Greens in Winter – Watercolor

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Even though I am a warm weathered person, I love the heat, the sun and the oceans, there’s not a lot of things in this world that is more calming and beautiful than a walk through a woods with fresh snow on the ground. It has a refreshing smell of pines and fresh air when you breathe it in, and to see the wildlife flying or running around as though they have a new lease on life. I love the convenience of the city, but the man to earth relationship of the country.  I have always been an explorer at heart and the finding of foot prints, nest, bones, shells, and other wonders of the woods, just make it more exciting to wonder. There used to be a tag line on the Indiana license plates that said “Wonder Indiana”, they must have created that by watching my actions. I can start a walk early in the morning and absolutely get lost in time and explore the woods an entire day. I know I have written about walking before, but a walk on concrete and asphalt isn’t what I was talking about. Sure it’s physically healthy to walk on streets, but the walking through nature, especially a woods or around a lake, is both mentally and physically healthy. This is great time of the year in the midwest to do so, the bugs are almost nonexistent  and it’s cool and refreshing, just make sure that you where bright orange or go to a park to avoid the deer hunters like myself. As you walk take time to look close at the shape of trees, the formation of the stones and landscape, and stop every once in a while and give time to fool the creators in to thinking that you’re not there and listen to them communicate with song and chatter.  I hope you have fun and think of me and this painting while doing so!

Have a great weekend!

Santa Sleigh – Watercolor

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Ho Ho Ho, with a frost-bitten toe. His face is red, and he’s been way over fed. But still delivering the goods, whether you live in the city or in the woods. Okay, I know, that’s enough of that, so I’ll stop. But what I was getting to is each year some of us receives gifts for Christmas and I was wondering what have been some of your favorites Christmas gifts in the past. This is my Santa print for 2012 and will be available soon.

Some of  my favorites;

1. Red Rider BB gun, that’s right just like in the movie. With red rider on the side and a leather strap hanging from a ring… loved it!

2. My first official nice stereo with high-speed dubbing cassette recording, with speaker past the hips in height… that’s right, the bigger the better in those days.

3. Anything hunting and fishing

What are some of your favorites?

Christmas and Lace – Watercolor

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Ryan, painting lace, I know and yes it’s true, of course I wanted to add some camo to it, but fought the urge. This Christmas still life is a 8″ x 11″ watercolor image, framed in a 11″ x 14″ antiqued frame. I know it’s early for Christmas and winter paintings, but I’m actually running late on them for upcoming shows. Prints are yet to come back from the printer and originals still need to be painted. I wanted a lot of lace and white cloth contrasting with the dark background, and most of the color high on the paintings edge. Please leave a comment letting me know what you think or what you would have done different.

Price: Original 8″ x 11″ watercolor, 11″ x 14″ frame     $225.00 plus SH

African Bull Elephant – Watercolor

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I had this beautiful frame and needed a painting to put in it, and elephants sell so fast I thought the texture would be perfect for it. Sorry for the poor photo, but I had it framed before I could get the picture. The watercolor image is a  4 1/2″ x 4 1/2″, the frame outside edge is 11″ square.

With the blowing dirt and dust around his trunk, and by using blues, greens, golds and other colors to the skin, I hoped to bring a little life to such a small painting.

Price: Original watercolor, framed $125.00 plus shipping

Jingles the Snowman – Watercolor print

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Burrrrr! It’s getting a little FROSTY (the other guy) around here in southern Indiana. The temperature has dropped, the leaves are turning golden orange, red and yellow, and yes, winter is just around the corner. This is one of four watercolors that will be made into Giclee prints that can be matted to fit a 11 x 14 frame. The photo is a temporary for my blog only, but will be professionally taken for the prints. I will only have about a 100 prints of each scene, and will cost around $15.00 depending on printing cost. Of course the whites and colors of the painting will be much better when taken professionally. I hope to have them available in a few weeks along with another Santa print, The church steeple and the winter nighttime barn scene. I hope you enjoy Jingle the snowman and will check in soon to purchase for yourself or someone for a gift for the holidays.

Winter Steeple – Holiday Card

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This watercolor painting of a lovely old church steeple,  will soon be available as prints and Christmas cards. I’m thinking of adding a cardinal in the trees just to add a touch of color, but not sure yet. I did a barn last year that I really liked (sold) that I added a wreath, the wreath was the only item with color. I’m hoping to have a snowman, another winter barn and possibly another Santa Claus. The print of last years Santa sold really well (artbyrhayes.com), I have a few left if you would like to purchase one. They are signed and numbered, and will fit a 16 x 20 frame once matted. I hope to have the cards soon of this years watercolors.

