Trick or Treat

I took a break from painting arbutus trees this morning to walk up to the store and buy cat food. Such is my social life at the moment. But the leaves at my feet were shining in the pale sunlight and the world was golden.


I was so fascinated with these catkins and the wheel chair ramp dots that I didn't look up to see what kind of tree I was under. Autumn is full of colorful treats like this. I'm so glad I got out of the house.


Not autumn leaves but arbutus bark photographed in the middle of summer. Trick or treat


I guess it's time to get back to the studio.

230 Silver Squares

After sticking more than 200 five inch squares of aluminum leaf around the black silhouettes, I polish the leaf with a soft cloth and then start painting the color. The carpet is covered in small bits of aluminum.




Arbutus bark gives me such wonderful colors to work with. The purplish grey outer bark, cinnamon middle bark and creamy pale pistachio inner skin. I also plan to use some Salal or Oregon grape with their bright blue berries. The dark weather has me craving color.

A New Mural

These beautiful and giant birch panels will become a mural of arbutus trees with aluminum leaf sky. It seems a shame to cover the lovely grain of real trees with artificial painted trees.
My studio is dwarfed and looks a little funny.


The richly colored primer is jolly though.


But with black tree sillouettes it turns into a spooky Hallow'een image. Tomorrow I'll glue the aluminum leaf on and it will all take on a different feeling yet again.

New York and Salem

I took a break from blogging, painting and gardening last week to visit New York City with my daughter.
What a perfect and amazing adventure we had.


We also spent some time exploring beautiful Salem Mass. The historic buildings and walls there are fantastic.


And now, with John Singleton Copely's inspiration from this painting at the Metropolitan Museum, I shall get back to work in rainy, but warm Seattle.

From the Sublime to the Ridiculous

"All the diamonds in the world that mean anything to me are conjured up in wind and sunshine sparkling on sea" -Bruce Cockburn


and on a stream...


and even on tiny slug eggs...


which remind me of...


these giant fishing buoys in a funny 'garden' near my house. (Nice lawn mower!)