“Freedom is More Important than security”

That is the title that I am thinking about giving this painting below-

Two Amish boys, coming home from work in the fields.

Does it make sense? The boys have been working in the fields all day planting new asparagus plants for a neighboring farm. They are tired, worn out and ready for supper. They are discussing the frog they caught with their friend Jesse up the street from the little pond hangout, where all important meetings take place round a campfire. Life revolves around seasons, “putting up” food and family. “Freedom!” And of course, their ancestors have fought for it.

This painting I need to put away for a few days before coming back to it so I can see it clearly. That arm has some much needed TLC!

The last couple of weeks have been a bit slow for me as I have not been feeling well. The flip side of this is that I do well sitting and painting. These are the three paintings I have been working on.

Bearded Iris against the aging stuccoed wall. A good reminder how nothing lasts forever.

Different things we have been doing as a family…well, first of all, I am so thankful for the older kids and their help. They have been making sure things I usually do are taken care of, like laundry and meals. During Christmas break we enjoyed family time, visiting with our extended family and friends, opening presents and enjoying a big meal. I finished a knitting project I started three years ago. And I have been framing, a lot! But that is for another newsletter!

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Building some neat lego structures with Charlie.

Blessings from our family to yours,

Holly

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PS ‘Coming Home’ is the title that we settled on for the above painting.

❤️🥳🎊😊

”Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

So it is a new year begun. As I look over the past year I think about all that went on, mostly just daily life stuff, things that may not seem so exciting- the ordinary family things. Watching some of the children grow into adults. I am thankful that I get to serve this huge family. There is nothing like hanging out with the most important people in my life. I am at a point in my life where the most important thing is just to treat others right and to trust God more completely. Good goals for 2020, right?

Sunrise over the river hills.

One of my art goals this year is to just pick up a brush every day and work on a painting or sketch. I do not always make a conscious decision to do this and I think that it is simple enough goal for me to reach.😊 Also, just to have fun with it. There’s is nothing more disheartening than to try to make everything perfect and not be able to realize that. One of my weaknesses is to compare my art with others. But really what I should be doing is comparing it with my own and asking, “Am I growing as an artist?” Am I portraying those emotions that are deeply veiled within each one of us? That is one of the best things about being an artist is to be able to touch something deep within that each of us feel. Maybe words cannot even describe it. Anyway, just a few of my random thoughts on the new year and art.

One of the landscapes of Lancaster County. For a city girl like me, I never tire of the beauty of the country landscape. It is something I am grateful on a daily basis.

There are three paintings that I was working on New Year’s Eve. One that I pretty much finished. It is the top image of a sunrise. Second is this one above, of a field in Autumn. I had started it a while ago and am now completing it. The third is one that I began last night as a gift for someone, and I will show that one after I have given it to her.

What are your goals? Do you have a bucket list of them? I know that that is how it is with me some years. I would love to hear from you, please leave a comment below! Hope you all have a truly blessed New Year, and that no matter what may come just take one day at a time. Each day is a gift and let us treat it is such.

Love,

Holly

Old Friends

Have you ever bumped into an old friend, one in which you have not seen in years? That happened to me last week, and the best thing is not only catching up on what the kids are doing and all of life’s changes but to be able to pick up where you left off and being able to laugh and cry with someone that you really make a connection with.

My hope is that my children will have friendships like that, close ones, with not only friends they meet but (especially) with each other.

Recently I framed a watercolor I made of my two daughters, Mary and Leah. Leah decided to cuddled her sister, who was having a hard time sleeping and was a little scared, as children can be of the dark, where wild imaginations roam. Out came the camera, for it was a photo opportunity that I was not going to pass up! After I painted it a thought came to me that it should be named Faith Clinging to Hope. Mary clinging to Leah, her protector. In some of the other paintings of the children, people have commented that the one seems to be protecting the other. Just a great thought! This was a very special painting, one that I thought needed an extra special frame. I am not a glitzy type, but I thought that this painting needed a nice big, beautiful gilded frame. After searching for a while online I came across one that I thought fit wonderfully. And here it is…

So now I am deciding how to frame the rest of the Sweet Slumber paintings, using similar frames and colored matting. I hope the rest of your week is amazing and that you are able to see the life, peace and light that are surrounds you!

I would love to hear how your week went! Comment below just to say hi, please share this on social media!

Adios,

Holly

This really was my lucky week😊

Reflective moment here during the photo shoot.

Life Peace Light

Hi folks,

How are you? How was your week? Mine was good. I did the regular schedule of laundry and household duties, but last Monday I decided at last minute to do something wild and crazy… to enter a contest. It was a contest to have a free photo session done. Cynthia Sperko, based in Lancaster County, is a photographer that specializes in branding photography, specifically for female entrepreneurs.

Cynthia captured this monarch butterfly resting on the zinnias I planted this year.

I wasn’t sure what to expect and am a little shy of having myself photographed but Cynthia put me at ease. She has a sweet, kind way about her and was very professional. Before she came down she asked a couple of questions to get an idea of what my art was about and who I was. Questions like how I became an artist, what my art process is, and what inspires my art.

