watercolor painting of poppy by emily weil

daily painting | vargas poppy

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This poppy was fully unfurled in the warm sunlight at Vargas Plateau in Sunol, where I spent time last week looking for golden eagles. I enjoyed painting its pic Monday in between gathering materials and supplies to teach my drawing class at Frank Bette Center. Today this image encourages me to keep my heart open and walk in the sun and soak up some light and warmth (which at this moment is pouring in through my living room glass doors and warming my house and reaching into Buster’s cage, saying Good Morning). I’d rather withdraw, though. And close up my heart which is achey. Which creates a false sense of safety and breeds loneliness and fear. This is today’s invitation to me from Mama Earth — to be open to life and all it presents. When I would rather not. But I will anyway, as I prefer living life fully than to pretend to be Buster and crawl into my plush, dark little guinea pig cave.

I’m on a bit of a Jane Campion kick, the director of the movie, “The Power of the Dog,” an exquisite work of art (I watched it twice). I read an interview about her yesterday, which made me curious about her other movies (“The Piano” has always been a favorite). She has an amazing way of portraying strong characters who thrive and shine in difficult circumstances, women in particular. Last night I watched “An Angel At My Table,” about New Zealand writer Janet Frame. It probably wasn’t a wise choice, as her difficulties with anxiety and her wrenching experience of losing two sisters made me feel like a sad 11-year old again (but depictions of her childhood were so authentic and honest and heartwarming!). Then again, maybe it was good to take in that story — Frame had incredible talent, and was always true to it, even when she was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia and hospitalized. She lived a full life, and expressed herself with courage and an open heart. A very good role model for me.

7″ x 7″ watercolor, pen, acrylic on paper = $65

 

 

 

watercolor painting of wildflowers by emily weil

daily painting | vargas wildflowers

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Yesterday I finished up the commissioned painting (which I will post once the loving gift of the artwork has been received) and as I putzed around my studio and sprayed the piece with fixative (outside, very toxic) and waited it for to dry, I pulled out my phone to view my photos and decided to do a quickie watercolor and pastel of the lovely wildflowers just starting to bloom in the East Bay hills at Vargas Plateau near Sunol where I had plopped myself down at a viewpoint hoping to spot the resident Golden Eagles. Saw many more cows than eagles (along with ravens and meadowlarks and red tails and kestrels!), and a bovine portrait or two might end up in a future painting. In that park, ridges of rocks pop out of the hilltops looking like dinosaur spines and since these days parks are way busier than usual, I got to say hello to few hikers and bike riders while there with my scope. I took a few pics of these very pink, small flowers, growing like a mat on the ground, and since my main watercolor supplies live in my home, not my studio, I improvised with colors I don’t usually use, adding chalky pastels once the paint was dry, keeping things quick and spontaneous. It was more a time-filler than anything else, which supports my theory that the less I try to produce “good art,” the better the results as I liked how this one turned out.

And here’s another puzzle — my moods currently ping all over the room, in my time of loss and grief, and I’m mystified at how I can flip from joyful dancing and painting and arting with the tunes of Otis Redding or the Temptations in my earbuds to, 5 mins later, sitting in my studio chair, weeping. We humans are weird. They were good days last week, both out in the hills and in my studio.

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9″ x 9.25″ watercolor, pencil, pastel on paper = $85