The gift of being at home over the past months has stirred up many feelings. Joy, frustration, acceptance, anger, resistance… and the list goes on. I’m not sure I always felt the quarantine
was a gift but if I reflect back there are many gifts that have come within the experience.

Although continuing to paint has been part of what has offered a form of nurturing so necessary to my soul. I have also experienced a bit of fear and frustration with not feeling as much freedom to go out and paint among friends. And as with a lot of other areas of my life, during this time, there has been a great opportunity to look within my own “backyard” and see what’s there. This includes observing what needs cleaning out and what needs development, love and kindness.

The reason I am talking about all this is because many of my plein-air experiences, of late have been in my own “backyard” and neighborhood. Right now I have limited forms of travel, so going on foot or by cycle are providing me with new opportunities and perspectives like the one shared here.

The view is from my backyard looking across toward one of my neighbors. It’s a scene I have painted before and maybe I’ll pull up that painting for this post as it’s quite different. There’s something about this perspective that draws me in. I love the pine trees and character of the garage with the white picket fence detail. I think there’s a magical story in here. One that I am discovering slowly. It’s full of brilliance, color and adventure. I hope you tag along for “ride”.

Categories: Art Covid-19, Flowers, Landscapes, Nature, plein-airTags: adventures, art, back yards, bold, colorful, contemporary women artists, discovery, dramatic, expressionism, fauvism, gardens, healing, home, i love art, landscape paintings, love, neighborhood, original oil paintings, painterly, prose, rendered impressions, scenic landscapes, stretched canvas, unique, vertical, women artists