Friday, October 31, 2008

Another Value Study


This painting, titled "Fence Rows" started out as just a demo of a typical 4-value landscape. It had a nice feel to it, so I finally got around to developing it a bit more and finished it in the studio at home. The mowing rows in the hayfield really draw the eye deep into the painting, and the light on that far field, and the one yellow tree become the focal point.
All our New Hampshire hillsides are covered in late fall foliage - the peak colors have faded and now it is a wonderful collage of purple/grays and russets and deep golds. It is actually my favorite time to paint fall foliage because it creates a perfect complementary color situation. The peak season is such a riot of color that it is difficult to portray without being gaudy. So I am happy when late October and November rolls around and most of the leaves have fallen, leaving bare branches poking through for interest.
Of course, the downside of all that is that most of those leaves are piled up in our yard, which apparently is some sort of "devil's triangle" for leaves - a vortex that pulls every fallen leaf within miles to land on our two acres. We have our work cut out for us!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Miracles happen



Meet Anthony, my newest grandson, born today.
A beautiful, healthy baby boy, 7 lbs. 4 oz.
Birth is always a miracle, but this one seems especially so. About a month ago, tests revealed some serious concerns about this little guy.
His "gestational age" was measured to be at 27 weeks, when he was actually 36 weeks. This kind of growth restriction is usually associated with a fatal abnormality in the umbilical cord or placenta. Further tests ruled out this particular
problem, but ultrasounds indicated irregular growth in his legs, and doctors were uncertain about what other issues might be going on with him.
So, we had to wait, with all indicators pointing to the likelihood of some very real problems. We prayed. We hoped. We waited. Two weeks ago, his gestational age had increased significantly, but that's all we knew.
So, today, little Anthony was born, and is completely healthy, normal, vigorous and alert and beautiful. We are rejoicing and thanking God. I personally think God heard our prayers and healed this little boy, because there is no explanation for why the abnormalities which were revealed in the ultrasounds are no longer evident. Whatever happened, he is here and we are so happy to finally welcome him to the family!