on my easel and a reminder for my daily living.  She knew my love of the sunsets. 

 

Psalms 19:  1-4...How clearly the sky reveals God's glory!  How plainly it shows what he has done!  Each day announces it to the following day; each night repeats it to the next.  No speech or words are used, no sound is heard; yet their message goes out to all the world and is heard to the ends of the earth.  God made a home in the sky for the sun.

 

Now I would be remiss if I didn't thank my Dad who has also made a big impact on my life by sharing his love of the land.  My heart sings when I can be out exploring, hiking and painting in that farm country and I'm forever grateful to being a simple farm kid. 

 

Thankful for the beauty you shared!

And as my mother so beautifully ended every correspondence....Love and Peace. 

 

 

 

All Things Wisconsin

Happy 2015!  One of the highlights of 2014 was having my art purchased for a new restaurant at Bayshore Town Center.  HOM Wood Fired Grill opened last summer offering customers traditional meals made with Wisconsin farm fresh ingredients.  The interior designer, FLUX Design, spotted by miniature paintings displayed at the 2013 Art Bar exhibit and thought they would be a perfect fit for the farm to table restaurant concept.  Since I grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm, I couldn't have been more thrilled with the results.  I'm very grateful to Jeremy and his team at Flux Design for his vision and stunning creativity with framing these little paintings in rustic reclaimed barnwood and metal.  I'm a cheerleader for ALL THINGS WISCONSIN and encourage you to visit this beautiful restaurant!  To see photos from the opening, go to:  www.homwoodfiredgrill.com/bayshore/gallery

The exterior of HOM

Amazing framing by Flux Design

My Dad's favorite farm cat

 

 

Painting animals for Cedarburg Plein Air

We just wrapped up a wonderful week of painting in Cedarburg for the Plein Air event.  Many people in the community say it's "their favorite week of the year" and I can see why.  How wonderful to have 160 artists from all over the country come and see their city and countryside through their eyes. 
Unlike other artists who love painting the historic buildings of Cedarburg, I am drawn to the countryside.  Always in search of cattle, chicken or in this case, a donkey.  Here are some of my animal adventures en Plein Air!

Here's my block in and quick outline of the donkey placement, now I'm just waiting for her to return....waiting!

Finally, she returns and shares a good belly laugh with me. 

"Deanie's Darla" Oil, 10 x 12

 

Then, I let Darla the Donkey nap from her modeling gig and moved on to the chickens.  Wow, such a challenge with constantly moving feathered friends. 

Painting plein air at the coop, beginning with the block in and will paint in chickens on the fly!  Having painted chickens many time in my studio, that knowledge comes in handy with the various shapes, colors and sizes.

"Red Zeplins" Oil 10 x 12

This title was inspired by rock music that was played in the barn while I was painting. 

 

A few days later I was off to another property to paint chickens again.  I loved the simplicity of this composition and the little touch of light peeking through the flower box window.  I quickly sketched in chickens as they passed through the scene and turned around quite often to get a closer look as they scattered about. Yes, very sore neck the following day.  Fellow painters can relate!

 

"Gaylyn's Girls" Oil, 14 x 11

My "happy" place!

The chickens and roosters are in their resting spot for the evening, getting settled in for the night.

"Sweet Dreams" Oil, 12 x 12