"ITS A BEAUTIFUL DAY, DON'T LET IT GET AWAY" - u2

I am posting some small paintings of the lake- that is Lake Champlain as in Samuel de Champlain.
"Samuel de Champlain (1567?-1635) was a French explorer and navigator who mapped much of northeastern North America and started a settlement in Quebec. Champlain also discovered the lake named for him (Lake Champlain, on the border of northern New York state and Vermont, named in 1609) and was important in establishing and administering the French colonies in the New World."
Its strange that this year I actually started to paint the lake and it is the quad centennial of Samuel de Champlain. Amazing! There is a theory out there that there is no such thing as coincidence. The happening was meant to be. That digression aside, if you like any of the small paintings of the lake and would like the commemorative logo to accompany the painting, I can accommodate that since the state of Vermont has sanctioned me to use the very attractive logo with my lake paintings. These are miniature paintings for the most part. They sell from $39 to $55.

The sunset on Lake Champlain fills one with awe. I so wonder at this. It is such a treat to see it happen before my eyes. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I spent many childhood days on Lake Champlain so there is a lot of nostalgia associated with it. We are very fortunate to have a beautiful lake in Vermont. It is all the entertainment we need just watching the changes that occur on the lake with wind shifts and light. I took it all in for many years and now it is starting to come out. I find that in itself interesting.

If you need to get in touch just email me at vermonthart@hotmail.com.

"THERE ARE ALWAYS FLOWERS FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO SEE THEM" -Henri Matisse

There are a few more spring blossoms I am posting for your enjoyment. The Violet is usually the first blossom I see in the spring. ( I don't have Crocus) I was a wood nymph as a kid and I remember bounding over the lawn to get to, up, and over the fence, then across the field to my destination, the woods. It was in bounding over the lawn that I was taken by the little bunches of Violets peeking through and all of sudden in full blossom. I could not miss them even in my eagerness to roam the woods. I would bend down and pull and a whole plant would come out and it would accompany me on my trek. I captured one this year. Usually, the two weeks of blossom passes before I can get it down on paper. I love the Violet.

And the flower that greets me at the garden center every spring is the Pansy in all its splendor. There are so many colors in one flower I can't help but marvel at that and it is fun to try to recreate it on paper. I always like the results because any pansy touches a fond remembrance.

"The sweetest lily withers,
The roses soon depart,
But oh, the dainty pansies-
They live within my heart!"
-unknown

These small flower paintings are for sale - matted & framed in a 5 x 7 in thin lined black is $39.00 & shipping.

Where the Sweet Pea should always be present at weddings, it is the one occasion on which the Narcissus is the inappropriate choice. The narcissus may bring vanity upon the bride thence unhappiness. Again I refer to The Meaning of Flowers.
Short post today but wanted to include some spring flowers before summer. After all, this is Vermont!!
Interesting fact about the Tulip bulb- during World War II, when the Dutch were starving under German occupation, Tulip bulbs became high priced because they had become a life-saving food. In the seventeenth century, they were considered a delicacy when boiled and eaten with butter. What a great little book. My sister gave it to me.
Enjoy the spring flowers -

"We have got to get ourselves back to the Garden" - Joni Mitchell

As promised I am posting a couple of single flower renderings. The Sweet Pea is my favorite flower among favorites. My father grew the sweet pea flower. He was a farmer so he always had a garden but really never got to tend it until he was retired and that is when I especially remember the sweet pea flowers growing most of the summer. I think he planted them for my mother. This flower has a long history with our family. As lore would have it, back in the '30's, my mother's family grew Sweet Peas and sold them in the village for weddings and such. The Sweet Pea is known as Bride's Blessing and should always be present at weddings. They are good omens for brides. That is according to a flower book I have, The Meaning of Flowers.

There is nothing more spectacular to me than a bouquet of Sweet Peas in a white ironstone pitcher or any jar or vase. Its all about the rainbow of blended colors! When I first started painting, I found myself painting sweet peas. Like the teacups, it was something I kept revisiting with pleasure. It brought my father into the mix because I associated him with that flower. Here are a couple of those first paintings of Sweet Peas.


And finally, a third one - I do know where these originals are and am happy about that. A former neighbor has the first, a relative the second and a very true friend of mine has the the one on the right. Prints are available. You just have to inquire.

Email address: vermonthart@hotmail.com

"ALL WE NEED IS LOVE- LOVE IS ALL WE NEED" - the Beatles




Happy Mother's Day!

I am up early as usual, however, by the time I post this it might be mid afternoon. I thought I would write a post before I do anything else otherwise another day will go by with no blog entry. The problem is, I always want to paint and delve into it the minute I get my coffee and that becomes the day.

In memory of my mother, I am posting one of my teacup paintings. She was a very interesting woman and I miss her. She had a teacup collection and as a child, I often set up her teacups for dinner parties or tea parties. I came to love the shapes and delicate qualities of the cups and when I started painting I spent years on this subject. I felt very connected to the paintings and still to this day will paint a bunch of flowers in a delicate teacup. Actually, this next painting is one I just finished a few weeks ago of delphinium in a Shelley teacup.

I have been painting miniatures of the lake and single flower favorites. I start the Artists Market next week- May 16 - and these will be my original offerings. I have decided to post a small painting every few days and that will keep my blog up to date.


This is a painting of Mallett's Bay - Vermont. My grandparents had a camp on Lake Champlain at Colchester Point and we would have to drive through the bay to get there. It was a breathtaking view with all the docked boats and the mountains. As I drove through the bay a few weeks ago, I thought of all those trips to camp as a child. I caught this northern view toward my hometown and I had to paint it. Inspiration seems to always hit home in some way.