Introducing: two new paintings inspired by camping in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
“Desert Lupine” was started while camping in Eastern Oregon. My husband and I were at a favorite camping spot, next to a gentle river in canyon with ancient stone walls. Hawks floated way above us on the breeze in the dry desert air. During the hot afternoon we enjoyed the shade of a big old juniper tree, and I started this painting. I was inspired by the gentle hardy beauty of lupine flowers. Lupines were blooming all over in the area. The delicate complex shapes of the flowers remind me of ornate iron work in Paris, or a fancy crown. Lupine flowers have amazingly intricate beauty and leaves like stars.
Desert flowers can be so incredibly beautiful, yet they thrive in hot, dry, harsh desert conditions. I grew up in the desert and have always admired how desert flowers can share their delicate, stunning beauty yet remain tough and hardy. It’s always been a goal of mine to mimic this behavior. The spectacular glittering desert night sky, with many more stars visible than in the city, seemed like a fitting backdrop for this desert flower. The finished painting features gold painted sides and touches of gold paint on the leaves.
“Self Healing” was started while I was sitting next to a creek, admiring Prunella vulgaris as it grew in the rocks next to me. It was a gentle summer day, and I enjoyed the sounds of the water while being surrounded by old growth forest. I imagined those of other eras who have used this miraculous yet humble plant for healing over the centuries. Many different native American tribes have used this plant for medicinal purposes for everything from headaches to an eye wash to stopping bleeding from wounds, and it is still used today by herbalists. Self Heal, or Heal All, is edible, and it is a common “weed,” often growing in lawns. The bees love the ones I grow in my backyard.
Thinking about all of the self healing that has been happening in society the last few years and in my world, I’d like to think that this humble plant can offer guidance as it straddles the space between the earth and stars. I had an herbalist teacher once share that they sometimes harness the power of herbs by connecting to their energy and directing that to their patients. Perhaps this painting has qualities of healing for its viewers. I’d like to think so!
I finished both pieces back home in my Portland studio, where it was easier to paint without the wind, heat, insects and weird cramped positions. I tried to bring myself back to the ease of summer camping, the smell of juniper trees in the air or the scent of rich earth and pine trees, and the feeling of joy I get from being in nature. I hope you can feel a little of these experiences in these paintings. Enjoy!
