SPRING MORNINGS

life is grand when the birdsongs keep me company when I get up at 5AM, these days...truly look forward to the morning sunrise streaming into the kitchen by 6AM

BLACK CHERRY

the best part of going away, is to come home...life is grand when one can have coffee in one's garden...the mountain is finally getting a bit of color...black cherry blossom is usually the first to bloom in my garden

APRES LE PLUIE

my lips are still chapped, but I'm putting away my black sweaters for a pink one this morning....getting ready for another road trip, all the rain is extending our mud season...the time between winter & late spring is the most disheartening, visually

MAGNOLIA

150 miles south from my mountain is another world...my aunt's garden in NYC looks wonderful with the pinks of the Magnolia & Cherry Blossoms, a nice contrast to the greens of the willow trees...a very springy visit...it's just another blustery raw day in the mountain today

FIRST RESPONSE

a quickly rendered sketch or watercolor was often Pierre Bonnard's first response to seeing an image he wants to paint..it's always interesting  to study an artist's sketchbook, there were a small collection at the exhibit...P. Bonnard never parted with his sketches, some are really tiny & exquisite

QUOTE

so much to learn, I usually zoom in on one artist at a time, & read whatever I can get my hands on..."when one covers a surface, one should always be able to try any number of new approaches, find a never ending supply of new combinations of forms & colors which satisfy emotional needs" P. Bonnard

COLORS!

"purple in the greys, vermilion in the orange shadows, on a cold, fine day" P. Bonnard...got to see Pierre Bonnard's Late Interiors at the Met last week, his colors & masterful  way with space & light is the perfect exhibit for a winter's day...so many masters to learn from, I usually zoom in on one artist, every few months....

QUIET CORNER

sporadic pay of an artist does not make for luxurious living, but the schedule is great for traveling....looked up an old friend who lives in GRAMERCY PARK, NYC, there's a private little garden that residents can enjoy...we chatted while I sketch

HAPPYEASTER

happy easter...heading off to visit friends on the shoreline, getting a head start on SPRING, looking forward to an afternoon of doing the dunes....it's important to goof off every now & then

RANUNCULUS

what luck, came home with a pot of pink ranunculus to cheer up another bleak wintery day

DAFFODILS

while visiting a friend in Connecticut, I stole some daffodils from her garden...it will take 3 to 4 weeks before I see daffodils in my garden....will I ever get use to the long winters in the Catskills?

QUICK SKETCH

pretty wonderful to be back on my bike today, stopping here and there for a quick sketch....on a nice sunny day, a simple little barn can be quite picturesque 

BONJOUR AVRIL

HOPE? I think I saw a small patch of green....