The Quiet Place Paintings ~ Finger Lakes, New York

For those of you craving some peace and serenity, time to reflect, rejuvenate and experience nature, there is a special place in the Finger Lakes to do so. The Quiet Place is a labor of love for two creative and inspiring people - Jan McKie and Eric Moon. Each cabin and setting has their own unique feeling, views and details but all carry have something in common - Quiet! Through the years I have enjoyed capturing in watercolor each of the individual properties. I hope you can experience one of The Quiet Places sometime soon. Here are some of the paintings. All of the details to book your stay are on the website www.thequietplace.com.

Inspired by the Beauty of the Finger Lakes, New York

Today I am creating  in my design studio which is in a two room renovated 1800's schoolhouse. I am blessed to have large windows to look outside and get inspired!  The Finger Lakes area where I live is absolutely gorgeous this time of the year! Leaves are changing to shades of yellow ocre, alizarin crimson, burnt sienna and on a sunny day like today everything is in 3D.The farm markets are alive with fresh produce - pumpkins, apples, grapes all ready to enjoy! One of my dreams over the years has been to integrate design with painting and through the Finger Lakes Visitors Connection (a creative, energetic and amazing client) - have been given the opportunity to do so... Here is this years Visitors Guide. Check out the link and you can go page by page. Enjoy the day!

 http://visitfingerlakes.lunarcow.com

Brantingham Lake- Adirondack Autumn Reflections

To begin with, it is getting much colder very fast in the Northeast and I am writing this blog with a cup of chai tea in hand and my dog "Banks" curled up on my lap with his sweatshirt on, trying to stay warm.
I have been loving the autumn reflections on the lake this year, capturing them with loose oil brushstrokes.

Prussian Blue is a new addition to my palette... and has been giving me some bold colors and dramatic effects. I hope to describe in this new work, the stillness and serenity of the lake as well as the dynamic beauty of nature.   Enjoy the day. Stop to capture the beauty around you for a few moments if you can.

Canandaigua Lake En Plein Aire

Painting has always been a passion and able to heal me when I am feeling all kinds of emotions. One day after both of my children left for college and I was feeling a little lost, I wandered into the Pat Rini Rohrer Gallery in Canandaigua. Pat is one of the best artists in the Finger Lakes area and suggested I take a class in oils to start exploring this new phase of my life. Pat was an angel that showed up at just the right time. When the student is ready, the teacher appears!  These are a few of the paintings from this summer's plein aire class I took with Pat and the other amazing artists.... we are a group learning and growing with each other, creating art and enjoying the beauty of the Finger Lakes area where we live. 

Plein air is a term derived from the French phrase en plein aire, which literally means 'in the open air'. It's a familiar concept today, but in the late 1800s when the Impressionists ventured out of their studios into nature to investigate and capture the effects of sunlight and different times of days on a subject, it was quite revolutionary.