Christmas. So much to do. Lists are piling up faster than they’re shrinking, and then I can’t even find them. But in the midst of all this turmoil, I relish the serenity. What? How can that happen? Every night when I walk back over from the barn and admire the candles in each window of our home; the Christmas tree glittering; the snow glistening on the shrubs, I take a deep breath and fall in love with the season all over again. We all work so hard to make everything just right so that on that one day of the year when we openly give to each other, and feast with each other, and take stock of all that we are blessed with, we realize that it was all worth it.
For this week’s painting, I was driving home from beautiful little South Woodstock, VT, after meeting up with a friend to chat over coffee and catch up about horses and donkeys. The snowy scenery begged me to paint it. When I got home I sat down, shut off the lists in my head and turned on Classical Christmas tunes and proceeded to paint. Traditions and serenity, that’s what my theme would be. There are few things more traditional to me than horses, hounds and humans. But usually when we think of fox hunting we think of the chase. The noise. The excitement. The adventure. For this painting I wanted peace. I wanted to show the mutual respect of horse, hounds and huntsman and all of their love for the countryside surrounding them. In creating the painting, I did my travel to another time and place. It’s quiet there and my mind settles into its painting rhythm. The hardest part is finishing and having to snap myself out of it and back into the pre-Christmas rush-around!
This painting will be on display until January 2 (I’m taking a week off from this!!) at the Inn at Weathersfield. The 9″ x 12″ acrylic on canvas on board unframed painting is $325. If you would like to purchase it, please comment below or send me an email saying “I’d like ‘Tradition & Serenity'” and your name will be put in a hat. A drawing will take place on January 2, 2018. The name drawn will pay $325 plus $15 shipping and I’ll get the painting right out to you.
Please join my list to get notices about future paintings and things going on here at the studio. Go here and click the “Join our Email list” button. On January 15, 2018 I will be drawing 2 names from my email list who will get to choose a free print of one of my paintings! Be sure to get your name in there! Thank you!