First Painting for 2015

This is my first painting for 2015.  Can you tell I’m already thinking of spring?  🙂

Moss by Janell Mithani

Moss, acrylic on canvas, 24″ x 24″

I’ve been thinking a lot about the “WHY” I paint what I paint lately.  I’ve always loved fairies and nature.  I grew up out in the country and spent a good share of my childhood, hiking in the woods.  In my paintings, I reflect on those moments and feel that my feminine characters draw strength from the trees, wind, and nature that surrounds them.   One of the things that inspires me the most, is the strong stillness I feel when I am alone and surrounded by nature.

“Moss is a feminine character who draws her strength from the moss-covered trees that surround her. She came to me in my dreams, found her way into my sketchbook and inspired me to paint her with one of her beloved trees.”

Have a wonderful, creative day, Janell

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My Week Flew By…

We had a great time at our art gallery reception last week and time has flown by so fast, I forgot to do my weekly post!  I am still working on getting the pictures downloaded and posted to my blog, and I will share them soon.  Since I don’t have any new art this week, I thought I would share a funny story that happened to me a few weeks ago while I was putting away all my art and supplies after exhibiting in a Saturday art walk…

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I was pretty tired when I returned home, so I waited until Sunday morning to unpack my van.

I left one of the french doors open (as I often do when I am painting) while I was loading everything back into my studio that is in our back garden.  About half way through unloading,  I walked into the studio with an arm-load full and found a little bird had flown in and was flying in circles around my studio.

I immediately dropped everything and started frantically running around the studio opening the windows and popping out the screens as I was so worried he would fly into a window or screen and hurt himself.  I tried everything to help him find the door!  I quickly opened the other french door so he would have a large open area to fly out, but he seemed to have forgetten how he came in.  I tried shooing him, going outside and calling him (Like he was going to come to me like a dog! HA!.)  I pointed at the door a hundred times, but he just didn’t seem to listen!  I am sure he was as panicked as I was and I was so afraid he was going to hurt himself before I could help him get outside.  I even had to duck a couple of times as he flew straight at me. (Could be my bright red hair was an attraction?)  He was so clever, I got him to land on the end of my ruler, my hand, a paintbrush, the end of a broom, but then he would fly back into the studio every time I got close to an open door or window.

After about thirty LONG minutes,  he decided to hide between a blanket that was draped over a chair and we both calmed down a bit.  After I caught my breath, I gently scooped him into the bottom of my shirt and headed towards the open french doors.  When I got close to the door, he flew off and landed on the door frame and then hopped out onto the porch.  A second later, he turned his head to look at me (I swear he raised his eyebrow) and then flew off into our lemon tree.  I watched him for a few minutes to make sure he was OK, he seemed to be fine, and then he flew off to the telephone wire to hang out with his buddies.

Whew! What a bizarre, worry-some few moments!

OK… I am laughing about it now and thinking how funny I must have looked running around while this little bird was flying around the top of my studio.  And I probably made it worse by running around to open all the doors and windows.  I am not sure what kind of bird it was. (Where were all my bird watching friends when I needed them!)  But I think it was a wren.  Possibly a house wren?  Because he flew into my “house”? 🙂

Have a wonderful,  creative day!

Janell