That Time of Year

Yes it is that time of year, gentle reader. What time of year is that? Stay tuned! But before I share, I want to welcome new readers and describe the purpose of this post and blog. Alrighty?

Transitions

Welcome new readers! Each year, I select a theme for my weekly paintings. This year’s theme is Transitions. I am expanding on last year’s theme. 2021’s theme was “Small Spaces Special Places“. Since we were all spending a lot of time in or close to home last year, it made sense to me to keep paintings small and simple.

Why Transitions? So many reasons. Here are one or two. I plan to transition to larger paintings this year. In fact, the first painting I posted this year was huge (for me.) It measures 8×24″…wowza. Here’s the painting and post for that week. Second, I am focusing on transitions within my painting process, too. This includes transitions from light to dark. Something I love to think about as I compose a painting. I also love to think about the negative space around an object. An example of this is the painting I shared two weeks ago called “Blowing in the Wind.”

I’m also trying some new processes that I have never done before including glazing. I’ll share more about that process once I have some results worth sharing. In the meantime, there’s lots of painting going on here.

So there you have it! The scoop on transitions as the theme for 2022.

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What is That Time of Year

First, it’s that time of year to start looking for signs of spring. If you live up north where snow is still in the forecast, this type of ‘hunting’ can be huge. Why? There’s something reassuring about seeing buds on trees even if they are covered in snow.

Second, here in Raleigh, birds are calling and wooing from early morning till dawn these days. Oh and our cheerful, resident Carolina Wren has started to build it’s nest in our mailbox again. “Sorry little wren, that’s not a good place to build,” I say to myself as I clean out the leaves and pine straw from the mailbox.

More Reasons for That Time of Year

Another reason to name this painting “That Time of Year” is because it is that time of year to see what you can see while you’re outdoors. Recently, I have hiked and camped in places where the mighty pine tree thrives. If you live locally, consider visiting Triangle Land Conservancy’s “White Pines Nature Preserve.” It’s only a 40 minute drive from Raleigh and the trails and views are delightful. The leaves are not out on the hundreds (thousands?) of hardwoods in this preserve. So you can see for miles! And there’s a convergence of two rivers with a sunny view too.

This last weekend, we visited Congaree National Forest in Hopkins South Carolina. Have you ever been? It is such a magical place. There are incredible trees, some with knees throughout the 2 1/2 mile boardwalk trail in the park.

I started this week’s color sketch before we left on our trip to Congaree. But, I was inspired to finish it after seeing a 150 year old loblolly pine tree there. What a magnificent tree! It’s over 165 feet tall and has a girth of nearly 15 feet. Here’s the color sketch.

What’s Your Time of Year Signs

How about you gentle reader? Are you starting to see any signs of spring yet? Please share what you’re noticing where you are in the comments below. Thank you, as always, for reading today.