Presage of Spring

Old Barn in the Spring, oils on Gessobord, 16" x 20"

Last night it was raining and for the first time this year one could hear the spring peepers starting their nightly chorus...a presage of the coming spring. Perhaps it was just a wishful delusion on my part, but it seemed the grass looked a little greener this morning. The temperatures are not exactly balmy yet, but it's not as chilly as last week.

This oil painting was done from a photo taken during a spring walk with my friends a couple of years ago at Chapman's Forest in southern Maryland. The upland forests were carpeted with Bluebells and Dutchman's Breeches, and the ancient tobacco barn looked so picturesque framed in Redbud and Dogwood blossoms, it just begged to be painted. This one will cost you a bit more, because it's larger than my usual blog offerings, but it's worth the extra amount; it's going for $350, a fraction of my usual price for an oil this size. Hurry up, don't pass it by, send me an E-mail.

Millions of Trilliums

Millions of Trilliums, oil on gessobord, 14" x 11" - SOLD

Last May I spent a weekend with two friends out in Virginia, at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and we hiked at a wildlife preserve known for its botanical richness. This area is home to the largest concentration of trilliums (Trillium grandiflora) known in the US, and covers this entire mountainside. There are literally millions of trilliums here. The flowers open white and gradually turn pink, but there are many natural hybrids across several species too, so the flowers vary from snowy white to deep cerise. Tucked along the paths, many other wildflowers bloom: Yellow Lady's Slipper, Showy Orchis, several types of violets, and many others... nature's perfect wild garden.

This was painted from my photos; I started last weekend and just finished it today (it's still wet). The rocks and trees invite you into the painting to "walk" among the flowers.

The painting is now framed with a nice gold plein air frame; it looks wonderful. I'm selling it for $450, at the moment it's at Gallery 1683 in Annapolis. Please stop by and see it--it looks better in real life.

A delightful suprise

This morning when I went down to water my tropical houseplants in the basement, lo and behold, a delightful surprise awaited me: my Brugmansia had two lovely angel trumpets! Considering how big they are, how could I have missed the emerging buds? I'd just been down there the day before and yet I hadn't noticed. By the looks of the buds, there will be at least a few more blooms. I couldn't resist sharing this photo.

I've had this plant for four years and it has only flowered once before, while it was outdoors. I had thought it would only bloom in the late summer/early fall because it needed a lot more light to set buds. I love it when nature has a nice surprise...it's like a present when you least expect it.