In & Out of the Studio
I spent the better part of 2021 and 2022 creating the paintings for Morning Leaves: Reflections on Loss, Grief, and Connection by Laing F. Rikkers.
Morning Leaves is a book of poetry inspired by the loss of Laing’s sister. The writing and the artwork encourage us to connect more deeply to nature, one another, and ourselves.
The book is a secret garden filled with reminders of our humanity and the shared life-force that links us and the natural world. The lush descriptions and exquisite artwork will resonate with something deep and true as you explore and discover your own path.
Illustrations for the book were painted by Kelly Leahy Radding, an artist and student of nature. Kelly was able to bring visuals to the words in a way that enhances the reader’s experience and makes the book uniquely beautiful.
Morning Leaves will be published in May 2023 by The Collective Book Studio
Available for pre-purchase at Amazon here.
What did I do when a mega-rare bird from Siberia, a Steller’s Sea-Eagle, was visiting Maine? Why, I ‘flew’ up there to see it, of course! Actually, the very same bird was there last winter, but I was unable to go then. I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity this year. I was able to see it last weekend and right in time to be the perfect subject to test Daniel Smith’s new gouache paints in my sketchbook. To read about this amazing eagle and my thoughts and conclusions about the new gouache (hint: I loved them!), visit my blog post all about the amazing Stella, the Steller’s Sea-Eagle and the new gouache paints.
And watch out for that HUGE beak, Gram the Studio Cat!
Sketches from Nature blog
A Steller’s Sea-Eagle & Daniel Smith’s New Gouache
Not all those who wander are lost. –J.R.R. TolkienA Steller's Sea-Eagle and Daniel Smith Gouache Meet in my Sketchbook I wanted to test Daniel Smith’s new line of gouache paints for this blog post. I had not decided on a subject as of last week. And then an extremely...
What to Paint Next…an Artist’s Eternal Dilemma
It’s the first few weeks of the first month of a new year… what to paint next. Starting a new painting is always an uncertain time for me. I have so many images in my mind’s eye that I want to paint. There are exhibition deadlines on the not-so-distant horizon, but...
My New Year’s Day Bird of 2023
There is a birding tradition that the first bird you see on New Year’s Day is your theme bird for the year. A chirp outside my bedroom window woke me up; I turned my head to look - perched boldly and confidently on the topmost branch of the lilac tree was a...