Fruits of Summer

“Fruits of Summer”            9” x 12”          Pastel          $100           © Sharon Lewis
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            I’m back from our trip to Norway. We were hoping for cool weather as a break from Atlanta’s heat and humidity. Surprisingly, almost everywhere we went, the people were so excited that they were experiencing warm and sunny days. Oh well; we may have been much warmer than we expected but the people of Norway couldn’t have been nicer and the land is absolutely gorgeous! The warm and sunny days also produced some exceptionally sweet fruit, much like the berries in today’s painting.

            Hope you’re enjoying the fruits of summer.

Reverie: Crow Creek Farm

“Reverie: Crow Creek Farm”   9” x 12”   Pastel    $100   © Sharon Lewis
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I was at Crow Creek Farm last September for a great workshop with the gifted artist, Stan Sperlak (http://www.stansperlak.com/). Stan has a wonderful farm in the Cape May area of New Jersey, where you can wander down tree-lined paths or simply stand and contemplate the distant marsh. It was a perfect place to spend three days painting outside.

Risk Takers

"Dangerous Beauty"              8" x 10"             Pastel             $75              © Sharon Lewis  
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             What is it about some of us that we are drawn to taking risks? One of my best friends, Dr. Ken Carter, is writing a book about sensation seekers (see http://www.drkencarter.com/) which includes people who like to take physical risks, so it’s made me think and wonder about this. I don’t think that I’m that much of a risk taker but I know there’s something exciting and almost hypnotic about standing at the edge of a rocky cliff and looking at the waves crashing down below. As an artist I notice the subtle but beautiful shades of green and blue and purple in the water at the same time I’m aware of the exhilarating risk I’m taking in standing so close to the edge of a rocky cliff. I just find it fascinating to see all that energy in a huge wave that seems like it’s heading right for you only to crash below on the rocks.

            I don’t think I’m alone in this fascination. See the people in the painting? They’re also captivated by the beauty and the danger. What about you?

Loch Lomond Trees

"Loch Lomond Trees"        5" x 7"     Pastel     $50       © Sharon Lewis
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            Last summer we traveled to Scotland and stayed one night at the Cameron House on Loch Lomond. It’s a beautiful hotel overlooking the loch (lake) with large trees everywhere interspersed with lush, green meadows. I loved this place! You could walk out of the hotel and just wander along the shores of the lake, take a sea-plane ride, or walk along tree-lined paths. I chose to walk everywhere taking photos – some of the loch but I was also drawn to the many, magnificent old trees.

            This painting I believe, started as a less than successful exercise for class. I had put it aside after brushing much of it out and spraying it with fixative so that I could paint over it. When I re-discovered it a few days ago, it was this very unattractive dark mess. I was going to throw it away but since I almost never give up totally on a painting, I decided to give it another try. I think this version more clearly shows the light shining behind and among these beautiful trees.

Maine Sunset

"Maine Sunset"        8.5" x 12"     Pastel     $100       © Sharon Lewis
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            It had been a monumentally frustrating day. I had downloaded the free Maverick Mac OS upgrade for my MacBook Pro and it was a disaster! The upgrade apparently decided that my hard drive was damaged and I spent the whole day trying to repair it. As I discovered later, I was not the only one who had this problem. Fortunately, I has backed everything up just a few days before. After about 8-9 hours, I gave up, erased my hard drive, and then restored it, which took about 4-5 hours. So, I decided it was late that I needed to paint.

            As I look at this painting while I’m writing this post, I realize that it perfectly represents that day.  The dark, stormy clouds represent the struggle I experienced most of the day and the glimpses of light in the sky remind me that brighter times lie ahead.

Summer Marsh

"Summer Marsh"        9" x 12"     Pastel     $100       © Sharon Lewis
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               This weekend, I’m looking forward to relaxing, drinks with friends, and watching the spectacular fireworks in Atlanta. I hope wherever you are, you have a wonderful Fourth of July!