It’s the Last Day of 2014!

“Quietly Beautiful”      Pastel    2.5” x 3.5”    $20      © Sharon Lewis
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            Female cardinals are often described as being a dull brown color. I think they are in fact often, quietly or subtly beautiful. I think some of the art I admire most is subtly beautiful as well. Don’t get me wrong; I love striking color in some art. However, if I think of the artists I have long admired such as Winslow Homer, Vermeer, Bierstadt, Mary Cassatt, I think of subtly beautiful work.

I think that they have so ingeniously woven their skill into the fabric of their art that they draw you in, fascinated by the image before you, and only later do you appreciate the great skill that produced that magnificent piece.

            I hope some day to produce art like that….maybe in 2015?

I hope that wherever you are, that you celebrate the end of the old year and the beginning of the new one with the warmth of family and friends and perhaps some quiet beauty.

Christmas Amaryllis

“Christmas Amaryllis”   Pastel    3.5" x 2.5”    $20     © Sharon Lewis
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             Another dreary, rainy day but the house is filled with light and color. Presents are wrapped, cookies have been baked with more to come, and most importantly, my two kids are home safe and sound.

            Happy almost Christmas!

A Little Christmas Color

“Christmas Poinsettia”   Pastel    3.5” x 2.5”    $20     © Sharon Lewis
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            It’s dreary, rainy, and grey today in Georgia so I decided some cheerful Christmas color was in order. I still have tons to do before Christmas Eve but my children are on their way and that’s all that matters.

            Hope wherever you are, you’re staying warm and dry.

Autumn Gold

“Autumn Gold”       Pastel    9” x 12”      $100        © Sharon Lewis
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           It’s still autumn though it’s just days away from the official start of winter, as well as our longest night and shortest day.  I’ve always thought that the Winter Solstice is one of those tests of whether you’re a glass half-full or a glass half-empty  kind of person. In other words, whether you think about the fact that after the Winter Solstice, the days get longer or whether you focus on the fact that it’s our longest night. I’m always focused on the light so I look forward to the solstice, knowing that in spite of the cold, each day will gradually bring more light.

            I hope wherever you are, that you’re enjoying the warmth of friends and family. And to all of my Jewish friends, Happy Chanukah!

Tranquility and Elizabeth Barrret Browning

                         "Hear the Green Woods Sing"          Pastel            9" x 12"         $100       © Sharon Lewis

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           In this busy time of year when many of us are in a mad rush, perhaps trying to work and simultaneously prepare for the holidays, I thought a painting of a tranquil scene might be desirable.

            I also thought Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem, “The Autumn” might be a good accompaniment for this painting and for this beautiful autumn day.

        The Autumn

Go, sit upon the lofty hill,

And turn your eyes around,

Where waving woods and waters wild

Do hymn an autumn sound.
 The summer sun is faint on them –

The summer flowers depart –

Sit still –

as all transform'd to stone,

Except your musing heart.
  How there you sat in summer-time,

May yet be in your mind;

And how you heard the green woods sing

Beneath the freshening wind.
 Though the same wind now blows around,

You would its blast recall;

For every breath that stirs the trees,

Doth cause a leaf to fall.
  Oh! like that wind, is all the mirth

That flesh and dust impart:

We cannot bear its visitings,

When change is on the heart.
 Gay words and jests may make us smile,

When Sorrow is asleep;

But other things must make us smile,

When Sorrow bids us weep! 

The dearest hands that clasp our hands, --

Their presence may be o'er;

The dearest voice that meets our ear,

That tone may come no more!

Youth fades; and then, the joys of youth,

Which once refresh'd our mind,

Shall come -- as, on those sighing woods,

The chilling autumn wind.
Hear not the wind -- view not the woods;

Look out o'er vale and hill-

In spring, the sky encircled them –

The sky is round them still.
 Come autumn's scathe -- come winter's cold –

 Come change -- and human fate!

Whatever prospect Heaven doth bound,

Can ne'er be desolate.

Autumn Reflections

                            "Fall Reflections"      Pastel     9" x 12"     $100      © Sharon Lewis

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             It’s a grey, wet day here and I already miss the color in my trees. Instead of orange, yellow, and red, I can see only dull brown and grey. So, for all of us that could use a little more lively colors, I’m going back in time to a day I walked at a local park and saw this glorious, colorful tree casting it’s reflection onto beautiful, still water.

            I hope wherever you are, you have warmth and lots of colors in your life.

            Happy Weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

“Fall Bounty”         9” x 12”        Pastel          $100            © Sharon Lewis
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              I feel very fortunate for in a few short hours, I will have both of my children home with me for Thanksgiving. I can’t wait!

             I hope wherever you are, that you have a very Happy Thanksgiving. May it be filled with good food and drink, and with warm and loving company!

What's Just Around the Corner?

“Just Around the Corner”        9” x 12”      Pastel          $100            © Sharon Lewis
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            What is it about paths or roads that seem so seductive, so inviting ? Maybe to those of us that are intensely curious they seem to promise a good adventure. I always imagine following a path or road and discovering something new and exciting just around the corner.

            When I look down the road in this painting I find myself asking, “Where will it lead me?” What about you? What do you see when you look down the road?

            Happy Weekend!

Loser Buys the Beers!

