It's Pumpkin Season!!

My favorite season of the year hands down is Fall. What other season gives you such variety of the beauty in nature? Colorful trees shedding their leaves like painted carpets. Living here in Florida I either have to paint my own Fall or travel out of state to enjoy it. Luckily, this year I get to do both. I'll be traveling to Santa Fe in a couple weeks to take in the Aspens in their high desert Fall beauty.

Just Beyond The Trees is a new painting recalling the autumns of my youth growing up in Southern Maryland. I've been gone 40 years, but will always miss the change of season.

I'm so excited to get to visit Santa Fe again to see the fall colors. It's only been four months since my last visit this summer, but the city has been calling my name and I must go.

You know once Halloween comes then the holiday season is in full swing. It will be Thanksgiving and then Christmas before we know it. It's not to early to order your 2017 calendars. I've just designed them and they make wonderful gifts!! Available from my Zazzle shop in three sizes. Just click on the photo for more information.

And, speaking of Christmas, I did a very limited edition of hand painted ornaments for your tree. Four color palettes to select from (black/gold/white, purple/teal/white, blue/green/white and orange/gold/white). These glass ornaments are approximately 4" across and come gift boxed. Each is individually hand painted so no two are identical. I have only 13 left as of today. Please message me if you are interested. They're only $20 + shipping.

Thanks for taking time to visit with me friends. I hope you get lots of "treats" next week for Halloween. I'm looking forward to trick or treating with our grandchildren. Hopefully they'll share some chocolate with their "Gigi".

Until next time, I wish you many blessings, Mary

“The artist knows he must be alone to create; the writer to work out his thoughts; the musician, to compose; the saint, to pray. But women need solitude in order to find again the true essence of themselves.”

— Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Autumn Is In The Air

Autumn's Splendor, acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

My favorite time of year is fast approaching, at least according the the calendar. Fall officially arrives on September 22; however, for those of us in Florida we have to make our own type of fall as our temps won't stop dropping until December or January if we're lucky. And, to enjoy the fall foliage we travel up north or drool over the many photos on Pinterest and other websites.

I grew up in southern Maryland and go through withdrawals this time every year. It doesn't matter that I've lived in Florida for 41 years. Once the fall season is in your blood you never outgrow it.

One of the ways I get into the fall spirit is to paint. "Autumn Splendor" is just one of several fall themed paintings in my studio. This painting symbolizes all the wonderful beauty of the season: The cool, crisp air and the vibrantly colored leaves.

Last week was an exciting week for me with my first SOLO SHOW!!! It was held at a quaint, cafe called The Bunker in Ybor City (historic part of Tampa). So many of my friends were there I was overjoyed. And, I sold three paintings that night. Here's a few photos from the evening.

I'm now looking forward to preparing for my next solo show in January 2017. It will be a larger show so I'll need to get painting. In the meantime, I'll have a small pop up shop at Pottery Barn, Hyde Park Tampa on October 22. Stay tuned for more info as the date gets closer.

Thanks so much for all your warm wishes and heart felt support friends. Please do share my website with your art loving friends.

Wishing you all a beautiful and blessed Autumn season. Blessings, Mary

“When autumn dulls the summer skies,
And paler sunshine softly lies
Upon the brown and fallow lands:—
As fairy artists come in bands
To paint with brushes dipped with frost:—
They pay with gold, for verdure lost...”

— V.O. Wallingford (b.1876), "The Cottonwood Trees"