One of Lotusland unusual gardens.

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.
~Henry Ford

There were a few obstacles along the way.
Time, distance and injury, among them. (it’s really hard to paint when your dominant arm is in an immobilizing sling)
But somehow, despite the obstacles, the goal was accomplished. Canvases were stretched, research completed, compositions imagined and developed, colors mixed and diligently applied to the canvas. The goal was to create completely new work, relevant to Lotusland itself, a legendary garden in Santa Barbara, California, a location too distant for onsight research.

And the research was extensive. I spent a lot of time online, exploring photos of the garden. What a great place to explore! Lotusland is truly amazing. Envisioned by Ganna Walska, a Polish opera singer, the gardens boggle the mind and refresh the heart and soul. The Water Garden was mostly dormant, but others were fabulous. To name a few: the Japanese Garden, Blue Garden, Cactus Garden, Australian Garden… each one fabulously unique and fascinating. Ms. Walska used light and living plants as her palette.  I would love to wander there for a few days painting. Or a few weeks.

I discovered that Ganna Walska used giant clamshells as decor in her gardens which inspired me to paint them with nests nestled inside the luminous sculptural forms of the shells.

The show is up until May 23. Don’t forget to schedule some time to see it!

Here’s a review of the show in Artillery Magazine.

So despite the obstacles my goal was accomplished. The reward was on the wall.

What are your obstacles? What are your goals?

Here’s hoping you achieve them all! Just ignore those pesky obstacles!

After months of preparing against great odds the reward was on the wall. Here are six of my seven paintings in the exhibit ion entitled Flock: Birds on the Brink