Back to the Rheinfahrt

Sensing that my fans are tired of the relentless renditions of the "Wave's Embrace"  I have chosen to post this small daily painting even though its tone is in direct contrast to my present mood.  This is from our trip down the Rhine in February.  This castle is one among many that are perched high above the river.  I tried to make it moody by adding the fog and then I added a yellow glaze that immediately made me think of  Thornfield Hall in Jane Eyre.

Tagesgrauen und Siegried's Rheinfahrt

This is really Ted's Rheinfahrt that we made while in Germany.  We stayed in an old castle on the Rhine that had been renovated to a hotel, and we took a little afternoon boat up the river to a town where we took a train back to our little town, St. Goar.  You can imagine that especially in the winter when the fogs roll in, the dramatic feeling that must have inspired Wagner.  I've been listening to him and painting a few small canvases, using the watercolors as a reference that I made while we were there.

Moroccan Pomagranates

Through the brush

We went up the mountain to a meadow to paint and I chose this view, which is actually looking through some overhanging branches to the meadow beyond.  

Another "Wish I Was at the Beach"

OK, I know this one looks a little crazy,  but first consider that the paper is handmade and very thick and absorbent.  Then, consider that I was not at the beach, in fact, far from it:  in the high desert.  My imagination took me to this watery spot where the sun was radiating gold halos.  I'm not in it, but I was floating somewhere out of the visual range, in my head.  Fa-la-la.

The Three Tomatoes

I wish these three tomatoes had been grown in my secret garden, but alas, they were bought at the supermarket.  This is another painting I did at the Carol Marine workshop in Santa Fe.  

The Three Peppers

This is the last painting I did in the Carol Marine workshop that I took in Santa Fe.  I particularly like the pink background with the red pepper.  One of things I struggle with concerning the small format of a daily painting is simplicity.  It's hard to narrow down to a few forms, but once I do, it's so much fun to paint!