Summer passes

The end of a long, long summer for me. So many things that I would like to say farewell to. I can only hope the fall brings peace and grace. I'm hanging on. Putting my fire dress on and hanging on. Art heals. Books heal. God keeps his promises.

I can not control the choices others make, even my family members. I can only pray, and go on... in a blue moon, and the end of the summer of trials.

If I can perfect my faith
Thy Grace is sure to come.
The more I give to Thee
The more I absorb Thy Balm
That heals my bosom’s pangs.
Without Thy Love supreme,
Nothingness all I am?
A dark and barren dream.

- Sri Chinmoy

Summer sighs

A long summer is winding to a close. New work. Deadlines. The leaves will soon come off the trees.

Life on the river..

Moon over the hill tops..

High summer

Some work being produced in the studio. Snail's pace, but coming along..

'grace'  30x40"  acrylic and mixed media on canvas

'pod'  acrylic and mixed media on canvas 20x40"  

'afloat'  acrylic and oil on canvas 18x24"

The dog days of summer are here. Luckily, Fall is around the corner..

We will enjoy the summer while we can, find some shade and sip some iced tea, watch the bees buzz along..

July

Finally!

I finally put the finishing on this painting from the wonderful painting course started back in Feb. I loved it, and HIGHLY recommend taking Flora Bowley's 'Bloom True" e-course. A facinating, creative and intuitive way to approach creating. The next course starts on June 11.

     'Bloom'    36x24"

'Sunset' art quilt

'Sunset' art quilt, a photo by Lorie McCown on Flickr.

Part of my June show at Studio A Gallery in Fredericksburg, Va.

solitude acrylic and oil on canvas

solitude acrylic and oil on canvas, a photo by Lorie McCown on Flickr.

New magazine feature

My city scape quilts will be featured in the upcoming edition of Art Quilting Studio magazine by Stampington.  Arrives on newstands June1!

                                            City on the Hill                                        34x40"

Here's a link to the magazine

Jericoh

"Jericoh' acrylic and mixed media on canvas

My 6 months of painting pretty consistently is coming to a close. I am getting ready for a June show, here in Fredericksburg, so I've re-entered the sewing studio. 

I've been reading some poems as well..

"A little while, a little while..."

A little while, a little while,
The weary task is put away,
And I can sing and I can smile,
Alike, while I have holiday.

Why wilt thou go, my harassed heart,
What thought, what scene invites thee now?
What spot, or near or far,
Has rest for thee, my weary brow?

There is a spot, mid barren hills,
Where winter howls, and driving rain;
But if the dreary tempest chills,
There is a light that warms again.

The house is old, the trees are bare,
Moonless above bends twilight's dome;
But what on earth is half so dear,
So longed for, as the hearth of home?

The mute bird sitting on the stone,
The dank moss dripping from the wall,
The thorn-trees gaunt, the walks o'ergrown,
I love them, how I love them all!

Still, as I mused, the naked room,
The alien firelight died away,
And from the midst of cheerless gloom
I passed to bright unclouded day.

A little and a lone green lane
That opened on a common wide;
A distant, dreamy, dim blue chain
Of mountains circling every side;

A heaven so clear, an earth so calm,
So sweet, so soft, so hushed an air;
And, deepening still the dream-like charm,
Wild moor-sheep feeding everywhere.

That was the scene, I knew it well;
I knew the turfy pathway's sweep
That, winding o'er each billowy swell,
Marked out the tracks of wandering sheep.

Could I have lingered but an hour,
It well had paid a week of toil;
But Truth has banished Fancy's power:
Restraint and heavy task recoil.

Even as I stood with raptured eye,
Absorbed in bliss so deep and dear,
My hour of rest had fleeted by,
And back came labour, bondage, care. 

Emily Jane Brontë

grace

                                   'grace'                                                 Acrylic on canvas 30x40" 

more new work. good friday.

