On the Wings of May
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"When April steps aside for May, like diamonds all the rain drops glisten; fresh violets open every day. To some new bird each hour we can listen. Lucy Larcom


Like a bird in flight, May has swept in and taken me by surprise. I feel like I'm being carried somewhere on it's wings. I notice the rain drops glistening and the colors of spring inviting me outdoors and into nature. I hear the birds more often and witness their activity as I gaze into the sky.

The flowers start coming into my studio with more abundance because they are in season and easily accessible. I feel the spring-like infusion of color brewing over the past month or so. I hope you get that sense in the new paintings that follow.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there this weekend!

Catherine
Art Jam - Pop Up Gallery
May 5 - 27th ArtJam in Princeton, NJ

Stop by
19 Hulfish Street on Palmer Square to be swept away on the wings of color, creativity and love.

ArtJam is a pop-up gallery and fundraiser for HomeFront/ArtSpace. The event brings together undiscovered artists who have experienced homelessness, professional artists and the community in a celebration of creativity, inclusiveness and empowerment. Learn more
"Eclectic Joys" 10" x 8" oil on canvas - $300
When I look at this painting I think of the idiom "good things come in small packages". This was part of the inspiration to create the painting on a
10" x 8" canvas. I like the intimate nature of a small painting. They can be full of wonderful surprises.

The painting began with a desire to "discover". I enjoy gathering random items and scattering them on a table to see what unfolds. There's an element of uncertainty in this practice that I find inviting and scary at the same time. Often it reminds me of the excitement in opening a present.
"The Pineapple" 20" x 16" oil on canvas - $1100
Pineapples have a long standing tradition as symbols of hospitality and were viewed as a sign of wealth and prosperity in the 18th century.

They emerge in the local markets here in New Jersey around April and May and I like to pick up at least one. I can't say I'm always skilled at picking the sweetest ones but I can appreciate their form and what they mean to me.

I'm not sure when I first ate pineapple, but every time I see one I think about a family trip to Hawaii about 40 years ago. This was a place my mother always dreamed of going. Pineapple was always on the menu for breakfast, and of the sweetest kind. These memories are bittersweet for me now as my mom passed away suddenly about year after that trip. It may be that in painting pineapples I get to connect to the "sweetness" I remember. It certainly crosses my mind when I add the pineapple to my shopping cart or start to incorporate it into a still life.

I like to think of this painting as having an eclectic flavor. One that's filled with the beauty of transparency, the wonder of design and the magic of color and it's power to ignite joy.
Learn more about this painting by clicking the image.
"Collective Moments" 20" x16" oil on canvas - $1100
Inspiration can come from many sources, for most of my paintings there is a desire to memorialize moments.

In this artwork the advent of spring is visited. The yellow forsythia are an early sign and one I often witness through a window from my home before May. There's a patchwork quilt by this window, with touches of turquoise, violet and white with floral motifs. This year, as symbols of divine substance and longevity a white bowl of pears was left on a small table for me to snack on.

Until next time, stay safe and stay well!