Christmas 2013

Dan Fogelberg's most famous Christmas song is Auld Lang Syne, of course.  "Saw an old lover in the grocery store...la da da da Christmas Eve..."  But he breathes new life into this 19th Century Christmas hymn and it has become one of my all time favorites.  You can find it on his "The First Christmas Morning" CD--highly recommended--as a collection of beautifully written or resurrected pieces that point to Christ, the whole reason for Christmas.  Enjoy! 

In the Bleak Mid-Winter

In the bleak mid-winter, the frosty wind did moan

The earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone

Snow had fallen softly, snow on snow on snow

In the bleak mid-winter, oh so long ago

Our God, heaven cannot hold Him nor the earth sustain

Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign

In the bleak mid-winter a stable place sufficed

For the Lord almighty, Jesus Christ

Oh what can I give Him, woeful as I am

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb

If I were a wiseman, oh I would do my part

Yet, what can I give Him - I will give my heart

Oh what can I give Him - I will give my heart

Words: Christina Rossetti, 1872. Music: Gustav Holst, 1906.

Maine's Coastline

Ocean's Edge
16"x14" $275 framed

 Maine's coastline is as variable as the weather...rocky here, sandy there...smooth sailing one day, storm front moving in the next.  Hearty beach roses are among the flora and fauna that frame the sea, their beauty showing forth despite salty air and challenging conditions for growth.  I love sitting on the rocks watching the waves crash and the seagulls diving for dinner.  Sometimes a lobsterman cruises by, stopping to check his pots next to the colorful buoys.  Capturing the tides on canvas, the ebb and the flow, reminds me to remain flexible and moving, growing and loving every day.                                                                                   

Prout's Neck Tides and Roses
~~sold

SPLASH!!
24"x20" $450 framed

Cranberry Skies
27"x17" $750 Framed

Boat House Blues

It's been a while!  Summer morphed right into fall before I could even catch my breath!  I have missed writing and posting here...and look forward to a bit more activity in the coming months!  Life has been incredibly busy, but oh so very good.  I relish the sweet moments time has given me...now tucked away as fond memories of family, fun, and fulfillment of my dreams through painting.  God is good, all the time, and all the time, God is good!

~~This painting is in a private collection in Maine~~

Hope

Spring flew right past me this year!  All of a sudden it's June and I haven't posted on my blog in a long time!  I had a little fun with acrylics a few weeks ago.  They are the opposite of watercolors in technique, but one can still achieve a similar "watery" effect. 

I named this painting "Hope" because Spring always brings with it a promise of hope...the cold winter melts into greens and purples and pinks...the quiet snowflakes give way to chittering, chattering birds...the frosty air turns fragrant and warm.  It's not that Spring went by without my noticing...it's just that I was busy marking time in Nature, not online!  The violets carpeted my lawn, the daffodils laughed in the breeze, the tulips smiled before each faded petal fell, the lilacs and honeysuckle scented the garden then gave way to the irises and lupines. 

And so it goes...and so it goes. God's mercies are new every morning...He brings forth the flowers and the rain...the sun and the moon...each in its own time. 

Happy June...Happy Summer...Happy Trails!

This painting is in a private collection in Maine.
 

Herschel's Barn

Crystal blue skies and daisies in the field.  All is well at the farm.  A quintessential summer day.  Farmers love these kinds of days, because so much work can be fit in between sunup and sundown without obstacles like mud or cold.  But farmers have a lot to teach us about how to live out our lives.  Sunny days are great--but rainy days are just as important when growing a crop.  Seeds are planted along with the faith that  rains will come to soften the shell so new growth can emerge.  Faith that after the rain, the sun will warm the soil so roots can reach deeper still, enjoying the nutrients found in the layers found beneath the surface.  The faith of a farmer--simple, elegant, and rich. 

This painting is in a private collection in Maine.

Poetry

The Owl Moves

A calling

She slips from the flannel envelope of her

Slumber

And mind

Beckoned by the stillness

The chill

The darkness to gaze

Amid the barren branches of the winter's night

A voice

Created, of a creature

An oral beacon that echoes in the cavern of time

Louder, still louder

"Speak, my heart listens; guide, I will follow"

Distant diamonds of light

Wings brush the dawn

Her flight



By RMM 1/28/13

Mountains in my Mind

There are mountains in my mind.  Some I climb up, some I climb down.  When atop the thrilling peak, I can see distant lands and times.  When in the valleys, I see both sides more clearly as I wait patiently in the shadows for guidance.  My hope is that I always have the courage to take one more step--whether up or down--and remember that my Savior is with me always.  I've been listening to a "new" album on my turntable...here are some words of wisdom from one of my favorite musicians, Dan Fogelberg: 

The higher you climb, the more that you see

The more that you see, the less that you know

The less that you know, the more that you yearn

The more that you yearn, the higher you climb

~~18"x15" $325 framed

Happy 2013--Happy Painting!!

Four new tubes of paint + one new brush = a happy day of painting!  New Year's greetings a few days late...but better late than never.  In this sunset painting, I was inspired by the dark tree shadows contrasting against the pink/orange glow of the setting sun on the snow.  Just beautiful!  A new year means a fresh start, new goals, new fun--and many new paintings!  I am pleased to be back in my studio after a holiday break, connected to my passion, and ready to see what 2013 brings!  I am grateful to my Lord who has provided this opportunity, and promise to steward it carefully! 
And, as is tradition at Dragonfly Arts, the first painting of the year is available for free to the first person who asks for it!