Last Impression

   “Last Impression”    7 x 5     Pastel    $105    © Sharon Lewis

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                       Last summer I was fortunate to stay at a lovely rental house on the coast of Maine. The house had beautiful views of the ocean from the deck and Reid State Park nearby. Reid State Park was essentially two beaches enabling long walks with gorgeous sea, sand, and skies everywhere you looked. I really didn’t want to leave this place. 

            This was the very last painting I did. I needed to pack up all my art supplies which was going to take a while so I didn’t have much time. The view down these rocks was partially obscured by shrubbery but with the magic of art, I whisked that away and painted the glimpses I could see. It was a little more impressionistic than my usual paintings but it was one of my favorite ones of the trip.

            Happy Weekend!

Winter Sunshine

    

“Winter Sunshine”        7 x 5     Oil    $105    © Sharon Lewis
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            Sunflowers are fun to paint any time of year but they’re especially so when winter brings us grey skies and cold temperatures. I did a deep dive into all things interesting about sunflowers and I’ll share just a few. I discovered that in addition to being beautiful, the sunflower provides us with sunflower seeds, sunflower oil, and is a symbol of the sun god in some cultures. Wild sunflowers produce many flowers on each plant but small seeds and the domesticated varieties produce a single large flower and larger seeds. Sunflowers are considered heliotropic in that they follow the path of the sun through the day. Finally, they can remove toxic elements from the soil, like lead and uranium, which is pretty amazing. So sunflowers are both beautiful and beneficial. 

            Happy Weekend!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

“The Accent Tree”     5x7    Pastel      $105      © Sharon Lewis

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I hope that wherever you are this Thanksgiving, that you are gathered with love to celebrate this holiday of gratitude.

May you feel the warmth of all those who love you today, and always.

            Happy Thanksgiving!

 

A Beautiful Find

 “A Beautiful Find”     7 x 5     Oil    $ 105    © Sharon Lewis

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            There’s something mesmerizing about waterfalls. There’s the beauty of the water as it falls from above to splash into pools or streams below, the often impressive rock formations the water travels over, and also the rhythmic sound of the water. These all seem to combine to make waterfalls immensely appealing. This particular one was no exception and was discovered only thanks to some friendly Norwegians who had hiked everywhere in this area and shared their beautiful find. 

            Happy Weekend! 

My Backyard

“My Backyard”     7 x 5     Oil    $ 105    © Sharon Lewis

            It has finally become more fall-like and even the mosquitoes don’t seem to be around as much so I’ve been painting outdoors from time to time. I always find this challenging in that I have to figure out how to simplify what seems to be just a huge mass of different greens competing for my attention. But it’s also all beautiful and I’m so grateful for the good weather and the opportunity to be outdoors doing something I love doing.

            Happy Weekend!

 

Standing Strong

  “Standing Strong”           7” x 5”         Pastel        $105       © Sharon Lewis

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             As the last leaves drop from the trees here, the temperature falls, and the bright colors fade, I’m drawn to warm colors and beach scenes. This is a stunning tree I noticed on the coast of Washington last summer. It withstands the cold winds gusting off the Pacific Ocean and remains strong, helping to hold onto earth and sand while strong currents and large waves threaten to erode the shore. 

            Happy Weekend!

 

Greening Up

  “Greening Up”    7” x 5”        Pastel       $140       © Sharon Lewis

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          It’s officially summer now although we’ve had plenty of heat and humidity for a while in the Atlanta region. I’m already longing for the cool breezes coming off northern waters but also rejoicing in the long days of light that summer brings. Summer usually gives me the luxury of time – time to get the many household chores done that I’ve been ignoring, time to meet and catch up with friends and family, and time to be creative. I can finally take creative risks and if I fail, I have time to try again. 

            Hope you’re enjoying the start of your summer. Happy Weekend!

 

Happy New Year!

“Happy New Year!”      7” x 5”      Pastel        n.f.s.      © Sharon Lewis

            May this next year bring you the warmth of family and friends, continued good health, and much happiness!

            Happy New Year!

Antidote for a Rainy Day

“Antidote for a Rainy Day”   7” x 5”   Pastel    $50    © Sharon Lewis

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It was a grey, rainy day when I painted this last weekend. I think subconsciously, I was looking for something to counteract the gloominess of the day when I noticed some photos I’d taken of some enormous, bright sunflowers. I’d placed them on a table near a window where the sun spotlighted the flowers beautifully. These cheerful, yellow sunflowers are to me, the perfect antidote for a rainy day.

Happy Weekend!

The Softness of Spring

 “The Softness of Spring”   7” x 5”    Pastel   $50    © Sharon Lewis

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I’ve been watching the progression of blooming trees and shrubs on my walks through my neighborhood. After working long hours, intensely focused on a screen, it’s wonderful to get outside, take deep breaths of fresh air (even if it’s loaded with pollen this time of year), get some exercise, and enjoy the sight of all the soft, fuzzy colors of spring.    

