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West Texas Rain

  

10″x8″ oil on panel

Heading west, and enjoying the landscape change.  Nothing but horizon as far as the eye can see on the Texas – New Mexico border.  I love it when you can spy a summer rain falling in the distance.

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Vinyard Murals

   

8 feet x 5 feet acrylic on plaster

  
I spent the earlier part of this week painting a couple of murals at a Texas vinyard.  The first is in the wine cellar.  The second, over the bath tub.  

 In addition to getting to paint all day, I enjoyed great conversation, fantastic wildlife, and good wine. I got to spend time with my mom and one of her closest friends, a friendship that has lasted over 40 years. 

 I was inspired by a couple that live a life of joy and gratitude, who look for reasons to help and compliment each other.  The vinyard and wine making is not a commercial venture, but rather for the sheer pleasure and fun if it.  They use it as an oportunity to build community and family, inviting their closet friends and family to do the hard labor of harvesting 10,000 pounds of grapes, in the hottest part of Texas summer.  Then celebrating a day of hard work by sharing a good meal and glass of wine together.
  

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Sea of Blubonnets

 My husband took our kids to the Blubonnet patch down the road from us for the afternoon.  It is a no brainer this time of year, the flowers are breathtaking, a literal sea of blue.  Our patch has a lovely walking path, and is usually equipped with a slew of photographers.  Our family finds watching photographers very amusing: mothers switching between threats and bribes, professionals dancing like apes.  People never fail to amaze us by the measures they go to make their photos special: moving an entire suite of living room furniture to the field of flowers, or turning a Shetland pony into a unicorn.
So, armed with a kite, soccer ball, and a very small bike my wonderful and clever husband passed an afternoon.  My 5 year old was not quite as excited to get off training wheels as her brothers, so the scenery and crowds were a perfect inspiration.  As my daughter caught on and starting riding on her own, he cheered and the crowds joined him: turning an ordinary right of passage into something quite memorable:

“Mommy I got off training wheels today, in a sea of bluebonnets, to a standing ovation!”