“Racing Home”    Pastel    9” x 12”    $100    © Sharon Lewis
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        Several years ago I was on a ferry with family and friends between Boston and Provincetown. It was an absolutely gorgeous summer day in New England…cool and sunny on the water. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day until I got an additional gift: on our way back we ran into a sailboat race. All of a sudden there were tons of brightly colored sails all around us. I enjoy painting sailboats so I started taking so many photos that a fellow passenger asked me if there was someone famous on one of the sailboats. I laughed and explained I just wanted the photos to paint from. She looked a little puzzled as if that sounded crazy and for anyone who lives in or around Boston, it probably did sound crazy. After all, they can see sailboats all the time unlike where I live in landlocked Atlanta.       
       Just looking at this painting, I can remember enjoying being with my family, the warmth of the day, the cool breeze and the sun on my face, the sounds of the gulls hoping for a snack from an unwary tourist, and all of the colorful sails that I couldn’t wait to paint.

What Kind of Clouds are These?

“Through Borders Wild”      Pastel    9” x 12”      $100        © Sharon Lewis
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            I’ve mentioned before in this blog how much I’m fascinated by clouds. I have nearly walked into trees many times because I was so captivated by beautiful clouds. Fortunately, I have friends and family members who are very understanding and even occasionally save me from a painful intersection with a tree or lamppost. I have to admit that although I’m enthralled by the colors and designs I see in the clouds, I usually have no idea what type of cloud I’m studying. However. I’m thinking of getting a cloud book (yes, there is such a thing) that was recommended by my friend and fellow artist, Karen Margulis. It’s called The Cloud Collector's Handbook by Gavin Pretor-Pinney and contains descriptions and photos of every type of cloud imaginable. The clouds in this painting are to the best of my limited knowledge, cumulus clouds.

            Happy Weekend!

Heading Home

“Heading Home”     8” x 10”     Pastel     $75      © Sharon Lewis
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          It was the end of a great vacation spent traveling in the Atlantic provinces of Canada and ending in Portland, Maine. We were unable to take a whale watching tour which I love doing, not only because catching sight of these huge, but graceful creatures is so exciting but also because I love any excuse to be out on the ocean. Instead, we were only able to get onto a boat tour of the Portland harbor area which involved stopping at various islands all around the area. This turned out to be much more interesting than I expected it to be, especially as the tour lasted until sunset. As a result, I was able to get some spectacular shots of the sun setting, illuminating the sky and water with amazing, almost lurid pinks and oranges. What a show!

Afternoon at the Park

“Afternoon at the Park”     9” x 12”    Pastel    $100      © Sharon Lewis
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             One of my favorite places to walk on the weekends is a park near me called Panola StatePark. It’s only a 15 minute drive from Atlanta but it’s a great place to be surrounded by the sounds of birds calling, see rabbits who will pose for photos while munching away, unperturbed by passersby, and people of all ages fishing at the small lake (Alexander Lake).  You can hike, bike, run, or learn archery, orienteering, birding, or even tree-climbing. Panola Mountain is a large (100 acres) granite outcrop that’s part of the Arabia Mountain National HeritageArea, one of the few national heritage sites in the state.

            Happy Weekend!

First Light

“First Light”       9” x 12”      Pastel      $100       © Sharon Lewis
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            Every summer for the last several years, we have been lucky enough to spend a week in June on Bailey Island, Maine. For reasons that remain mysterious to me, I, a very definite non-morning person, always wake up at first light. And I love doing this! Maybe it’s because that first light occurs in June during a time that most people would call night (around 4 AM) but for whatever the reason, this first light is just absolutely gorgeous! I have taken quite literally hundreds of photos of this time (during which time I have sometimes been bitten by what feels like a hundred mosquitoes) because you see beautiful colors that you don’t see any other time. In addition, each “first light” is different from all of the others. The sky presents itself as a unique and dazzling masterpiece each morning. What a gift!

Last Light

“Last Light”    9” x 12”   Pastel    $100     © Sharon Lewis
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             Sometimes you can do all the research in the world planning for a vacation and you still run into issues that you hadn’t anticipated and then there are those other times, when you just can’t believe your luck. We got into Loen, Norway  just in time to see the sun shining on the mountain peaks behind our hotel and turning them my favorite color, hot pink. In addition, our hotel had a river running behind it which also caught the light. So, we quickly got our bags in the room, poured ourselves a glass of wine and took in the beautiful view. Ahhhhh, now that’s luck!

            Happy Weekend!

Marsh-Mellow

“Marsh-Mellow”      9” x 12”     Pastel       $ 100        © Sharon Lewis
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            We were on our way to the coast last month, with me madly shooting out of the window at the sunset lit clouds, when I realized that beautiful colors were reflected into the small ribbons of water visible in the marsh. I just had to paint this! Sometimes, you just happen to be in the right place in the right time.

            Happy Weekend!

Patient Sentinel

“Patient Sentinel”       9” x 12”     Pastel      $100       © Sharon Lewis
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              I took the reference photos for this painting, years ago…maybe as long as ten years ago, and I still find myself drawn to this image. I’m not sure if it’s because it evokes memories of a beautiful, cool, sunny, breezy, spring day on the New England coast or if it’s the image itself. There’s something intriguing about that house and I find myself fascinated by the pattern of dark trees and sunlit hillside. I would love to know what the view is like from that wonderful porch overlooking the water. I took the reference photos in the summer but I might have a different feeling about this place in the middle of winter when it’s most likely freezing cold and windy. Brrrrrr!

            I see this house as a patient sentinel, standing on the hillside, always watching and observing the changes of the seasons.