Our visit to our summer house brought some surprises. The first thing to greet us was our lovely birch planted five years ago with the top third resting on the ground, damage resulting from an ice storm this winter. I have great hope it will recover. The cover of our wooden garbage box broke in the same storm and the top flew off our compost bin. This is the first spring we were welcomed by any kind of damage from winter storms.
This old lobster trap was nestled in one of my flower beds beside the house. It moved position in the wind and now rests precariously near the edge of the cliff with a sheer drop to the ocean below. A quick replacing was necessary.
While I was busy inside painting , the elements were battling outside. When I looked out I couldn't believe I was seeing snow. After several hours I was sure which elements were winning.
There's no sign of green grass today. It is cold and white.
I'm driving along thinking of all those blog posts I've read in the last several weeks that focused on spring plants in bloom. There's not much colour here but...
the effects of drooping lace make up for the lack of colour.
Beauty of another kind.I'm happy to report that in the midst of all this excitement I finished my last two 10 x 24 paintings which now total 20. It was a good feeling. I can't believe how much more focused I am at my summer studio. The work just seems to fly off the brush. There's something to be said for solitude as an important factor in the creative process.
7 comments:
I am so happy to read about the summer house! I was curious when you'd go back, and then to view the images, and the snow! So beautiful. I can't wait to see more. So happy for your painting progress.
Solitude definitely has a positive effect on my work. A lovely thought of your work just flying off the brush.
I have my eye on the old lobster trap and thinking what I would do with it if one landed in my garden.
Congrats on finishing your 20! I'm glad the damage to your summer home was minimal. It looks like your drive back was beautiful, albeit hazardous. Did I ever mention how much I love the weather in Vegas? :-P
-Don
Oh, that explains the three hour drive through snow! I was wondering. Like you, I'm always curious to see how my summer home wintered over. Sometimes there are surprises - like the time fierce winter winds picked up my huge gas BBQ grill and hurled it over the patio and into the woods! I can only imagine the gardens you've planted at your summer home. I'm certain they're beautiful!
And, congratulations on completing your 20 paintings! You must be thrilled, and I wish I could attend the exhibit. Do take lots of pictures to share with us.
How wonderful, Margaret. There's something romantic about being storm stayed in the studio. I love to think of you with time to paint and solitude for your creativity. Beautiful photos, too. Even though it's almost May, I still get happy, cosy feelings about winter.
Yes, solitude is the best place for getting the work to start flying. Congratulations!
Damage doesn't look so awful and I'm sure you will return for yet another show of spring!
Thanks for the responses to my winter wonderland everyone. My trip out to open up reminded me how important it is to have uninterrupted time to paint. When I am in town I feel like a fly who is buzzing and pitching here and there just long enough to get a feed but not long enough to digest. Terrible metaphor but it explains the differences for me.
Tina,
I guess it is easy to tell that I am very happy at the summer house and quite thankful that it can be part of my life.
Kathy, fellow summer house dweller, You know only too well the joys of summer living. I had to chuckle at the garden reference . I have a very low grade garden with mostly shrubs. I have tried to fit the house into the meadow and keep it as low keep as possible. Lush it isn't.
Shayla,
I guess you too know the feeling of spring storms and nestling into the house. Our weather is very similar. What would we have to talk about if we didn't have all these weather blips?
Mary Ann,
I can still see my tulips thrusting happily through the thin layer of snow. They're staying around.
Don,
I'll be talking about the weather when we are having a warm summer breezes off the water and you are roasting in Vegas!
Robyn,
The lobster trap was in the dump when I found it an took it home. It isn't as bad as it sounds. I'm not a dump scavenger. In our small summer community you can drive to the dump to drop larger things off yourself. The lobster trap was resting just inside the gate. I took it home. There are lobster fishermen in Duntara so it is part of the fibre of the community.
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