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This landscape art is included in the collection “50 Oil Paintings Inspired by Nature“. See the full length 4th of July variety show that features this painting in a live taping.
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“Is it hard to find fall pumpkins in Savannah? Not at all! There are tent sales, grocery displays, and even pumpkin patches nearby. Madrac Farms in Rincon, Georgia, which is not far from the commuting town I live in, grows Orange Bulldog Pumpkins, developed by the University of Georgia to grow in the South Georgia climate.
Madrac Farms is only about fifteen minutes’ drive for me, and forty minutes from Savannah. If someone was looking for fall beauty right in Savannah, Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens offers Autumn Gardenfest. There are also family pumpkin patches with corn mazes, duck races, pick-your-own pumpkin off the vine, and other autumn fun, thirty minutes to two hours’ drive. Some offer farm events like steer roping, cow milking, pony rides, and a mini zoo with donkeys and llamas.
When my kids were little, we took them to the pumpkin patch every year. I didn’t realize that families down South were doing the same thing. Of course it was often quite cold and wet when we’d bundle our kids up to freeze while hunting for the perfect pumpkin, but here it may be too hot, depending on the day. There are cool days during a Georgian October, and when those days pop up, it’s an ideal time to visit the pumpkin patches.”
List of Oil Paintings in this Collection, linking to their pages here on the site, and also citing physical pages in the hardcover book:
“The inspiration for this art is the “relief” architecture on the exterior of churches and cathedrals in the Savannah squares. I saw reliefs of Mary in a pose similar to this. I imagined her as if she could be my sister, a dear friend, family. With a colorful scene and light, my painting is a contemporary, personalized version of Mary that draws from traditional historic art.
Luke 1:30 Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.’
What does it mean to have God’s favor? What a glorious blessing and comfort!
We were not meant to be slaves to fear. Imagine the words of an angel telling us not to be afraid. God is with us. What a joyful life we can have, if we are free from anxiety. Suddenly the sun shines brighter, the beauty of people and places surrounds us, and our world transforms from lifeless gray to vibrant living color.”
List of Oil Paintings in this Collection, linking to their pages here on the site, and also citing physical pages in the hardcover book:
“That’s me, on the swing. My real life swing is actually a rather cheap, much smaller, version of this, but I enjoy my time on the patio. The morning glory vines along the top were real, but we later yanked them out because birds were perching on it and pooping on the swing! The birds don’t usually come around all at once, but all of these do visit our patio in the places I’ve painted them. The bluebirds visit seldomly, while the cardinals and hummingbirds are here every day and I’ve begun to think of them as my friends!
The potted red roses and wisteria are real, as are the plants in the white trellis/planter combo my husband made for me (lavender and a grape vine). The pink vines I painted aren’t there, but were planned to be- ditto for the potted Gerber Daisies. The white roses in the foreground aren’t there- that’s where my patio door is. I’ll explain the rest of this painting over the next two pages (refers to physical book- here on website, just scroll down).
My real life patio is about half this size, and there’s no path leading off to a secondary garden (no hedges or white picket fence either). The forestry is real. It surrounds a lagoon (man-made retention pond that isn’t in this painting, but is in the Blue Heron and Savannah Snow paintings). Our yard ends very near the patio.
Years ago, we owned a hobby farm in rural Minnesota, but the company my husband worked for moved to Canada and ghosted the town. We sold our house and started a new life. It’s been a long, uncertain journey. We are finally rebuilding our lives, although it means renting a small house with a tiny yard for a few years.
While I no longer have our Babydoll Southdown sheep, hens, or other animals, the wild birds keep me company. My garden patio is full of life, and I am content to wait for our lives to take off once again. We will have our own home again one day. For now, this is my home- home is where our heart is.
More about the painting: The tree on the right is the butterfly tree that I showed you in a previous painting. The shepherd’s hook is there, with the bird feeder below it. The cardinals sometimes pose exactly like this. We’ve changed things up a bit since I did this painting. We’ve added a red tower for smaller birds, that’s supposed to attract the elusive migratory Painted Bunting I showed you earlier. We’ll see, come spring!
This type of flower is called a Cherokee Rose. I’ve been told that it can take up a lot of space, so I’ll need to wait until we have a bigger yard before adding this flower to my real life garden. It is the state flower of Georgia, so I painted it separately as well (next painting).”
List of Oil Paintings in this Collection, linking to their pages here on the site, and also citing physical pages in the hardcover book:
“Our first year here, I was so excited to have a vibrant garden on my little patio. I can see it from inside the house, and we bought a compact 2-person swing that fits on the patio so we can sit outside among the flowers, birds, and butterflies. One of our first investments was in an inexpensive “butterfly tree”.
The small tree has butterfly shaped flowers that really do attract butterflies and hummingbirds. That’s how I was able to train the hummingbirds to visit our home. I put a sugar-water feeder in the same pot as the tree. It worked almost instantly!