Happy Weekend!

In the Midst of Quiet Splendor

“In the Midst of Quiet Splendor”   7” x 5”  Pastel   $50 © Sharon Lewis

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I love being in the woods! I’ve sought refuge in the shade of trees, in their branches, in their beauty, since I was a child. I’ve never seen woods as dark or scary….maybe those are my primate genes speaking to me, to come swing, hang out, play, hide, or just linger, smelling the fragrance of the earth beneath and the limbs above.

I painted this scene on location, standing in the midst of trees, listening to the birds calling and the wind blowing through the fall-painted leaves, and reveling in the quiet splendor of it all.

Happy Weekend!

Happy New Year!

“Happy New Year!”   7” x 5”  Pastel      n.f.s.     © Sharon Lewis

                             May this next year bring you peace, good health, and happiness.
 

Just Visiting

“Just Visiting”     7” x 5”      Pastel           $50        © Sharon Lewis

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             I used to dislike plein air painting…not the idea of it; being outside and painting essentially married two of my loves. It was the reality of it that I wasn’t crazy about. It wasn’t the bugs or the heat or cold; it wasn’t gusts of wind that threatened to topple my easel or blow my painting out to sea. It was all of the beauty in front of me and the struggle to ignore some of that beauty to make a workable composition. It was having to make good and effective choices very quickly or the light shifted or the clouds moved away. I’m getting a tiny bit better at this and I have to say nothing beats plein air painting. I’m outside, in hopefully a beautiful place, and if I keep my swearing to a minimum, slowly but surely, all of the wild creatures come out of hiding as they get used to this odd visitor to their home.

            Happy Weekend!

 

Sweet Pea

“Sweet Pea”      7” x 5”       Oil       $60     © Sharon Lewis

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            I’ve been thinking of the people out in Oregon and California currently dealing with wildfires. It’s got to be heartbreaking to see acres and acres of this gorgeous landscape destroyed, especially if it also means you lose your home.

Before the fires started, I had been thinking of the west coast a lot lately because I thought I would be hiking and painting out there last month. However, given COVID rates, it seemed a good idea not to fly just yet. So, since I was still missing the west, I decided to paint from my many reference photos and focused on these striking hot pink flowers, called “Sweet Pea” or Everlasting Pea.”  You can find them as I did, scattered all over many bluffs along the Pacific coast and mixed in with delicious berries. If you’ll look closely, you’ll see a visitor on one of the flowers.

Happy Weekend!

Standing in the Light

“Standing in the Light”      7” x 5”    Pastel     $50      © Sharon Lewis

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             Another cold, grey, winter day but fortunately for me, I can paint a sunny summer one.  I’ve always loved trees like this that stand on a hillside, catching the light, and serving as a source of beauty for all who pass by.

            Hope you see some beauty in your life this weekend.

            Happy Weekend!       

Merry Christmas!

At the Corner of Beauty

“At the Corner of Beauty ”   Pastel         7” x 5”        $50          © Sharon Lewis
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            I’m packing my art supplies in preparation for a wonderful conference in New Mexico, just on art. For a few short days, I will take classes, view wonderful paintings, and try not to buy all of the cool art supplies on display. Most importantly to me, I will be surrounded by people who get as excited as I do by the creative process, by color and light, and by changes in the natural world. These hollyhocks, found on a corner in Old Town, Albuquerque always remind me of this wonderful communion of artistic souls.

            Happy Weekend!

Sunbathing

“Sunbathing”        Pastel         7” x 5”        $50          © Sharon Lewis
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            Last summer I was lucky enough to spend some time on Orcas Island off the coast of Washington.  I was wandering around taking photos and trying to pick out a good place to paint when I spotted this beautiful tree that just seemed to be basking in the sunshine. With the blue sky behind it, this seemed the perfect portrait of a magnificent tree on a gorgeous summer day.

            Happy Weekend!

Looking for Light

“Looking for Light”   Pastel        7” x 5”       $50     © Sharon Lewis
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            It’s that time of year when it feels like darkness lasts far too long and periods of light are getting shorter and shorter. I think that’s why I was drawn to paint this scene from one of my trips. I was hiking through fairly dark woods but found a gap in the trees where I could see this light-filled meadow alongside a beautiful lake.

            Hope your weekend is filled with light!

The Colors of Sand

“The Colors of Sand”    Pastel       7” x 5”       $50     © Sharon Lewis
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I love painting sand! It’s always a challenge and a joy to discover and paint all of the colors I see in sand. It can appear one color in the light, others in the shadows. And as beach lovers already know, it’s a slightly (or even dramatically) different color wherever you go. 

Happy Weekend!