Postcard from Pat

I can't really call this a postcard from Pat as in reality it is 10x8" and is so exquisite it needs to be framed and hung on a wall! The scan doesn't really do all the colours in this card justice but it shimmers with warm Californian sunshine and the darks lead you into the distance and draw you along this beautiful path.

Pat's great sense of humour comes across with these gorgeous little painted stamps on the back!

As if all that wasn't enough, there is also a fabulous pen and watercolour sketch on the envelope! Thank you so much, Pat!

A ray of Tuscan sunshine!

This beautiful card came from Robyn in Tuscany. I'm afraid my scanner hasn't captured the colours at all well but the stone walls are painted in a range of very delicate pinks and soft browns which seem to radiate with the warmth of the Tuscan sun! I love the shadows playing across the blue/green door and it's all been painted so delicately.

On the back Robyn has written "This is the door to the old convent house we rented when we first arrived in Castiglion Fiorentino. I stop by often because it is now owned by friends but mainly because it holds such great memories of our first year in Italy with an open fire, two dogs and no television!" Isn't that wonderful? Now I want to open the door and go inside!

Zaisersweiher, Germany

What a delight to recieve this card from Martin! On the back Martin has written 'These black and white greetings show a neighbouring village named Zaisersweiher (ink on paper).' From that description it sounds like a modest sketch but in reality it is very thick so perhaps it has been pasted onto board? I'm reminded of Cathy's words describing the back of another of Martin's cards as being like having a sample of his busy working studio, because it has some wonderful marks and textures, it's full of energy and industry. Also like Cathy, I put this on my mantlepiece, admiring the composition and the values, and then I found that it seems to change and reveal more details depending on the distance you are from it! It's a real treasure, thank you Martin!

Zion, a Place for Rest and Refuge, plein air from Desiree

Zion a Place for Rest and Reguge, drama in watercolour by Desiree

 This lovely plein air of dramatic cliffs, reflected in the rushing melt water in  Zion National Park, trees catching the light and a terrific sense of place, dropped through my letterbox this morning.   It really catches the drama and scale of the scene, the cliffs towering above.   Her title shows her feelings for this place that come through in the work.   I know what she means with the title - I have the same feeling at the coast.  It's lovely to see all these places that are special to us, so very different with each country.

Desiree describes sitting in  a cold wind, heroically working on this - It was well worth it wasn't it?   :>)

There are great details on the back of the flowers and even park stamps that she has used as a frame for one.  It came through the post safely with not even a smudge or wrinkle.

Her use of watercolour is confident and assured.

Introducing Pat Reese

I have thought of myself as an artist all of my life.  However, I was taught from a very early age that what I did was just a hobby.  My family believed that the best thing for me was an education in any field that would earn an acceptable income.  They believed that art would never provide security of income.  I finished my education, started my career, married, and created a wonderful family.  Eventually, after my family was grown, I retired and started a new life.  I gave myself permission to do what I have always wanted.  I found artists that I had been following and appreciating, and took classes to learn their skills.  I was able to go to many colleges, schools, workshops and studios to gain skills I required to ‘create art’.  About 20 years ago I found that traveling, sketching and painting made me very happy, and I began my first journal.

I have owned a gallery, providing an opportunity for local artists to display and sell their artistic creations.  I have participated in competitions, sold paintings, taught art and craft classes.  My art has been displayed in many galleries and museums, and my art is owned by private and corporate collectors.  Now I have pulled back from the requirements of others and found that sketching plein air, walking with my dog and journaling what I see daily is what makes me very, very happy. I am reminded of a story of a new school teacher who was brought in by a secluded community to teach their children.  The teacher found that the children never ran or jumped or ever let their feet leave the ground.  She found that the adults had trained the children never to lift their feet from the ground because, as the story progresses, the towns people could fly, and if others knew their secret, the towns people would be judged and persecuted.   The quote from Marianne Williamson, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure”, has become my motto for the last part of my life.

Through my blog, I found a group of like-minded artists who have brought a joy to my life that I didn't know was possible.  A little over a year ago, I found this wonderful group of artists, headed by Katherine Tyrrell, called Sketchercise.  With the support of this group of exercising artists, I have continued to exercise, lose weight and sketch daily.  The postcard exchange will be a great opportunity to see, firsthand, what each of our art really looks like in real life.