Petals Fade

We had a sunny day mixed with rain yesterday. I took this photo of a rose bush in my yard.

I thought it was beautiful how the rain droplet was held within its petals like arms holding onto the end of summer.

It inspired me to write a haiku:

Last bloom before frost?

Petals fade but one remains…

Unfolding with hope.

May you find hope in the beauty that surrounds you.

Cheers! 🙂

Autumn’s Display

My hubby and I closed our lake place this weekend as it is getting colder.  Autumn brings cooler temperatures in the Pacific Northwest where we call home.  Soon the snow will be falling…

Autumn’s Display of wild rose hips always dazzle me in the fall.  Especially on a sunny, blue-sky day:

It is always sad to see the lake season end as we will miss our lake friends. We will also miss the lake and this stunning view:

Yet, I look forward to more time in my art studio in Autumn.

The crisp, cool air of October is Apple Harvest time too!

This week my art these will be focusing on APPLES… I hope you stop by for a bite or two…

On Monday, I will share my process for creating this art piece.  (I also discovered some ways to “fix” mistakes that may be of interest to you!)

Do you have 4 seasons where you live?  What is your favorite time of year?

Cheers! 🙂

Clear Skies

We have been dealing with smoke from wild fires in our area for several weeks.  Not only do we have poor vision but the air quality has been awful!  This photo was taken last weekend at the lake:

So we were thrilled to have a few drops of rain and wind to clear the skies this last weekend!

Yesterday, we were able to enjoy a short boat ride and breathe in fresh air in clear skies.  It was wonderful to see blue sky and mountains again.  Hoorah! 😃

We noticed the air and water temperatures were cooler and leaves starting to change to autumn’s glorious show:

It was so nice to enjoy the beauty around us again!  We hope that the firefighters are able to get control of fires around us so that the smoke stays away.  We still need rain badly.

Even the wild animals are hurting from the dry weather.  I found this wild bunny eating an apple from a neighbor’s tree.  The deer love the apples but I have never seen a bunny eat one!

Such bizarre weather this year, everywhere it seems…

Stay safe friends!

Cheers! 🙂

 

A Little “Extra” Lake Time

It is difficult to believe that summer is almost over!  September brings cooler evenings, shorter days and changing colors.

In the states, we are celebrating an extra long weekend called Labor Day (always the first Monday in September) which pays tribute to contributions and achievements of American workers.  It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and came a federal holiday in 1894.

I took a little extra time to paint outdoors at the lake today.  I gathered some flowers, a wild rose hip and a couple of beach rocks.

I’m not really liking the black online but I wanted to try something different.  I gave this little painting to a friend who kindly brought me dinner last week.  It was an extra nice treat for me! 🙂

How do like to spend a little extra time to relax?!  I hope you share it with me!

Cheers! 🙂

 

A Blue-Sky Day

It was a blue-sky kind of day at the lake yesterday.  The sun was shining, no wildfire smoke was in the air and we enjoyed a nice boat ride on smooth water!

Summer skies of blue,

 Filtered streams of sun light,

Fade into fall’s grasp:

Wishing you a blue-sky kind of relaxation wherever you are!

Cheers! 🙂

Take A Walk

I apologize that I haven’t posted in a few days… life has kind of gotten in the way!  I haven’t been feeling well and so I have gotten behind.

I thought you might enjoy taking a little walk with me at the lake after a busy week…

These pie cherries are looking pretty ripe!  The Robins haven’t eaten these…yet!

The sunset looks like a winner tonight – look at these whispy clouds!

Pinecones piled high for a beach fire – yet look at that yellow flower growing on the edge! 🙂

As I step onto the dock, I notice the clouds reflecting on the water and plants sprouting new growth between boards:

I like the combination of the moss growing on the dock boards and the mountains in the distance in this sunset view:

As I walk back to my little place at the lake, I notice these beautiful flowers:

I just love their color combination, don’t you? 💜

Wishing you a happy day taking a walk enjoying the beauty around you –  I hope you share a description with me!

Cheers! 🙂

A Pine Cone Study

A friend at the lake brought me this wonderful dish of pine cones recently:

She thought I might enjoy painting them… And I did!

It amazes me how such a simple subject can bring me so much JOY to paint!

I noticed how one of the greener pine cones reminded me of a pineapple.

May you find beauty in what you treasure today!

Cheers! 🙂

Shadows and Light

I find the shadows to be almost as beautiful of the flowers in the sun light!

Foxglove next to Bluebells:

Flowers purchased to plant:

And flowers planted:

May you enjoy the beauty surrounding you today!

Cheers! 🙂

 

 

A Day To Reflect

Some days I just need to slow down and reflect on life…

Yesterday seemed like the perfect day at the lake!  😃

A good morning reflection – so thankful to be alive here at the lake!

An evening boat ride on calm waters:

Just breathe!  Love these cotton ball clouds and calm waters.  Thank you God for this beautiful place to unwind and recharge.

Pink clouds… such an amazing view!

Thank you for this day!  Wow!  God!  Your masterpieces are such a work of art in nature!!

Wishing you a day to relax and enjoy what brings you happiness in life!

Cheers!  🙂

Crabapple in Opera Rose

I just love Winsor and Newton’s Opera Rose!  Such a brilliant pink – a perfect color to paint my flowering crabapple in watercolor that I drew previously here.

I tried to paint it looser and added a few splatters at the end.

Now, our second crabapple tree in our yard is blooming… with all the rain we had this Spring, it is “buzzing” with new growth!  I have never seen this tree so full of blossoms.

I have a new subject to paint.  YAY!

Cheers!  🙂