TY BLUMS!

 

No, I didn't get a vineyard from the Blums.  I did get a vineyard product, though....specifically Pride Mountain wines!   How nice, and what a great connection.  This little painting (on a thank you card) was made from a photo I pulled off the website.  Clearly, it was taken in Fall and reminds me of how the hills turn golden and the vines are heavy in Northern California that time of year. 

The wines are very good, of course!  I have opened two bottles so far.  One to celebrate 2021 and one to celebrate a new President.  

I also got ornaments from Violet and Roland.  Violet did a three-dimensional one and I tried to reflect that in the thank you card:

That was fun!

And Roland sent a wooden robot:

What fun to have these special ornaments that I can use every year.

The Blum family helped me have a great Christmas.

TY Louisa and Peter--I LOVE Paris

I'm still working on thank you cards from Christmas.  OK, I'm just taking my time with them.  This one is to express gratitude for some very fancy teas from Paris!   Those who know me know I love Paris--the song is an earworm now, but I can't help it.  

Louisa and I went a few years ago, and I still treasure those memories.  Recently (in November) we went by zoom to Paris with Road Scholars and it was great.  We learned about places that are not in the tourist guides and also a lot of history, as well as Notre Dame, etc.  That's inspiration for another trip when we can travel again.  

Louisa found some special teas from Paris for s me at a shop here on Capitol Hill.  They are Dammann Freres and I got four flavors plus an amazing tea ball.  The teaball has a little teapot which you can see in the sketch above.  The mug I show in this sketch is also Parisian (you knew that by the Eiffel Tower).  The teas are truly special.

Peter is going to get me some macarons to enjoy with the tea.  I just haven't given him the go-ahead yet because I had a lot of left-over sweets from the holidays.  

The really amusing thing is that I also gave them teas.  They have been enjoying chai tea in the morning and so I gave them a gift set of chai teas.   You'd think we're related or something! 

January's Bird is a Puffin

 

I had a lot of fun with this Puffin, but I may do another one next month.  This Puffin is an Eastern Puffin and I have been thinking about the Puffins at Cannon Beach in Oregon.  The ones I used to see in Oregon are a little different--they are Tufted Puffins.  Both are very colorful in breeding season, but apparently are dull grey the rest of the time!

THE WAY OUT

 

I did this labyrinth painting a couple of months ago, but evidently never posted it on the Plum Gallery blog.  It is based on a mosaic labyrinth in Ravenna Italy.  It is on the floor of San Vitale Basilica and is dated as 16th century.  This labyrinth is a little different from the medieval labyrinths that are more familiar.  One way is in its size as it is smaller than most labyrinths and the paths are not wide enough for walking through it.  More interesting, though, to me is that it begins in the center and the arrows move out.  Most labyrinths have an entry at the edge, a winding path leading to the center and an exit going opposite the way the walker entered, but ending at the same spot as the entry.  I call my interpretive painting of this one "The Way Out."  It is watercolor with the paths outlined in gold metallic ink.  It is a contemplative piece about 20" x 20."   

TY JEFF- RGB POSTER

 

My brother Jeff sent me a poster of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  It is really a nice piece and Jeff knows I was a big RBG fan...well, I still am.  This is only one part of the poster.  It shows her face in partial view with the quote, "WOMEN BELONG IN ALL PLACES WHERE DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE." Amen to that!   I chose just to do the collar for thank you card watercolor painting.  This poster will be an inspiration to me!  Thank you, Jeff.

TY JAN

 

My friend Jan sent me a very thoughtful Christmas gift of two frames for pictures of my two grandchildren that I "found" this year--Violet and Roland.   She included the scrabble letters for their names so they will match two that I already had of Griffin and Sophia.  She wrapped these new ones in a beautiful plaid cloth. 

I didn't make a painting of the frames as would be my usual "thank you" card...because I don't have the photos yet. But they are on the way.  

I had a lot of fun with the plaid because I decided to do it completely freehand.  It is a little what I call "wonky" but I enjoyed doing it and I think it has a certain charm.  My photo is a little "off" too, but I think that contributes to the "charm."

Thank you, Jan.....the frames mean a lot to me as does your friendship.

NURSE SNOWPERSON 2020!!!!

 

For several years I have made a little painting of a snowperson and used it for my holiday cards that I print myself.  Most years, it commemorates things like a new grandchild or my travels, but this year I could not resist something dealing with a snowperson in a mask.  As I thought about it, I realized the true heroes of the year are health care providers...particularly  nurses. 

I hope that people who get the cards enjoy it,  The wording on the inside is:

The coronavirus-19 is frightful

But staying inside is "rightful" 

and

Since we've no place to go

Let it snow!

Let it snow!

Let it snow!

I used "Jokerman" font but that is not available for this blog.  I had to make up the word "rightful," but I kind of like it.