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 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 John James Audubon’s, Mark Catesby’s, Maria Sibylla Merian’s who was a woman who discovered metamorphosis in the 1600’s, and maps from all over the world. Today I share a few recent paintings and interesting places or things I have seen.
The welcoming, winding, entrance to Far Niente Winery in Rutherford, Napa Valley. This property always has the most unusual trees, foliage, and flowers.
The view from Under-Study marketplace, Saint Helena. This is a regular stop on my drive between Valley’s as they have delicious high quality hot tea in addition to the most wonderful pastries plus breads. For a party recently I picked up their truffle stuffed chicken and it was divine.
One of my favorite birds is this black-necked stilt which was spotted wandering along a shoreline. Just adore the long pink legs and black + white feathers. Such an elegant bird. They also have a lovely call and curious demeanor.
This kitty found himself a home at a hotel in Sonoma, then was adopted. That is what is called creativity in action. Really a strikingly handsome cat with his unique black and white markings.
The sweetest sheltie dog which I was honored to paint this portrait of recently.
Golden Retriever’s are gorgeous dogs most definitely. This dog so adored his owners that he hardly ever took his eyes off of them and as he sat for this portrait on a rainy day in Sonoma. A very good sport!
Mark Rothko has always been a favorite artist of mine. These two pieces were seen at a museum recently and feel that his color fields in this later work are especially captivating.
This Mark Rothko piece reminds me of Spring – Summer in the Valley’s. 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 color. It is interesting to learn that this American painter began to refuse to explain the meaning of his pieces in words as he felt “silence is so accurate,” in that without explanatory words, the viewer’s imagination was more open to its own interpretation. Fascinating! Wishing you a beautiful summer.