Trees

View of Cape Split from Partridge Island

4x12 watercolor

This is not the painting I originally planned to submit to the GJWP challenge this month, but the first one is only half finished, having been started the day before we left for Nova Scotia and it was just a bit more complicated than it needed to be.
I did this down at Partridge Island this afternoon. Don't know if it's noticeable but there's some shimmery silver paint in it. Don and I  are having a wonderful time staying with Cousin Barb, Marilyn, Abbie the Yellow Lab and sweet cats, Molly and Honey. Tomorrow we're attending a Yorke family reunion in Diligent River ;)

Parrsboro Panorama

Parrsboro Panorama 6x12 watercolor

This is the ever changing view from our cottage at Second Beach. As the tides change the wind comes up and the scent of the water and air is heavenly. All the flags fly straight out. Almost as soon as the tide is high the wind dies down. Wind, Water ocean smells. Heavenly!

Don says, "close the door, it's cold."   ;D

Parrsboro Cottage 4x6

Parrsboro Lighthouse 4x6 pen and ink

Ahhhhhh......Parrsboro. 
Indescribable, but you can imagine. We had relaxing and fun week at the cottage, took some day trips, ate great seafood, read books and just looked out at Cape Blomidon and the beautiful view.
Even after all these years, I have never tired of the stunning (really-even though that's an overused word now-it applies here) vistas everywhere.
This sketch of the lighthouse is one of the better ones I did this week. Also did a couple of watercolors and took a thousand more photos ;)  I HAD to ;)
Stay tuned.....

Parrsboro

View over Five Islands

We didn't realize how much we needed this vacation but it's been a beautiful week! We packed up the car and the cats and took off Sunday morning arriving in Parrsboro around 7:30 PM in a hard rain. I awoke Monday morning to the sound of pouring rain outside my window which meant..... sleep some more ;)  Needed that. We read all day while we listened to the rain and watched the tide come in. Bliss. 
Tuesday dawned clear and sunny and the weather has been great every day since. Yesterday, we drove from Parrsboro up through Pugwash and along the Northumberland shore to Pictou and back down through Truro and home again. 238 miles. As always, Don has to stop or turn around or back up so I can take yet, another picture, which he cheerfully does. He now brings his book with him to pass the time. I plan to paint tomorrow and post something by Saturday. 
We're heading home Sunday, relaxed and refreshed and ready to work.

Outside the Box

8x8 acrylic mixed media

I can finally reveal my Outside the Box piece which was great fun to do. I can't do better than this photo because of the glare on the iridescent paint. The color is much more vibrant than it shows. I drew the dragonflies and then decoupaged them on and painted them with a shimmery acrylic paint. I'll have to think of something different for next year because I want to keep everyone guessing.
By the way the closing party is tonight at North River Arts in Marshfield Hills. Be there or be square.
Don and I and the 'girls' are heading to Parrsboro, Nova Scotia tomorrow for a week. A little slice of heaven. 

Summer Days

Partridge Island
SOLD

It's only been a week? I thought it was longer and was feeling tres guilty about slacking :D  Anyway, I was able to work through the rust and do this painting of summer in Parrsboro for our GirlsJustWannaPaint challenge which goes up tonight. It's summer here and tomorrow the tide will be perfect for a full day at the beach. That's where you'll find me. 

Over Economy Mountain

 When we go to Nova Scotia we take day trips along the beautiful Fundy Shore. Going South from Parrsboro to Truro we cross Economy 'Mountain'. This is the view from the summit which expands as we descend the hill, to a vista of water and red mud, depending on where the tide is. I never get tired of this area and if it weren't so darn far away, I'd be going up there more often than we do. Stay tuned for a larger canvas I'm working on. I'm busting out!

Two Islands Farm

This is our last day and of course it dawned beautifully. I was up with the birds (crows, are there any louder birds anywhere?) and out early to paint. Went up to Two Islands and stopped to take photos of some horses in a pasture. They all came running over to greet me and since they were in deep grass I never saw the little donkey who brought up the rear until his head emerged from the tall grass! Meanwhile, talk about swarms of flies of every kind!! I had to paint in the car with the windows up and the air on. Hedonistic....I know, I know...

I really used artists' license in this little study. Eliminated the porch on the house and the windows. Looks like two barns. Also, I had added some flowers against the white barn and after seeing the photo on the computer I took them out. It's what we call over working or not knowing when to stop ;) All they did was grab the eye to notice that they didn't enhance the

composition at all!

"Strawberry Shortcake"

Click to Bid

Check out my fellow travelers at Girls Just Wanna Paint to see their versions of 'Summer Desserts'.

It was a beautiful day in Parrsboro today after days of fog and rain. We took a ride "down shore" to Advocate. Fantastic landscape along winding roads with vistas of towering cliffs over the Bay of Fundy. Spectacular! 

Apple Madness

Shaking the rust off of my brushes here in Parrsboro. The weather for the drive up was stellar. The skies were blue with big puffy clouds and the light driving into town at about 8:30 PM Monday evening  was spectacular. It was the summer solstice but It stays light longer up here anyway because of the latitude.
Today I broke out the gear and was going to paint a sweet bouquet of wildflowers in a jelly jar....but quickly came to my senses and settled on these apples, which were difficult enough!! You can't stay away from painting very long before you lose your mojo ;)

Parrsboro Pine WC 8x10

Parrsboro Pine
8x10

This spruce has been standing on the edge of the lawn at the cottage in Parrsboro for the last 12 years but when Don and I arrived there this year, no more tree! There were such violent Ocean storms that the erosion this winter was heavier than usual. I did this watercolor last October when I was up there. Glad I caught this magnificent tree, then. I love this place.

Joy's Cottage 8x10

This cottage belonged to 3 sisters, one of whom died two summers ago. Her name was Joy and everyone who knew her said her name described her perfectly. I think of her spirit being here when I paint this little cottage. I will mention also, that the photo does not do justice. Like reproductions in art books, the computer monitor doesn't give the depth of seeing the real painting and some works photograph better than others. I need to tweak this just a touch, but for now it's up for all to see.

Parrsboro Red Rocks 6x6 oil

I can only describe this place as ‘magical’. The colors are amazing and since I think my viewers might not believe they are true, I included my reference photo. My friends and I enjoyed a spectacular adventure to Cape d’Or yesterday on a perfect Fall day. It was sunny and warm. We were so overwhelmed by the landscape that we didn’t get to paint. Today is raining so we are painting out the windows.