Flea Market Finds

Last week I was fortunate to be Artist in Residence at the Terrace Inn in Bay View, just outside of Petoskey, Michigan.  Bay View is a Methodist Chautaqua, a very peaceful place as well as being very spiritual.  The Terrace Inn is a lovely old hotel and restaurant located on the grounds of BayView.  If you have a chance to stay there or even just go for lunch or dinner, I think you'll like it.  The staff is friendly, the food is good and there is usually a resident artist on hand so you can see art in the making.
I did a lot of sketching and worked on three new pieces.  One is still in process, , Newgate Prison Gate, a 14 x 11 watercolor on 140 lb Windsor Newton paper.

The other two, both 8 x8,  are the beginning of a new series.... Flea Market Finds.  The first is a rack of old luggage and the second is a bunch of wooden baskets.

Here's a bit of the other things I played with while I was there.... a sketch of the ice cream parlor entrance at the Inn and a couple collages

And now, back to reality, have to get ready for a show that hangs next week.

Rigging Minis

I did more thinking than painting this week; however, I did manage to get three miniatures finished.  These are three separate pieces, each 2" x  2".  Eventually they will go in a frame that has 3 openings.  That's a project for another day.

I'm still thinking about "Saying Yes."  Sorting out where I am and where I'm going.  Next week I will be away for a week as Artist in Residence at a resort.  It's a quiet resort and away from those home obligations that so often get in the way of making art and just plain thinking.  Hopefully I'll be able to spend more time meditating this.

Walking around in our garden

I've just finished reading "Saying Yes" by Cindy West.  The sub-title, "accepting God's amazing invitation to artists and the church.  I loved the book; Cindy said some things I needed to hear.  A question on the back cover... What will you do with the powerful gift of art?  What will I do with it?  I'm at a place where my art and my faith have to come together.  I'm not sure yet how that will happen but I know it's where I need to go.

After finishing the book I took a walk around our garden, went back in the house and got my camera and took some photos of God's glory right in our back yard.  Normally I would have taken my sketchbook too but it's cold out there this morning.

I recall Timothy Clark talking about why he paints gardens... it's a combination of God made and man made.  I like that thought.  I believe I'll keep it in my head for awhile.  Here are a few images I snapped this morning.