Sandra's Blog

Would it not be wonderful to have him for your uncle?

In the third grade, Miss Edwards read us a story every day after lunch while we rested our heads on our desks.  (Although this was probably happening all over the USA, I thought we were special).  One day she read a story to us that was one of the many versions of how Valentine’s Day began and I was hooked on hearts forever.  Sometimes  I paint them deliberately, and sometimes a few surprisingly pop up in one of my paintings.  This one was a surprise.

My Granny Wagnon had her picture made many times next to the flower garden on Riverside Drive in Alabama. She must have loved flowers as much as I loved her.

Okay.  Enough already…I’ve been into angels lately.  And I’ll probably paint a few hundred more.  This color is quinacridone purple that doesn’t photograph as beautiful as it really is…but she’s sweet, don’t you think?   “Guide me safely through the night, wake me with the morning light.”

Drippy flowers – loose as a goose happy flowers! The background consist of three Holbein blues and Utrecht gesso.   The flowers are created with water based inks that have a mind of their own. You never know what will happen when you paint this way – it’s always a surprise!  So if the unpredictable bothers you, don’t try this at home!  Dog days of summer in the studio today with no music. Just sweet quiet.  It is 12″ X 36″ gallery canvas: one of my favorite sizes.

Hmmm…into angels lately as warm-ups. (That’s to loosen up before you paint.) My Mama loved green. She dressed me in green…I thought it not a good color for my olive complexion , so I vowed never to use green on anything my adult life…but here I am eating my words. Here’s a painting to honor Winona Lee …who loved green.

I love to listen to music when I paint. One day Jim Lowe’s song was playing. It struck me that we really do not know what goes on behind the doors of others. I heard “all I want to do is join the happy crowd behind the green door”, so I painted the song sung by us all.

This is what my heaven would be. I’d just get out the scarf, the gloves, the coat… go for a walk and breathe in that wonderful cold heavenly air. Hope we get at least ONE snow this winter…two or three or four would be nice.

Guess I’m day dreaming about the days when we change our clocks, get out our socks and await a visit from Jack Frost.