Winter and Summer Folk Art Paintings



"Storm Home"
From a story by Garrison Keillor
Acrylic on 10 x 8 Stretched Canvas

 Until this week, I can't recall hearing the name Garrison Keillor, when someone commissioned a small painting based on one of his stories from his radio program "A Prairie Home Companion". The picture is my interpretation of "Storm Home", one of his delightfully-recounted memories of life in Minnesota when he was a kid. I had no trouble with the winter scene, of course, having lived through enough of them in Canada.

I haven't listened to radio in decades, so it figures I couldn't have heard his show, but I'm surprised I haven't heard of him, the man. He's a prolific writer, often controversial, but listening to his "down comforter" voice is better than any meditational practice I can think of.

"Provencal Morning"
Acrylic on 8 x 10 Stretched Canvas

I was feeling particularly clear-headed and positive when I painted "Provencal Morning". Minimalism, Spartanism -  neither is appealing to me most days (I am always surrounded by my own and others' art along with irresistable bric-a-brac) - but living in an abbey with a view like this, just for a little while, I could easily tolerate those bare, stone walls. (Hard to get a nail into them anyway, right?)

So this is my imaginary "Provencal Morning". I've been to Paris, but not to this beautiful area, and all my fantasies about it are based on Peter Mayle's book, "A Year in Provence", and his follow-up work. But I lived and breathed it for a while, researching the property market, looking for the perfect restorable gite, boring my friends with the subject, until life caught up with me and I bought yet another house locally.

I have a thing about houses...did I say?