"Salutations to Sibs" SOLD

36x24" oil on gallery wrap canvas

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But let there be spaces in your togetherness and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. 

—Khalil Gibran

I have been a lost ship over most of the past year, adrift from paints and canvas, but happy to be firmly back in port of studio with brushes as oars, anchored firmly in hand. 

Family took precedence last April as my 93-year-old mom came to live with us. Her stay turned out to be a short final voyage as she sailed off into the ether of sunset at the end of September. We were honored to care for her those last months of her life, as this is how families love each other. 

Toni Morrison said, “Your need a whole community to raise a child” but to care for a dying parent, I say, takes an entire family. This is what ultimately led me to this painting “Salutations to Sibs.”

I wasn't consciously aware of what was actually drawing me to paint this alluring sunrise from Martha’s Vineyard. It was only after I finished the piece, that I was struck by how much the harbor scene reminded me of my family each one dropping their anchor to tend to mom in many different ways. 

Boats moored at bay seemed the perfect metaphor for family. Our fleet is composed of a large variety of crafts, some strong and secure, some calm, soulful and gentle, others steadfast and reliable. Siblings may sail through life on different bodies of water scattered around distant shores, yet will always tether together when the day is over, or seas turn into rough stormy waters.

It seems appropriate to post this piece on Valentine’s Day to honor the eight loving vessels in my marina including Bob, Debby, Kitsy, Barb, Mary, Julie, Lolly and Dash. 

I love you all!  

nancy

To see more of my art click here, or one one of these additional links: Online Gallery • Email  • Website  •  Graphic Design Studio • Saatchi Gallery
• Fine Art America

Between Two Worlds

"Between Two Worlds" 11x17" oil on stretched canvas

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"Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs."

  — Henry Ford  

 

I spent another afternoon at Heron Lake on a hill above the marina. Dave was somewhere down the steep bank wading and casting his fly hoping to snag a fish. As soon as I had my easel set up, puddles of paint squeezed from the tubes, and had picked up a paint brush it started to rain, thunder and lightening. I stood there for 30 minutes huddled under my umbrella, but ended up soaking wet. The rain continued, so I finally moved my gear inside the entrance to the park restroom nearby. YUCK!!!...This was not a pleasant place to hang out with flies, but I was in no position to be picky. After an hour, the clouds finally parted and the sun began to start drying out my wet clothes. I finally finished my painting late in the day. This photo is not the best.

I don't know why the light in New Mexico is so different? For me the colors just seem to crystallize into facets of colors screaming at the top of their lungs. To paint it, you just have to break the job down into smaller pieces. I simply see the bits of color, mix paint to match, and place the small dabs where I see them. It's similar to working a jigsaw puzzle. Once you step back and view, it all somehow magically comes together. Fun, fun, fun!

Thanks for viewing my picture puzzle painting. 

nancy

 

To view all of my available paintings in my gallery click here http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/nancy-parsons-122  

* Sold pieces are marked with a red dot.

My blog: www.headondownthehighway.blogspot.com

E-mail: njparsons@suddenlink.net

My book: Head on Down the Highway A Blog Book

My graphic design business: www.graphicdesigngroup.net