Lent has been a productive time here in the painting studio. I've also managed to do the walk to the cross. I missed a few days here and there, maybe 3-4, but I made it out the door all the others. It's good friday. A day of atonement, confession and ultimately, redemption. I hope that you all have a wonderful Easter. Rejoice. Find joy,  love and peace. It's the only way.

                          'pharaoh's daughter'        acrylic and mixed media on canvas  30x40"

    'Canaan'                                  acrylic and mixed media on canvas                                40x30"

    ' jacob's ladder '                                  acrylic and mixed media on canvas                            30x30"

      'tempest'                               acrylic on linen                                                                   24x24"

'east'

'east', a photo by Lorie McCown on Flickr.

Still working on a painting (or more!) a week during lent.

New direction, of a sort.. and a dash of Esparanza

Working larger and mixing some media.  This is acrylic, pastel and pencil on canvas 30x40"

And Ms. Spalding is on heavy rotation in the studio..

Still going on this one

I'm really struggling along here lately. I know that as we are tested, we will come out stronger.

I am liking a lot of the marks and colors coming together here.

dark fields

dark fields, a photo by Lorie McCown on Flickr.

Still painting..

It's been an up and down time, but I've managed to get to the studio in a regular basis.. here are a few paintings coming on..

Tree of Knowledge 

                                                                                     Red and the wolf

Breaking Dawn

Breaking Dawn, a photo by Lorie McCown on Flickr.

Night journey of three spirits

Night journey of three spirits, a photo by Lorie McCown on Flickr.

Painting paintings

Here is the work going on here in the studio... more of Flora Bowley's e course 'bloom true' and also some more of the epic landscape series..

I'm loving this course, it's like paint therapy..layer and layers of color and free form painting. Most enjoyable, and the time just whizzes by.

And also an addition to the epic landscape series. A lot of tree themed pieces..

judas tree

forrest of life..

and my latest..

                                                              Tree of Knowledge..   acrylic on canvas.



And this! Beautiful!! 

bluebell

bluebell, a photo by Lorie McCown on Flickr.

acrylic and mixed media on board

bloom true class

bloom true class, a photo by Lorie McCown on Flickr.

This is after about 4 layers of paint. It's a process! I'm enjoying all of them, though, even the yoga moves! Very effective way to paint, and I'd love for kids to start out painting this way. What amazing paintings they would do. hmm. thought.

And some beautiful, heavenly music to go with it. I love Lisa Gerrard, her music sounds like praying to me.

bloom true painting

bloom true painting, a photo by Lorie McCown on Flickr.

Here's layer #2. Really loving this course, and can hardly wait to go on!

bloom true sketch book

bloom true sketch book, a photo by Lorie McCown on Flickr.

Bloom true course

Bloom true course, a photo by Lorie McCown on Flickr.

Here are the first layers of the e-course I'm taking.. Flora Bowley wonderful "BloomTrue'. Really loving the process so far.


http://braveintuitiveyou.com/e-course/

Studio shots

The studio has been cleaned (more or less) and a few works in progress are still around. These are mixed media, oil, acrylic and pastel on canvas.

Time to paint and sew

I delayed holiday gratification until February, and enrolled in Flora Bowley's 'Bloom True" online e-course. Because I love her paintings, and her funky groove-chic style. It all starts on Monday, and I have a notion to blog on the progress here. I've cleaned out the studio, restocked the paint table and am ready to go. I haven't looked forward to something like this in a LLoooonngg time. :D

Here are a few of Flora Bowley's gorgeous paintings. And more here..http://www.florasbowley.com/#/gallery/22/0

painting by Flora Bowley

painting by Flora Bowley!

Goregous aren't they? Can not wait to go for it on Monday!

City scape

New work, a photo by Lorie McCown on Flickr.

microbe 14

microbe 14, a photo by Lorie McCown on Flickr.

Heading to the fair

"memory verse" will be included in the Mid Atlantic Quilt show in Feb.  It's included in the SAQA regional show 'Bending the Rules" More info coming! It's about 26x28" all overdyed and re-dyed fabric, mixed media. And a little poem from Emily Dickinson.Too..