Best of all, the tree blooms nearly continuously for most of the year! It’s such a lovely gift to our family. I looked it up for you just now, and I was happy to learn that it’s easy to propagate and share this plant! I will definitely do that. The tree is apparently actually a “bush”. It is called Clerodendrum Ugandense (Blue Butterfly Bush). Mine is outdoors, but others consider it an “everblooming houseplant”, so I could try starting some indoors as well. I wouldn’t enjoy hummingbirds or butterflies inside, but it’s a pretty plant on its own. Now that I know how easy it is to start new plants, I’ll soon have many more of these, indoors and out!”
List of Oil Paintings in this Collection, linking to their pages here on the site, and also citing physical pages in the hardcover book:
“Year round vegetation is so lovely! Even the “weeds” are appreciated. I saw a sprig of clover growing through the cracks in the patio block. The shadow those cheery leaves cast was a reminder of how blessed we are when the sun shines upon us, when Light is above, while shadows are beneath our feet.
Such moments remind me of this Irish Blessing:
‘May the road rise to meet you,
may the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
the rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of his hand.
May the Lord bless you and keep you,
may the Lord cause his face to shine upon you,
and give you peace.'”
List of Oil Paintings in this Collection, linking to their pages here on the site, and also citing physical pages in the hardcover book:
“We get gators in the lagoon behind our house. Trapper John came out and removed a big alligator using a pole, his bare hands, and duct tape. I watched the adventure from inside the house, through the glass patio doors. When the gator was safely bound and loaded onto the back of his truck, I went outside and asked if it was OK to take pictures. Trapper John moved the gator so that I could get a good shot. The gator’s tail felt like an underinflated tire- rubbery, squishy, and oddly soft.
The police officer on the scene said- after I touched the gator- that he was surprised the alligator was being so docile. The officer was amused by my photo shoot. He said, “Welcome to Georgia.”
Besides gators, we also have snakes. There was a small one inside our house, which gave me a phobia of lying on the floor. No more yoga for me! There was a large one outside our house, which gave me a phobia of mowing the lawn. Now I wear boots or ask my husband to do it. One day I was filming a cute little toad and my husband pranked me by pretending to see a snake. He laughed about that for entirely too long. Well, a few weeks later, he came in from mowing with a sheepish look on his face. He thought I’d seen him jump a mile when he saw a snake in the grass. No, I’d missed that, but I can imagine it and it’s a safe bet that I’ll have another opportunity to see it.”
List of Oil Paintings in this Collection, linking to their pages here on the site, and also citing physical pages in the hardcover book:
“Savannah loves music. Live music is a vibrant part of the city’s lifestyle, from the famous to the new, Savannah offers concerts, festivals and even small gatherings in homes. Churches also offer a variety of music, from traditional organ and piano hymn arrangements, to contemporary songs featuring electric instruments from drums to guitars. Celtic, African and Indian instruments make appearances as well.
My son saw a flyer on his college campus for a local in-home gathering. He brought his guitar. My husband and I attended with him and were among the youngest people there. The musicians were incredible! Their life and musical experiences were rich indeed. We sang together and felt as if we participated in an intimate concert with professional artists- a priceless experience!
My son has also had the opportunity to play at church. I was especially happy when he played “How Great Thou Art” on harmonica while my daughters and I sang. I’ve played my mountain dulcimer and keyboard, but I don’t play either particularly well. I mostly sing with the choir. Our playing ability isn’t what’s important though- it’s about enjoying live music in the company of people we share our home city with.”
List of Oil Paintings in this Collection, linking to their pages here on the site, and also citing physical pages in the hardcover book:
“This iconic fountain is at Forysth Park in Savannah. It is a well photographed, well painted tourist attraction that appears often on postcards, websites, and gifts. Many who visit Savannah don’t leave the city without taking a souvenior photo of themselves and loved ones by the fountain.
Forysth Park is a large, active park. Many events are held in that location, as well as recreational activities and a good place to take a fitness walk. Some events are planned by the city, such as ones sponsored by the library system.
I was a participating author/illustrator for a large children’s book festival held in the park. Before the big day, I painted the fountain to display it on a large standing easel, just a few yards away from the actual fountain. It was fun to watch people do a double-take, as they realized that the painting was of where they were currently standing.
The day I took the photograph that I used as a reference (this particular perspective of the fountain, as seen from the vantage point of an adjacent sidewalk), I was completely unaware that my husband was taking pictures of me, taking pictures of the fountain. This was suprisingly endearing, so I decided to paint myself into the picture. I realized later that this made my art a self-portrait, which wasn’t intentional, so we can think of me as simply “the lady in red”, even though I call myself out in the painting’s title. If you look closely, you can see my camera in “lady in red”‘s hand.
Spanish moss drapes from many tree branches. Don’t touch the moss. It looks soft and inviting, but apparently there are bugs that live in it. Enjoy with your eyes!
List of Oil Paintings in this Collection, linking to their pages here on the site, and also citing physical pages in the hardcover book: