I think Reid said this cabin actually burnt down, and so this is in memory of that place. It looks pretty darn awesome. Can you see the boat to the far left? The reference photo was rather blurry so the details were fuzzy, but that's always fine with a painting because I get to be even more expressionistic than ever! I loved getting the reflections in there, and the sky over those immensely tall trees- beautiful!
I'm a bit tired as I'm posting this, so it'll be short.
This is the amazing self-designed, selfimagined home of our friends, up north, which is why it is difficult to see it behind the trees~
Beautiful place with a beautiful heart~
I really am getting a kick out of these places that are real people's homes, where they live! There is a value on something where life happens. I imagine walking up those steps, past those friendly fuzzy fir bushes, tapping on the door with the gentle stucco all around. And there's such a comfortable guard of tall trees behind the house too, those protecting, covering beings. I love trees.
And I am sorry I didn't post anything yesterday, but we were a bit busy, helping mom with her Christmas decorations and eating a turkey dinner in the garage~ it was really sweet, actually. I hope you were able to find a way to celebrate with family. We all watched "It's A Wonderful Life" together last night on Zoom, with the help of Amazon Prime Video- it was fun because we all could talk while watching it~ and I always tear up at certain parts of that movie!
I'm thankful for all of you and for being able to paint too!
I know this house quite well, and have had my own share of fun and memories here, and it also happens to be where Violet has spent most of her childhood and recently had her graduation party (outside, safety consciously last summer). It's a great house, with a great room in the back with a fireplace and a friendly big kitchen, and a huge backyard with mature trees, and that lovely birch in the front.
Ah, I do like painting houses I know!
Here's another fun one, where the light is really important. The cabin is white-ish, so there was a lot of shades of grey I had to create and play with, and then all that hot green, so nice! This could be another place I'd like to spend some time in~ like in that red chair sitting out front!
And here's another lovely Minneapolis home! I love the greens and the sky and the trees and that white picket fence and all the sweet plants and the Adirondack chairs out front~ looks like another place I'd love to walk up and knock on the door and say HI!
I like the low view of this one too, because the house looks so much more dramatic!
Here's a sweet place in Wisconsin, with a big sky above. I really played around with that sky! It took probably more time than the house, because I kept going back in and needing to adjust it all~ skies are fun!
And so I'm kicking out these last few for the end of November! But if you are interested, I am also painting commissions for people for Christmas gifts too! Be sure and get those to me soon, so I can get them painted before the big day!
Wahoo!
Another sweet little structure in lovely light! Rather irresistible! I like the oars in front there too, and the little shingles and the pot of flowers on the delicate legged stand by the door~ I want to see inside it too!
And here's what Connie, whom I met when she came to take Painting Lessons, says about this little building~
"How exciting that you like it! I grew up with an out house at our wonderful cottage. When we needed a bathroom we built this with a tub that looks out a window for moon Gazing. "
I really love light. Don't you? Like how light makes shadow, how you can see the rest of the world through the shadows?
Do I know what I'm talking about? Maybe... but it's Friday night after a long week, and I'm not sure any more...
I do know that I love the shadows and the light and all that dappling on the front there...,
Whew! I'm kinda hitting a crunchy time... as in things are happening at work and at home and I'm trying to get a whole bunch of things done without biting anyone's head off, if you know what I mean. I'm feeling like all of us are living in an alternate universe at the moment, with events suspended and new meanings coming at us daily... but I can still enjoy popcorn while Max tells me about more Starwars Lego sets...
SO this lovely house is somewhere on the east coast, I believe, and I'm loving the light and I hope I was able to get a bit of the feel of that time of day, and the glow and reflection from the white banisters and siding... there was just so much fun in there!
And this is my friend Donna's house, and she has an amazing garden and I was torn between trying to paint the garden in or trying to put in the beautiful tree so I opted for the tree. It's such a cool house, with a huge wide porch, screened in, and those fantastic pillars with the brick and stucco detail! I've always loved loping up those steps to say hi!
Oh and it is Give to the Max Day on the 20th, which is Friday (right?) so I'll be making at least a $1000 donation to Simpson's Housing on that day because those donations are MATCHED!!! I haven't been paid for all the paintings people have claimed yet, but I trust that we'll at least get up to that grand! So thank you everyone who has bought their painting, and thank you those people who have bid on and won an auction! I believe there is one auction that has not gotten any bids... you can pick that one up cheap!
These are the houses of my hometown. Suburban Minnesota. Nice mature trees, big unfenced yards, not many sidewalks to speak of. And this is the house of another wonderful couple of old friends of my parents', and they still keep an eye out for my mom, bringing her communion on Sundays and dropping off dinner for her. They took her out to eat often after my dad died. It feels proper to be painting their house.
It looks like another friendly place. I think that's a little angel sitting on the front step...
Dang, people! Thank you so much! I sent out that note last night and I've got a pile of houses to paint! I really appreciate this! I haven't even actually told Simpson's that I'm doing this project to make a donation... I keep meaning to mention it but then I run out of time.
SO this is Katy's house, and I've been there a couple times- I think the last time was last winter, and we all got to sit around in her living room and listen to a musician by the name of Humbird, which was a lovely and intimate way to spend an evening with a group of people, and I think that was one of the last times I was in a space filled with people.
I can't wait til we can do that again!
Now, I know I'll get to hang out at this cabin at some point in the hopefully near future! This belongs to my old friend Julie (and her sweetie Jeff) and some day we'll get to hang out on that deck and watch the bear family trot by on their way down to the lake. Isn't it just great? I love the red shutters and that star and the red garage door and everything!
And the snow, and the blue shadows, and the pines, and the sky, and just, yay!
And here is today's sunny little house. It look like another one I'd love to stop by and sit on that front stoop and have a cup of tea and share some laughter.
Yes, that will happen!
Wahoo!
This is our friendly neighbors' house, across the street from mom, and we've known them ever since we moved into the "new" house, when I was 9. In 1977... so it isn't a NEW house anymore.
They are the nicest people, and help mom out whenever she needs it. Sometimes they'll walk Star, mom's dog, so she doesn't have to wobble down the street.
And today is the 5 year anniversary of my dad's sudden death. Always a strange day. It's been a hard and weird five years. The administration didn't help my grieving process any. It feels better now.
I really like the tree in the front yard in this one.
Doesn't this look like a house you'd want to go into? Like if you knocked on the door to say "trick or treat" you'd get a full can of pop or a king sized candy bar? Or if you were dropping by for a gathering and had never been there before, and you felt welcome as soon as you realized this was the house?
Something about yellow houses...
Oh, I guess ours is a yellow green, with yellow trim...
So fun to paint this one! Thanks Joy!
I really love the light on this one! Isn't it great? And front porches are so friendly, especially open ones like this, where you can sit and swing your legs free...
This is a great time of year to see houses looking kinda like this, with the sun setting earlier and earlier and the windows lit up warm and cosy.
We went for a walk here on Sunday afternoon. It was just too nice of a day to not do that. And now there is about 4 inches of snow out on our back deck... hmm. This is a Minnesota Fall, isn't it?
I love the Minnesota River Valley- it's wide, open, wet, marshy... there's birds and beavers and rushes and air. Feels like home.
This one is another auction!
I love this photo. Maryanna sent me a couple others, and maybe it's because I saw this one first, but there's something about that bench to the far left, looking out over the view, and the door with the rake and brooms, and being able to see through the windows to the far side, and those pines filling the sky with air~
I love this place and I've never been there!
