Happy 4th of July!

 “4^th of July Weekend”    12” x 18”    Pastel    $324    © Sharon Lewis

             I hope wherever you are this weekend, that you get a chance to enjoy sunshine, good food, and time with family and friends.

            Happy 4^th of July Weekend!

Meet-Cute

“Meet-Cute”    8 x 10     Oil    $160    © Sharon Lewis

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             When I was on the coast last summer, I noticed a group of teenagers surfing – mostly all males. As I was walking by trying to get as many photos of the waves as possible, I was struck by these two surfers facing each other. He seemed to be posing, and she had her arms folded, possibly because she wasn’t impressed by his pose or she was cold. She still had her wet suit on (this was really cold water) while he had pulled the top half of his off – maybe hoping to persuade her he was worth talking to? No matter what their story, I loved the juxtaposition of these two young people, the surfer behind them, against a sky of beautiful clouds.

            Happy Weekend!

 

Sunny Skies At Last

“Sunny Skies At Last”   7.5 x 10     Pastel    $160    © Sharon Lewis

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             I just got back from visiting family up north where it rained every day. I got back home just in time for it to rain every day here. In desperation I decided to paint sunny skies.

            I hope wherever you are, there are sunny skies above.

            Happy Weekend!

 

A Walk on the Beach

“A Walk on the Beach”    8 x 10     Oil    $160    © Sharon Lewis

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                    I’m back from an exciting but exhausting two weeks helping my daughter and son-law as they waited to greet their second daughter. She arrived on April 11 and we are so happy to have this tiny, new member of the family!

                   Today’s painting was done on location when I was at the beach a few weeks ago.

                   Happy Weekend!

 

Fleeting

“Fleeting”     4 x 6     Oil    $70    © Sharon Lewis

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             This past week I was able to get away to the beach and had a wonderful time walking and running on the beach as well as trying to capture the beautiful sky and sea.  It was a beautiful respite from the news.

            Happy Weekend!

 

Happy 4th!

“4^th of July”   9” x 12”       Pastel        $216        © Sharon Lewis

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             Happy 4^th of July and Happy Weekend!

 

Mother's Day

“Mother’s Day”      5” x 7”        Pastel       $105        © Sharon Lewis

      This Mother’s Day weekend, I’m thinking of how grateful I am for my two wonderful children, Sean and Erinn; I couldn’t be more proud of both of them.

            I’m also grateful for the woman who taught me how to be a good and loving Mom, Clare Albritton. Although she is no longer living, I feel her wise and loving presence with me still.

            To all the kind souls who mother others with kindness and support: you make the world brighter for your presence and I hope you feel appreciated and loved this weekend.

            Happy Mother’s Day Weekend!

 

The Golden Hour

“The Golden Hour”       8” x 10”           Pastel          $160        © Sharon Lewis

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             As an antidote to listening and reading too much about what’s happening to our federal programs, I chose to paint a tranquil scene. The light at this time of the evening is beautiful and is aptly referred to as the “golden hour.” The sand on the dunes starts to reflect the light and I can see pale pinks, turquoise, and blue. Ahhh, I can hear the sound of the surf now.

            Happy Weekend!

 

Beach Memories

“Beach Memories”         2.5” x 3.5”           Pastel          $26          © Sharon Lewis
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              I’m back from a short visit to the beach and I already miss the rhythmic sound of the waves as I fall asleep. This is a small painting I did as I studied the dunes and the paths worn by eager beach lovers on their way to collect some sea shells, dip their toes into the still cold water, or go for a relaxing run – all things I did on my brief visit.

            Happy Weekend!

 

A Day at the Beach

“A Day at the Beach”         8x10        Pastel          $160        © Sharon Lewis

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The more the news becomes distressing, the more I tend to escape to a place of peace and tranquility. Being by the ocean was always the place I ran to when I was young and my house was anything but peaceful. The rhythm of the waves has an almost hypnotic quality as the water comes in and goes out, always changing and yet the same.

Hope you’re able to find peace and tranquility and have a Happy Weekend!

 

Love

“Love”          8” x 10”        Pastel        $160        © Sharon Lewis

            Both in honor of Valentine’s Day and to push back on the divisive, demeaning, and insulting messages in the news and on social media, I choose to focus on love. This painting shows two Dads, one white, one black/Hispanic, with their family of kids. I wanted to put an image out into social media that is about kindness, love, and inclusivity. 

