At Last

They popped today it seems!

This morning I awoke to see Fall had finally arrived.while I was sleeping.The loft window looked out on the farm with it's garland of  autumn color. Even though it also means that soon snow will arrive, I always marvel at the fall display that brightens our days as a harbinger of the cold gray winter ahead. I took Nell for a long walk around our pastures and woods beyond.The woods smelled sweet with leaves that crackled and snapped beneath our feet. We met a doe who stopped in her forging for food and watched us before turning and running into the depth of our woods.Nell wanted to give chase, but she, of course, was on a lead.

So close we got!

We are still painting our house.....inch by inch it seems. And in between our house painting days, I am grabbing studio time as I can.I did one fun Polo casein...it's all about color. And then yesterday afternoon, I did a quick oil of our Nellie....a painting that I have been wanting to do for a long time...from a photo I had taken of her on our bed.It is oil on canvas on board and sized at 8 x 6". It will be put up on my website and available for JRT fans......I think.

"My Bed Too"   oil      8 x 6"

Painting A Bit & Getting Ready For Winter A Lot

The last few days we have been busy battening down the hatches here on Cob Cottage farm in anticipation of winter and cold days ahead. It will come faster than we think...and I have more than a few gardens and window boxes to to cleaned and put to bed. It all cannot be done in one day. I am thinking this gardening frenzy that hits me each spring needs to be rethought and curbed a bit.

Control is not a operative word when it comes to me and gardening.!!

I am really almost done with the casein [30 x 40"] of the Blonde Belgians....this is how it stands today. The sketch of this painting has been sold and I need to ship that out this week. I am done with the drawing at this point and the painting can be finished without me referring to the drawing. I have many clients interested in purchasing my work sketches...a rather non expensive way of collecting my work.

The fall colors surround the farm. The below shot is from our deck.... of our fields...our barn. Soon the color will be gone and gray will prevail until the white and blue of snow covered winter landscape surrounds us. The scene new fails to remind us our blessed we are to be living in this spot in the middle of this natural splendor.

That reminds me.... I have 50 Narcissus bulbs waited to be planted before snow.....so much for control of gardens!

A Day In The Sun

After a weekend of rain, today Les and I headed out into the woods, to the back of our property, to see the fall foliage along the brook. How I love the smell of the woods, the cedar and pine, the wet dirt and composting leaves....all speckled with sun light. I swear I am going to head there in the spring to capture it all plein air....but this year I will work from photos taken today. I am busy with commissions now and upcoming shows, so my landscape work is going to have to wait.
It was a very healing peaceful experience this morning.....I needed it. We should all be so blessed to have a chance to venture into The Lord's woods.


On our way back, as we cut through our spruce grove at the back of our pastures, we have upon this fairies ring of mushrooms. I don't know the name of these mushrooms, or how fatal they might be...but I am sure that there are fairies somewhere near this spot that dance in the night with the deer and other wildlife looking on. At least that vision came to mind upon discovery of this ring!

Now back in my studio to work on a watercolor commission the rest of the day, I feel refreshed from my day in the sun.

Still Working On The Biggers

Today really feels like Fall..a cloud covered day where the air has a different feel to it...a different rhythm to the breeze and bird songs. Hard to describe, but a feel of nostalgia permeates the morning. I covered my tomatoes and basil again last night, as I have the last few nights. Trying to grab the last sun filled days to grow the tomatoes bigger, redder and to keep the basil for more spaghetti pesto before a frost hits them. I picked the last of my green beans...the few that the deer have left for us....and will gather in the last of the summer squash and cukes today. Now it seems that life will be about cozy-ing in and not growing.


I work in my studio listening to classical music on the radio and the birds singing in the crab apple tree outside my studio's east window. I have been working on the big casein of the Belgian horses...and is finally pulling together and pleasing me. The image above is where it stands at this moment. That will change by this afternoon, if I get to stick with it.


BUT....Right now the dogs need walking and I am headed out to watch Les work with one of his mares. To soon the weather will change and the snow will blow. I need to savor every moment of fall's beauty.

After Work - Keeneland

Here in Morrill the tree colors are starting to change.....the red maple leaves and the yellow birch..and my favourite of all... the larch or tamarack trees. Today is promising rain...I am working in the studio...finished this watercolor and am working on the papercut. There is another watercolor almost done, drying before I go into it with more detail and color.

The papercut is of a Saddlebred. I think this is the first cutting of a Saddlebred, under saddle, that I have done. I have done cuttings of them being driven. I should get it done soon, if I don't get sidetracked,which seems to be the problem these days. I have too many ideas going and need more hours.

The above watercolor [ sized 8 x 12 1/2" ] is of a scene behind scenes at Keeneland race track seen last summer. I was so taken with the guys who are the real care givers to the race horses....the grooms and exercise riders. This is a sort of study for a bigger work that I plan on doing at some point.

Now back to the cutting...............

But first....

Here is a shot of my gardens with the last of color........as seen from my studio!

Four-in-Hand at Acadia

Last weekend we went up to Acadia National Park carriage driving with friends. Wildwood Stable was getting ready to close for the winter season. What a wonderful time we had, with weather that was awesome. Maybe the fall colors weren't as brilliant this year as other years, but there were splashes of color that delighted the soul.



This casein painting above, done on Colorfix paper, is one of the works from the body of work that I am painting now. The four-in-hand in this painting is a team that was up at Acadia on an other occasion.

It always amazes me that these horses stand and wait , calmly, for the hitching and for the whip to take up the lines ......and then off they go! It makes me think that this is how we should approach life..............wait and then when the moment is right................off you go!!!