Slow Shifting

work in progress, 15 x 22", VClaff 2013 

I'm quiet today... as the cold stillness settles into the forest, the last of the golden 

leaves spiraling to the white-dusted ground. In the studio, the paintings glow 

with a deeper yellow-orange, as I attempt to capture the extraordinary luminosity 

of late October and early November. I imagine soon there will be a shift in the work in 

response to the slowly transforming woodlands. 

work in progress, 15 x 22", VClaff 2013

"October Tree", watercolor, 10x 8", VClaff 2013

Looking at the pinboard, I see the seasons shifting from winter to spring, to summer 

to fall. 

Things get rather chaotic on the worktable when I'm painting. 

Below is the completed "Beechwood" which I posted a photo of before 

 in process here in case you're interested in seeing how things develop. 

"Beechwood", watercolor, 15"x22", VClaff 2013

The painting below, along with a number of other small watercolors, are now 

listed in my Etsy Shop. The galleries I work with don't seen interested in smaller 

works these days, so I am able to offer the small work at very affordable prices. 

A number of people have asked about purchasing work over the last few months, 

but were on limited budgets. I really wanted to create a body of smaller works

that many more people could afford. Take a peek HERE at my shop. Or find 

the Etsy showcase down below there in the sidebar and follow the link!

"October Sky", watercolor, 8" x 11", VClaff 2013

Pasha is really showing his elder years with this season's cold temperatures. He is 

in and out of the studio and on top of the gas heater for a warm-up when inside. 

I've been feeling intense grief now and again as this little cat-love-of-my-life is 

changing. He may decide he might like to follow my mother to the other side soon. 

Its a lot of grief to stack on top of the other, and sometimes my heart just breaks. 

I'll leave you with images of my walks and wanders - the forest 

of my inspiration and the most spectacular November skies. 

Sancturary In a Room of One's Own

"Mists", watercolor, VClaff, 2013

For one reason or another, the world hasn't felt like a friendly place of late. 

Journeying through these months of grief, I feel like a raw egg without a shell, 
and not as able to let the unconsiouss and lately downright unkind behavior of 
others slide off me. My studio has been a sanctuary of inspiration and solace, 
I am so grateful to have this room of my own. For those of you new to my blog, 
you may not know that I received a grant to build the studio, and my gratitude 
for this gift is ever deepening. (as always, click on the images to see them better)

"Winter Marsh", watercolor, VClaff 2013

I continue to explore the forest paintings with great enthusiasm, experimenting 

with bleeding techniques, layering and both the square and long rectangle formats. 

Each painting unfolds mysteriously as I watch how the first wash layer dries and 

suggests mists or light or something altogether undefineable, which is fine with me. 

"Mystery", watercolor, VClaff 2013

"Winter Trees", watercolor, VClaff 2013

"Trees - study", watercolor, VClaff 2013

Study, watercolor, VClaff 2013

Study 2, watercolor, VClaff 2013

Study 3, watercolor, VClaff 2013

The image below gives you a sense of the scale of the smaller paintings I begin

the day with, and below that, some of the larger pieces on the pinboard. A full 

sheet of watercolor paper is 22 x 30", and the largest I have made these so far. 

(BTW - the paper in the above images is NOT pink... I think I need to re-shoot these!)

Last week I slowed down my production of larger work as I waited for an order of 

watercolor paper to arrive. I took some time to sit outside and listen to the wind, 

watch the sunlight move around the studio, and dream a bit with the stones. 

Pasha and I sat outside the backdoor, finding a melted spot to enjoy the sunshine. 

Warm days but very cold nights has made the snow melt very slow, but I am beginning 

to see the tops of stones long buried. 

I thought I might try to get one of those "Artist in the Studio" pictures, in case I 

ever need one... I'm wearing my favorite wool hat that a friend gave me in graduate 

school many years ago. It seems to be a standard on studio days, and I'm sure you've 

seen it before. 

Today I ventured out into the forest to dump the ash from the wood stove. 
The snow had melted just enough for Pasha and I to walk a bit, avoiding the deeper 
snow still up to my knees. We were called to sit on logs and listen to the joyous singing of chickadees. Pasha, as usual, clambered up a tree and enteratained me as I sat and listened to wind and birdsong and the roar of the distant river, full with spring melt. 

Sitting listening on a mossy log, I was inspired by the texutres and colors and 
noticed a little owl face looking at me from a tree, do you see it?

Pasha went off exploring, but came to my whistle when I found a very large 
paw print in the snow. I must be a bit rusty with my tracking these days, as I 
can't quite identify this track. Its old and a bit melted, but looks maybe like 
a large cat who had long since passed through. 

Just as we were thinking of moving on, a chickadee came to a branch quite close 

to sing a bit. We stayed and listened as more and more birdsongs filled the forest. 

It may be cold and still quite snowy, but the birds are full of enthusiasm and 

I think they may be letting us know that warmer days are just ahead.