After returning from my family’s trip to the Southwest, I began a season of commissioned paintings. From the end of October to the end of December I painted – not for myself, but for others. Families were planning their gift-giving for upcoming birthday and Christmas celebrations, and I was honored to be chosen to paint […]
Family
Traveling the Southwest: Salina, Kansas
Driving to the Southwestern U.S., we stopped in Salina, Kansas for a night and were delighted to find the Central Kansas Flywheels Yesteryear Museum.
Black Ice – Beauty, Surprises, and Adventure
Black ice – no, not the type that forms on the roads from car exhaust on frigid winter days. It’s the kind that forms on lakes with very few impurities. So few that the ice is clear and appears black because the water below absorbs almost all of the light. Black ice is a treat to […]
Wild Spirits: Watercolor Wednesday
Since the day my daughter was able to walk, she ran. When she was able to run, she flew. In her day-to-day world she is a hawk, mountain lion, tiger, jaguar, snow leopard, or a bull. Her imagination soars, and whichever animal suits her mood on that particular day, wins. But, on most days, she […]
Accomplishment, Cooperation, and Love: A Day of Working Together
My family arrived at Westfalcon Farm just after noon – the sun was shining, a slight breeze was blowing across the open fields, but not hard enough to turn Mr. Squeaky (the 103-yr. old windmill that my children named), and temperatures were holding steady at 70F. The day had come – 2,000 three-year old Christmas […]
“Home”: Watercolor Wednesday
Spending a week or two at my great-aunt and uncle’s farm every summer is one of my fondest memories. Waking up each morning to the sun shining in the upstairs farmhouse window, playing in the open fields, caring for the horses and ponies, and enjoying delicious homemade food made it a little girl’s dream, but […]
Port Aransas, Texas: From Minnesota to Texas and Back Again
I’m happy to report that since my last post, almost all of the snow (18″) that was dumped on us here in Minnesota on April 15th has melted away. Mother Nature gave us what seemed to be an epic ending to our winter weather as spring has finally arrived. The scilla in the garden have […]
Watercolor Wednesday: Rainbow Trout
Due to my new-found love of watercolor painting, I have decided to devote more blogging posts to my paintings, so on the first Wednesday of every month I will feature a new painting along with the story behind the painting. Without further ado, today I am featuring a painting that my son requested as part of his ninth birthday gift – a rainbow trout.
An Easter Gift: The Ukrainian Gift Shop Experience
“I can’t wait to go to the egg store tomorrow!” my son exclaimed as he glanced at his calendar before settling into bed. “Mom, can we read Rechenka’s Eggs one more time before we go to the egg shop?” my daughter asked. “Of course.” I replied. “Climb on up on your brother’s bed.” The whole […]