            Happy Weekend and Happy Almost Valentine’s Day!

 

Beach Dreams

  “Beach Dreams”       5” x 7”      Pastel      $105     © Sharon Lewis

             On a rainy day in Georgia, I’m dreaming of someplace warm and sunny, where the only sounds I hear are the calls of gulls, the wind blowing through the sea grasses, and the rhythmic, relaxing sounds of the waves.

            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!

 

Bandon Sunset

  “Bandon Sunset”             8” x 10”         Pastel        $160       © Sharon Lewis

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            I’ve been drawn to paint this coastal scene many times as I have numerous photos of it at various times of day. This is one of my favorite areas on the west coast to visit and paint. It has these interesting haystack rock formations in large and small sizes, the beautiful cold, blue water, and I love the way the beach changes colors as the light plays across it. I’ve painted it in early morning when the sun warms the colors of the beach and then later, in early evening, when the setting sun turns the sands into many shades of pink. If you haven’t visited the southern Oregon coast, it’s well worth it!

            Happy Weekend!

 

What's Left Behind

“What’s Left Behind ”          8” x 10”         Pastel        $240        © Sharon Lewis

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            This beautiful beach with its clear, blue water is wonderful for walking and exploring what the sea has left behind in the tide pools. However, this is not the place for sunbathing as the temperature is likely in the 50’s or low 60’s in July. I can’t wait to be here!

            Happy Weekend!

 

Windswept Beach

“Windswept Beach”          8” x 10”         Pastel        $240        © Sharon Lewis

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             In just a few weeks, I'll be walking here – a beautiful  beach with starfish of all different colors. It will also be cool to cold with wonderful sea breezes. I can’t wait!

            Happy Weekend!

 

4th of July Weekend

 “4^th of July Weekend”    12” x 18”    Pastel    $430    © Sharon Lewis

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             I hope wherever you are this weekend, that you get a chance to enjoy sunshine, good food, and time with family and friends.

            Happy 4^th of July Weekend!

Emerald Waves

“Emerald Waves”         5” x 7”        Acrylic       $140       © Sharon Lewis
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                 Recently, I’ve been  painting with acrylics – a medium I haven’t used in a very long time. I find it interesting how each medium has its own quirks that the artist has to keep in mind. When I paint with pastels, the color and value don’t change once placed on a surface. With acrylics, I have to keep remembering that the colors dry slightly darker than when I first put them on canvas. Also, with pastels, since they are a dry medium (They are pigment held together with a binder and formed into sticks that look a little like chalk.), I can easily brush off or change an area in minutes. With acrylics, I have to get out my paints, medium, my brushes, palette knife, my palette, and then I can adjust an area….maybe. In spite of the challenges, it’s been a lot of fun painting with acrylics.

            This is a scene I found fascinating. Just a few miles away from this beach it was a pretty warm summer day. When we wound down from the hills to this beach however, there was a really cold wind coming from this beautiful, emerald and indigo sea.

            Happy Weekend!

A New Light

“A New Light”  12” x 12”        Pastel       $430       © Sharon Lewis

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            We got a new light added to our family this week in the form of baby Sutton Caroline. She is absolutely adorable and thus very hard to put down for a grandparent. I thought I would have plenty of time to paint when I visited in DC but found that I would much rather hold this little girl than a paint brush. Can’t wait to see her and her proud and very loving parents, Erinn and Tyler, again!

            Happy Weekend!

 

Mother's Day

“Mother’s Day”      5” x 7”        Pastel       $105        © Sharon Lewis
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             This Mother’s Day I’m thinking of the two wonderful people who made me a Mom – my son, Sean and my daughter, Erinn. I couldn’t ask for more kind and loving kids!

I’m also remembering a person who taught me everything about being a good, kind, and loving mother, Clare Albritton. She entered my life when I was 4 and continued to be a wise and loving presence until her death in January of this year. 

This weekend, I want to remember all my family and friends who are mothers as well as all those kind souls who mother others with kindness and support. You make the world brighter for your presence.

            Happy Mother’s Day Weekend!