Blowing in the wind

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Sitting in a clover field searching for a four-leaf clover, burning leaves and small insects with a magnifying glass, making new roadways through the grass and roots for the matchbox or hot  wheels, or simply picking a dandelion seeding and waiting on a breeze and gently blowing the seeds into the wind, how sweet was life when this filled your day. Life has been a rush lately, not the rush as in adrenaline but a rush from here to there, do this and that, and an emotional roller coaster. I have been trying to slow it down and spend more time with family and things that I have been wanting to do, but as always, it’s just not working out. This is the time of year in Indiana that makes these days seem worth it. Temperatures are in the 70′s and low 80′s (F), a gentle breeze and flowers are still blooming. So as I’m going to do the next few months, I hope you try to do the same, slow down, take a picnic with someone you care for, and appreciate the things that we have and those loved ones that we have.  Have fun, and blow a dandelion in the air for me… if you have one!

This watercolor is a 5″ x 9″ on watercolor 140lb paper, with a salt technic used for parts of the dandelion and air movement behind it.

God’s gift was given

A Gift was Given

So many people pray, whether whispered, spoken aloud, or maybe a simple quiet thought. I’m not sure if a prayer was answered or just given to me with-out prayer.  We forget as our life passes by, the prayers that have been given with-out being ask for.  It was almost eighty years ago, long before I was born, I was graced by God without being prayed for. You see my Mother-in-law was born in a small (really small town) in southern Indiana. Along with her twin brother and several other sisters and brothers, they grew up knowing a simple life, but a Christian life. That young girl as pretty as her middle name (Rose) would eventually marry a man who I admired and loved, and still do even today after his death twenty-three years ago. God graced me, and so many others by allowing us to know, their love and become a part of their family. I have been with the family for thirty-three years, and married to their beautiful gift from God for twenty-seven years.

We lost my father-in-law twenty-three years ago, and now my mother-in-law last week. I’ll miss them both forever, but I find comfort in knowing that they are once again together. I realize now that a gift was given, and with that gift families were given even more gifts. Gifts from the Lord will always be there, we just have to accept them and love each and every one of them.

Ryan’s Prayer

Thank you Lord

for the Rose that was gifted,

Its beauty and life,

the reason our hearts, will always be lifted.

 

A rose that brought love and sunshine

with her loving delicate touch,

a love that will never be forgotten,

and always be missed, so very much.

 

So bring her into heaven,

and please give her a special place,

place her soul in the heaven’s bouquet,

allowing her and Gene to once again embrace.

 

The beauty in our heaven

has never been so bright,

two souls joined once again,

making a single, loving, brilliant light.

 

Allow their light to shine downward

upon us who keep them near to our heart,

for someday will be together again,

eternally never to part.

 

Lord I ask thee,

for this I pray,

keep them near your heart,

until we’re all together again one day.

 

Amen

Robin, but where’s Batman?

POW! BANG! BOOM! (old School Batman Lingo) This painting really doesn’t fit any of the sound effects unless he had a really bad landing. This was a 15 minutes Miniature Watercolor, measuring in at 1 3/4″ x 1 3/4″.  Just doing a little goofing off and thought that a small painting was due. The smallest that I have done was a 1″ x 1″ but lost it…. seriously hard to keep track of the darn things. Anyway I hope you enjoy looking. The reference photo is from Gary Jones at Paint-my-Photo. http://paintmyphoto.ning.com/photo/robin

 

Night-time winter barn – watercolor

I’m not sure that there is a more peaceful moment than taking a night-time stroll, while the ground is covered with brilliantly white snow. The really cool thing is, that a flashlight or any other form of light isn’t needed, because the snow and moon creates its own illumination.  The only few sounds that are heard, is the crunching of the packing snow under your feet, and the whispers of the wind blowing through the trees.  I also think that you feel a little more alive, when you can feel the freshness and the crisp air entering your lung, and the visual of  life, when you exhale. I think this is important now days because we seem to be just living life, not appreciating being alive! I have a wonderful friend, with a wonderful family, that just lost a wonderful brother. He was young, but cancer didn’t care, and took his life just this weekend. He found out about his cancer less than a year ago, has battled strongly, but lost that battle Sunday. So the next time that you see your kids, parents, siblings and friends, squeeze a little harder on the hugs, grab their necks and wrap your arm around them a little more, and feel the love between your touch and their heart. And this winter if you are in an area that receives a white winters blanket, breath in and feel life entering your lungs, and breath out and see the air that God has given us, to enjoy the time that we have on the Earth.

This painting is dedicated to the memory of Larry, a brother of a friend, a son, father, husband, outdoorsman and a friend. Prayers for Larry’s family, and prayers for those who are still battling this awful disease.