This is my Mom's watercolor painting, Catherine Bottelman.  She lives in Winter Park, Florida.  She is a prolific painter.    I have given her dried seahorses, crabs, shells, and other natural items I find.  I asked her how she created this painting.  She told she drew the dried seahorses, crabs and seashells from life.   She kept drawing these seahorses in one area until she was satistified.  Then she drew the crab in a few places.  She drew some seaweed here and there. The painting just developed spontaneously.  

     Some of my happiest memories are painting next to my Mom.  We seem to laugh alot.  Sometimes one of us accidently splatters the other with paint.  I might take one of her brushes to use instead of my own.  

       I saw this painting in her livingroom while visiting in Florida this last Winter.  Luckily it fit into my car!  I absolutely love this painting.  Each morning I get up and admire her painting.  I am lucky to have a Mom who paints!  What a great gift she has given me.

      
  This is a watercolor by my Aunt Madeline.  She gave my Mom and I each a painting many years ago.  In return, my Mom and I each gave her two of our paintings. 

      My Grandmother also painted.    We don't know which medium or what she painted.  After she passed on, her paintings all disappeared.  She started to paint later in life.  I have always wondered what they might look like. 

     I went to many galleries in Camden and Rockland yesterday.  I just felt like taking a painting break!  I saw a lot of really brightly colored paintings in these galleries.  I found myself walking by these paintings very quickly!  It was as if these paintings were shouting at me!  They looked very artificial.  I went home thinking a lot about painting more subtle.  I saw skies straight bright blue!  I liked more red and greys in the skys.  I saw many drawing failures.  Horizons were crooked.  I shook my head wondering how such a successful painter might get into a gallery with a crooked horizon!  I decided to use a T Square to check any of my horizon lines, if I do paint one!  Suprising too, were the prices!  I didn't see very many smaller oil paintings.  They were many very large paintings.  I did see many great paintings.  I think it is a good idea to take a painting break and look at other people's paintings! 

      I saw two Fitz Hugh Lane paintings in the Farmsworth Museum.  I really liked his colors, very pastel.  They were easy on the eyes and mind!  I saw a great Thomas Moran painting.  I really liked the details! 
Of course my favorites were paintings by Stapleton Kearns.  There were the best!

     I am going to get out to paint tomorrow!  Thanks for reading this blog.  I love all of the comments!