With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I was inspired to dig into the oil and cold wax medium and paint the classic red roses!  The recent cold weather has been a great excuse to stay inside and huddle by the fire, read a book, and PAINT!!

Living in the South, you never know quite what to expect in terms of winter weather… temperatures fluctuate wildly from week to week, even from day to day in coastal NC.  Waking up to snowflakes always gives me a thrill and although they didn’t stick, we did get some pretty flakes last weekend. 

I grew up in Hickory, NC near the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, and looked forward to rather routine snows each winter – at least one good sledding snow a year!  Since I moved to Wilmington, snow is rare, but it does happen.  (You Northerners bear with me now – we get it that any snow here in the south will never compare to what you are accustomed to up north - but then…. Isn’t that part of the reason you moved here???)  Those of you here in 1989 will never forget the big Christmas snow – 18 inches with drifts as high as a VW Bug.  My daughter, Michelle, was 22 months and walking well but by the time I zipped her up in a “snowsuit” and set her down in the snow, she was unable to move and did not like it one bit.  My 3 year old son, Weston, and the golden retriever, Zack, both loved it and rolled and pushed through the drifts with glee.  Our babysitter had to spend Christmas Eve night with us as the town had locked down and no one was getting out!

What does any of this have to do with art?  I love each season and the changes it brings.  Winter is a welcome time to be still, sit by the fire, and slow down a little, but it is also a great time to do a lot of painting!   I have been furiously painting during these cold winter days as I know as the weather warms, I will be more and more tempted to be outside and enjoying boating and the beach!  I am still trying to experiment with a variety of styles, keeping in mind the results of the survey some of you recently did for me.  I also learned that some of you would like me to show more of my process.  I have included pictures I have recently completed to show the stages of the paintings.  One is a picture of my grandson, Watson, playing in the sound and another a house portrait commissioned by a client.  I hope you enjoy them. 

I’ve been experimenting with some Facebook “Live” videos and I hope they haven’t been too much of a bore.  I am working up to doing a live art show where I can highlight some of the pieces I have here and give people an idea of the variety of mediums I am working in.  In the end, it is all FUN and I am enjoying creating art!  Of course, there is still plenty of time reserved to spend with family and friends. 

Here’s wishing you lots of love from my house to yours!  Stay warm and Happy Valentine’s Day!