"Jewel Tone Gems", oil, 11 x 14" available $225 click here to purchase

At the beginning of the week, I spent the morning with Roxanne Steed for a "Mentoring Monday". It was wonderful to listen to Roxanne talk through her painting as she explained each step of her process. 

Concentrating on step two of Roxanne's process, it was blocking in large shapes with bold transparent colors. We used magenta, ultramarine blue and transparent yellow as our base colors. Boy was it bright and colorful! 

And of course those colors were floating around my head that afternoon as I returned home to see our garden blooming with the same jewel tones.  Roxanne also demonstrated the fracturing technique which is really exciting since I had already had a little bit of experience with it.  But it was great to see how she handled it. 

Overcast and chill was the morning at Mercy Center in Madison, CT with the Madison Art Society Wednesday Paint Out group. I rode with Elena and we arrived around 9:15am. There were about 12 or maybe a few more of us sprinkled along the back property that ran along the rocky sound. 

The water and sky were so close in color that it was hard to distinguish between the two. I chose this spot near Tom and Hans - Karen joined us about an hour later. I love the way the fence framed the bright white, peach and mauve rocks that  create a nature sea wall from the beach area.   Donna set up in the other direction, while Jay found a spot just on the other side of Donna and concentrated on rock formations. 


The Mercy Center is a spiritual retreat center with 33 acres of breath-taking waterfront property and manicure grounds. They have an art gallery with a beautiful exhibit of mandalas as prayers and they offer weekly yoga classes.
I hope to return sometime soon.... maybe when the sun is shining.

After a month of 9 Corks and Canvas Painting Parties it was nice to take a break and head outdoors to paint two really amazing painters - Roxanne Steed and Jill Matthews. Roxanne had posted on Facebook about her Mentoring Mondays and I knew it was perfect for me. I've admire Roxanne's work for a while now and couldn't wait to join her. 
The trip was a little over an hour but when I arrived the sun was shining and the gardens looked lush and green. We set up right in the front yard and work there until about noon. I chose a spot behind both of them so I could keep an eye on their progress and the steps that Roxanne demonstrated. 

First starting with a quick sketch and then moving on to blocking in colors with some really bold and vibrant transparent colors - magenta, cad yellow and ultramarine blue. At this stage my painting looked psychedelic but as I "trusted the process" - Roxanne talked us through the next steps of adding opaque paintings and layering with the palette knife. 

By noon, we wrapped things up.. chatted a little more about contemporary artists, workshops and techniques.... and much more. It was not only relaxing but educational... and I just can't wait to go again!
Thanks Roxanne and Jill -

Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity 
to accept the things I cannot change; 
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time; 
Enjoying one moment at a time; 
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; 
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it; 
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life 
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr


Who likes to surrender? If you're like me, I'm not big into surrendering... especially if I'm passionately about a cause, a project, a job or even a person. Joking around I use to say my middle name was Perseverance. 

I can remember as a little girl I would sit with my mom's sewing box in my lap and untangle the huge ball of tangled up thread from a dozen spools. I have no idea how long it took, an hour or more but I was determined and I wouldn't give up. Even with a pair of scissors by my side that I could have easily snipped away the knotted and woven cluster. But instead I carefully studies the entanglement like a puzzle that needed to be solved.
But now, as I'm approaching a half a century old..  I've come to realize that not everything can be solved with hard work and determination. Something. Sometimes. Somehow. Surrendering is the answer.  The answer to finding peace and serenity in a circumstances that you have no control over ..
but know that
 the One that is on your side, 
the One that is cheering for you, 
that loves you and only wants the best for you...
.. does have control.  

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will direct your paths.

Proverbs 3, 5-6