What, you never saw a purple cow?

So when I was in the fifth grade, my classroom and teacher were shared with the sixth grade.  That meant that my older brother was in my class.  One day, we were assigned to memorize a poem and be prepared to recite it to the class a few days hence.  I memorized a very long poem (Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) to showcase my amazing powers of memory. I was one of the first to recite and I have to admit, the other kids were probably half asleep when I finished.  Then came my brother, who got up and recited the poem (four short lines) I Never Saw a Purple Cow.  The other kids loved it and he received a lot of applause.  This is what I really mean:  I think sometimes it's more advantageous to be brief and funny rather than serious and intelligent.

Deep Pond

This is an experiment with acrylics which I like so much that I'm going to paint the same scene but on a larger canvas.  The scene is a pool fed by a spring deep in the woods near Johnson, Vermont where I did a month long residency at the Vermont Studio Center.

Barbara's Roses

Surprise to everyone who has been wondering about "What I Really Mean"!  These are vintage roses that grow in my friend Barbara's yard.  She brought over this bouquet one evening and I had to paint them.

What is the Meaning of Life

I painted this work some years ago when I had had particularly spectacular elephant ears in my yard.  Every year since I've tried to duplicate these plant giants to no avail, until this year.   Now, finally, I have equally large and gorgeous elephant ears in my "Secret Garden".  I also have four wonderful banana trees.  So I will be doing some paintings that will express what I really mean about my utter joy and wonder  at these bountiful botanical specimens in my Secret Garden. (Almost a year later:  I just discovered this in my draft section of the blog, never published.  Update, sadly, I never got around to expressing my utter joy and wonder last summer, but my elephant ears and banana trees are already up and growing so I expect to have another chance this year)

Red Deer Caught in a Frame

It's been a while since I posted, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy painting.  I made this painting especially for an auction benefit raising money to help my nephew pay huge medical bills.  My husband got involved with his unique creative genius by making the frame.

Lemoille River at Hogback Road

This is an experiment that I did yesterday, the last painting day here in Vermont. I did not draw the scene first, but started at the lower right hand corner and worked my way up and to the left. My paper buckled because I didn't tape it down so there were added surprises to the finished painting. This is what I mean: this whole month has been one intense experiment with my art and I'm a little sad to see it end (you can see the tears dripping down in the water).

Doghead Pond, Vermont

Believe it or not I drew this exactly as I saw it in the afternoon. This rock is about 12 or 15 feet high and I was perched on a rock opposite. The river flows past and fills a lovely pond that must look like Walden Pond. A very playful otter lives here and he comes out in the evening as the sun is setting and swims around. Honestly, with no hyperbole, as my poet friends would say.