In the midst of painting a new picture of Arizona Sun flower. Very aptly named too!

She took some awesome photos and I highly recommend her! You can find her on instagram @clsperkophotos.

Thank you so much and hope you have a wonderful and blessed week ahead of you.

Yours Truly,

Holly

P.S. The cards of the Summer Flower series are ready and available, just click on the button below to see more.

Snapshots from my journal

“Writing a journal is satisfying in that I can type my thoughts without losing the flow of understanding.” ~Dorothy Dupont

Over the years I have filled many journals with sketches of just everyday things. I love to see the extraordinary in the simple things in life. When the children were younger sometimes we would go on outdoor excursions to study nature. Off we would go into the woods and fields with paints and watercolor paper and paint what was before us. Together we learned about flowers, mushrooms and toadstools, different types of feathers, the difference between dog and cat paws, etc. Somethings I had to go out on my own, without children and distractions so that I could study certain things like butterflies.

Most of the sketches, though, in these books are of the children as they were playing or sleeping or of the family pets and farm animals. Some of them that were really good drawings became gifts to people. These sketches would take anywhere from a few minutes to half hour, tops. Good for learning to do things quickly and flowingly. Winslow Homer, when he started out his career, was an artist for the newspaper during the Civil War. He would go out on location and draw the battles. In this way, he became good at illustrating things that moved and it strengthened his skills as an artist, making quicker decisions and better judgment regarding composition of the page and choosing materials and all the other things that go into making excellent artwork.

Sketch of children playing video games.

A pond with Jacob sheep.

Son sleeping. Studies of facial features.

Buckles inspecting a baby chick.

Leah.

Children on couch in burnt sienna.

Hope you enjoy these little glimpses into my journals. I know one of my favorite things to do is to look at the drawing studies of famous artists. Leonardo Da Vinci is well known for his sketches of everything from people to inventions. Hope you have good week!

Love,

Holly

P.S. For those of you who are waiting for the cards, they are done at the printers. Today I will be picking them up and will upload them onto the website. Thank you for your patience!

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Mother and Child

“And that was the first time I remember her calling my voice ‘the gift’. Thereafter she always used that term when she talked about my music, and I think she did so on purpose, to remind me that the music in me was something special given by God. My job was to care for it and use it well; I was its bearer, not its owner.”~Johnny Cash

Wow, what better way to cultivate the inherent gifts in our children (or grandchildren) than to call those gifts, ‘the gift’. I think about the influence my mom had in my life while I was painting, drawing, playing the piano or other crazy projects/life decisions and the unending words of encouragement from her when I was unsure. I think about the influence that I have on my own children and their friends. Are my own words and actions bringing out the best in them?

The above painting depicts a child safely nestled in the arms of his mother. More specifically, it is a self-portrait of myself holding my youngest child, Charlie, the last of ten. What does this painting mean to me? It is about the quiet moment, that seems to pass way too quickly…of being in the presence of one of the most important people in my life. It is a passing glimpse that slips into a time that a child may not remember but will lead to the formation of a healthy adult. It is a time of prayer. It is about how a mother influences a child.

Years ago I met a woman who could say nothing but negative things about her 5 year old daughter. What a shame! It taught me something, though, as a young mother, to speak that which is encouraging, not disparagingly of your child.

Last thought-there’s nothing like holding a peacefully sleeping child, especially after a day of adventures! You know that he was just running around, learning about the things around him, getting into things and maybe, perhaps, really giving you a run for your money! Hope you enjoy this painting, because it is something that touches me deep within and there will be more to come!

Until next time, hold your children or grandchildren a little closer, for time does not stop, Or, give them a call and speak those encouraging words!

Love,

Holly

This article is dedicated to my mom. Happy Birthday!

If you are interested in this painting click here to view it in the shop.

This Week in Floral Depictions

Day twenty-three has come. This means only seven more days for the 30 day challenge. One week and it is finished. In the grand scheme of things I have learned how to adapt to time crunches, experimented with limited color palettes, tried adding drops of rubbing alcohol to disperse pigment, which apparently does not work well with the rough texture paper I use, and adding salt to draw the color to certain areas of the paper. Here are the paintings of the week. Comment below to let me know which ones are your favorite.

A Bearded Iris with morning dew droplets.

Butterfly on a Zinnia. I had fun playing with foreground against the background. Here I layered watery bleeding colors to give the effect of blurriness.

An abstract painting of Poppies.

An 11x14 watercolor of unknown flowers. If you know the name of these, comment below.

Clematis watercolor painting.

Marigold 5x7. I enjoyed bringing out the various colors I could see in the yellow.

Songbird flower 5x7.

Thank you for taking your time to read this blog! Please comment below to let me know your favorite painting from this week and if you like this blog and you like the artwork please click the like button and share this blog with your friends.

Until next time,

Holly.

