I took these summer walk pictures the day before Asher’s new school year started.

School has been in session now for a little over a week, I can’t believe how time flies. I’ve not gotten any new paintings done or even started for that matter. I did do two digital paintings with my ipad but that is it so far. Getting the garden in has been priority lately.

Green beans are coming out of my ears. I have the canner cooling as I type this. I canned twice today and have beans picked and waiting to be snapped and canned for at least 21 more quarts. I did 14 today. I am so sick of picking and snapping and canning. But come winter I’ll be glad.

I was mentioning that today on my Facebook Page that it really isn’t the act of picking, snapping and canning that I dislike, it is the time it takes. As I am picking and snapping, I think… and think and think. Nothing but the birds and cicadas in my ear unless I choose to listen to my mp3 player, which I do sometimes. I get in a rhythm… a trance almost and the creative ideas start forming. New ideas for paintings, sculptures and all kinds of creative pieces. Ideas that of course I cannot do at that moment because I have to get the beans in and done. Ugh. If only I had written them down. Sometimes the ideas fade as easily as they pop in. But sometimes an idea sticks with me so intensely that I must get it out. So until I draw it, paint it or record it somehow, I think of it and it torments me with it’s shininess. It’s “I’m such a great idea aren’t I? You must create me” shininess. I know that might sound crazy, but it’s the way I think.

Below is the latest digital painting I created called Summer Lake View. I’m offering it on my print on demand shop, you can buy a print here as different options. I love this landscape proportion for over a couch, wouldn’t that look great over a leather couch or even over a headboard? Shown below: canvas prints and then a framed print under it.

I created Summer Lake View as I sat in a swing while looking at our lake on a surprisingly cool late afternoon in August. The sky wasn’t that blue, more gray really but the light was bright. I noticed the reflection of the leaves in the dark green water and was inspired to paint this landscape as I can feel summer slipping away and the plants and trees are all getting that tinge of yellow in their green. The are still lush but won’t be for long.

I was pleased with the way this painting turned out even though this is a fairly different style than I usually paint. I really like long landscape format. I would call this more representational and abstract… almost impressionism I guess. I think I will sit in the same swing and paint the same view as it changes with the seasons.

Shadow good-byes 🙂