June 2026 • Art of Leisure

Helping animals that reside in a shelter find a new beginning has been a passion of mine for over ten years. It is hard to know exactly how many shelter pets I have assisted in this journey; it’s safe to say that there are many.

Here are the shops that carry the Shelter Pet Cards at this moment. I feel a deep appreciation for each of these shop owners or buyers for joining me in my mission to bring awareness to these beautiful animals and being a part of finding them a new home.

Sonoma and San Francisco Shops

Summer Vine
100 West Spain Street, Sonoma
(707) 933-8810

Sue Fisher King
1913 Fillmore Street, San Francisco
(415) 922-7276
The cards are available at SFK both in person and online

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art Gift Shop
551 Broadway, Sonoma
(707) 939- 7862

Sonoma Country Antiques
23999 Arnold Drive, Sonoma
(707) 938-8315

Artefact Design & Salvage
20490 Broadway, Sonoma
(707) 933-0660

Shelter pet cards — A few flowers seen at the shop Acres Home & Garden in Saint Helena earlier this year. I just love all of these wonderful shop owners and this group has decided to retire. Many thank’s for all the lovely flowers over the years.

Pet shelter Sonoma — Buttercup has been one of the shops’ favorite Shelter Pet Cards. She was a darling little stray who was sheltered at Pets Lifeline many years ago. This little puppy was so excited when I sat and painted her at the kennel; she jumped and ran all around with her little sister puppy, Pinky Pie, sitting quietly nearby. Buttercup looked at me in wonder with those large dark eyes as if to ask why I wasn’t taking her home yet. They both were adopted.

Warmly,
B

Early summer in Sonoma and Napa Valley is filled with the most gorgeous skies as the weather is mixed with plenty of rain and sunshine. Here are a few photos taken recently as I traverse the Valleys on a daily basis. My life is lived between the City of Sonoma and the City of St Helena, two very lovely places filled with art, both modern and historic. I work part-time at Arader Galleries in St Helena which is a true treasure trove of a gallery filled with the most exquisite pieces from the 1500’s to 1900’s. So many original pieces by John James Audubon, Mark Catesby, Maria Sibylla Merian–who was a woman who discovered metamorphosis in the 1600’s–and maps from all over the world. Today, I’d like to share with you a few recent paintings with summer color and some interesting places and things that I have seen.

summer color — The welcoming, winding, entrance to Far Niente Winery in Rutherford, Napa Valley. This property always has the most unusual trees, flowers, and other foliage.

Napa Valley Trees — The view from Under-Study marketplace, Saint Helena. This is a regular stop on my drive between Valleys as they have delicious high quality hot tea in addition to the most wonderful pastries and breads. For a recent party, I picked up their truffle stuffed chicken and it was divine.

Shore birds — One of my favorite birds is this black-necked stilt that I spotted wandering along a shoreline. I just adore the long pink legs and black + white feathers; such an elegant bird. They also have a lovely call and curious demeanor.

Cat Painting — This kitty found himself a home at a hotel in Sonoma and was then adopted–that is what I call creativity in action. Really a strikingly handsome cat with his unique black and white markings.

Dog Portrait — The sweetest Sheltie dog whose portrait I was honored to paint recently.

Golden Retrievers are most definitely gorgeous dogs. This one so adored his owners that he hardly ever took his eyes off of them as he sat for this portrait on a rainy day in Sonoma. A very good sport!

Rothko painting — Mark Rothko has always been a favorite artist of mine. I saw these two pieces at a museum recently and feel that his color fields in this later work are especially captivating.

Summer color painting — This Mark Rothko piece reminds me of Spring and Summer in the Valleys.

Something is very fresh in the way that Rothko layered his colors and different paint mediums. Also, the size is most enveloping as you may stand very close and feel the vibrations of summer color. It is interesting to learn that this American painter eventually began to refuse to explain the meaning of his pieces in words, as he felt “silence is so accurate,” in that without an explanation, the viewer’s imagination was more open to its own interpretation. Fascinating!

Wishing you a beautiful summer.

Month: June 2026

Shops that Feature My Shelter Pet Cards

Sonoma and San Francisco Shops

Summer Color, Trees and Dogs