Sunflower

Did you know that sunflowers are known as composite flowers and can have up to 2000 florets, or little flowers, on one flower head?! Each seed that you see used to be one floret. That is a lot of flowers! The bumble bee that I watched as I sat painting feasted for hours on this flower. Anyway, there is a video below and a couple of behind-the-scenes start-to-finish photographs. Hope you enjoy!

The beginning…. Just a few washes of color to set the foundation.

I built the form of the petals by adding details and more saturated color. At this point to get the grainy texture of the floret area I had added a wash of color then sprinkled salt. The salt pulls the color from the water to make interesting designs. I liked the design it made so much that I was hesitant in adding more to the painting but decided…

…to give the sunflower weight. So to add more contrast against the lighter yellow hue of the petals I added a mixture of ultramarine blue, magenta, and sap green.

Here is a photo of the actual sunflower bowing its heavy head.

The 30 day Art Challenge

“Silence, say the men of the East, is more than stillness, more than the absence of sound.” JF Newton

Silence is sometimes a little hard to get around here, with all the hustle and bustle of life everywhere you go. It seems that with every moment there is some distraction, so I try to use my time wisely and purposefully set aside time to observe nature, or read or have devotions, etc. The time may not be long, but it is very satisfying. Like water, I need it! Painting is one of those things that help me to focus and observe and to have silence from within.

I have decided to do one of the 30 day art challenges, only with my own twist. I love flowers and blooms and I have a garden. So I would like to take advantage of this hot summer to paint those flowers. A few of the kids also would like to do this challenge with me, so look forward to seeing those posts too!

My budding artist Kaleigh, early in the morning at her art station.

Some of my personal goals to get from this are-to set aside daily time to paint-believe it or not, this does not always happen! Also, to get looser with my brushstrokes. I tend to have very detailed paintings, which, in itself, there is nothing wrong with, but to be able to get quicker and looser is a great thing to accomplish in watercolors. Another goal-just to see where it takes me. Happy accidents as well as miserable ones are all things I can learn from and I am certain it will help me to grow as an artist.

How do you have “silent” time? Please share below. If you don’t, I encourage you to set aside time to just simply observe nature or take a walk. If you have a flower you would like me to paint, please send it my way! Please leave a comment, like or share! Thanks!

God bless,

Holly

A Favorite Quote

I don’t know about you, but, I love quotes! I even keep a notebook handy so that each time I come across something I like while reading I can jot it down. One of my absolute favorite quotes is from Scott MacCauley. It goes, “I hope my legacy will be that I came into this world, I brightened the corner, and then I quietly left the world unnoticed.”

MacCauley, in this old Reader’s Digest article, would host Thanksgiving meals at his home. Since he had no relatives who lived near him, he would invite anyone who would come, bringing joy to so many who would otherwise be lonely on this holiday.

The memories shared by these two will last a lifetime.

There have been numerous people throughout my life who have helped me and our family. People who go unnamed, because they don’t want the spotlight, they just truly want to do the right thing and be that person who brightens their corner in this thing called life. There is a woman I met who told me her story, of how she was down and out, a single mom, about to lose her home. A man paid her bills and helped her get back on her feet. She was so grateful!

There is the Amish who we live among that quietly live their lives and contribute so much to society, there’s my old high school art teacher who encouraged countless students to become artists, and the many people who helped us rebuild our house.

Every aspect of my life, whether it is art or family related or working with anyone, I love to brighten this corner of the world that I have been given. Even in the seemingly mundane tasks of the day, when we direct our focus on helping someone else, even if it is a little child who needs a cup of water, it can bring so much joy and peace, not only to them, but ourselves as well.

Issy with her grandfather, a commissioned work.

I hope this article finds each one of you well! If you like this blog or would like to get updates on my artwork, please sign up. On this site you can check out my gallery and shop. Also, please like, share or leave a comment below.

Are there any inspiring people you know? Please leave a comment below.

Take care,

Holly

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New Beginnings

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Teddy Bear Sunflower seeds.

It is June, and as we speak the garden is bustling with color and life. It all starts in January, when the seed catalogs come. It makes an otherwise cold and dreary month exciting as I look forward to planning the garden. As I peruse the catalogs I am reminded of the many types of seeds that can be planted in life. Seeds of kindness, goodness, love and faith. Seeds of knowledge and imparting it to the next generation. Sowing the seeds of forgiveness-that’s one that sprouts new life for all parties involved!

Danvers Half Long carrots grown from the garden.

Over the years we have made several new beginnings, some major and some minor. New babies have come and made milestones. Our oldest has graduated high school and has now begun a new chapter in his life. Adoption was one major new beginning.

We have a gift with each new day. Time allotted to do what we need to do, spending time with people we care about. You know when you have a really long, drawn out, ‘bad’ day, but then you know the night will come and with it a new day. This is why I love sunrises and it is why I paint so many sunrises. Here is to a new beginning and to a new blog.

To view more sunrise watercolors click here or to purchase the print below, please click here.

First Light’s Promise, 4x4.5, is on sale now. Click here to view.