Guardian Southern Pines

Guardian Southern Pines
© Karen F. Rose

oil on canvas

6x6"

It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.  ~Robert Louis Stevenson


Standing tall and straight almost touching heaven are the hardy forests of pine trees that dot the landscape of North Carolina, Georgia and Florida and so many southern states. They greet you at many turns in the road. They echo beautiful cathedrals of grace and form. Take a moment and just breath in their sweet energy.

Cloaked in the first rays of the warm morning sun they watch over you, guardians of your day. And then at days end, they are there to greet you and renew your weary spirit.

Ahh that subtle something that fills our hearts.

Shown here is the 6x6" oil painting The Guardian Southern Pines as you might display it in your home or office. You may choose to frame the painting and place it on a small table easel on a desk, a bookshelf or side table.

All the small 6x6" paintings sold on my blog and web site are sold unframed with a small display easel.  They are shipped attractively packaged ready for gift giving or ready to be framed if you choose to do so.

Discovering Monet at the Grand Palais

Exhibition poster outside Grand Palais in Paris appropriate for this landmark exhibition.

Long lines for admission. The exhibit runs until Jan. 24, 2011.

Monet exhibition bookstore
Can you say...bring your Visa!

More than 70 museums from around the world loaned paintings to the Monet exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris. Included are more than 200 works covering 60 years of Claude Monet's career. It is the largest retrospective to be organized in his native France in 30 years. more than 83,000 tickets have already been sold and lines are long if you have not prearranged for your ticket. 

The painting, Impression, Soleil Levant which gave Impressionism it's name is missing from this exhibit and is on display at Musée Marmottan Monet that is a former hunting lodge in the 16th arrondissement district. There is an interesting Wall Street Journal article about the feud over the inclusion of that painting in the exhibit. Google the article if you want some behind the scenes drama.

This amazing exhibit has an interactive web site  

http://www.monet2010.com/en#/home/
But be patient because it takes a while for all the information to load.
Must say I was overwhelmed. I had severe jet lag and I kept pinching myself knowing this is a once in a lifetime exhibit and I was seeing paintings I will never again see in person.
The rooms were darkly lit and the deep jewel tones of the exhibition walls made the light in the paintings radiate their glow....very captivating. As Liz Lemon says, I want to go there....again.
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In Flight Thoughts - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Airplane In Flight Map
Over the Guernsey Island 

Just returned from a (vacation/birthday celebration) adventure in Paris, France and Italy.  I cherish the moments with family, old and new friends and the opportunity to see art and architecture in Florence, Cortona, Siena, and Paris, previously I had only studied in college art textbooks.
The enchanting Tuscan landscapes and my Paris adventure will be inspiration for pastel and oil paintings in the days ahead....so stay tuned.
However, back to the plane... on flights over "the big pond" I always love to view the map in progress. Seeing where you are at 35,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean in the middle of the night always gives one pause. As we inched closer to France on the moving map, the Guernsey Island in the English Channel was highlighted. My thoughts immediately turned from, "gee, I hope we have enough fuel to make it to Paris CDG cause I can't swim", to the... oh so charming book I listened to last summer, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I say listened to, because many times when I am painting in the studio I listen to audio versions of books and this has superb actors. Kinda wished we weren't flying over Guernsey but were popping in for a visit with the locals.
Amazon has a wonderful clip about the book http://www.amazon.com/Guernsey-Literary-Potato-Peel-Society/dp/0385340990
Time to unpack the suitcase and read the mail. Subscribe to my blog if you want to join me on my colorful art adventure to Tuscany and Paris.

New Landscapes at Ice House Art Gallery in McIntosh, FL

Twilight Glow Remembered

oil on canvas

24x48"

© 2009 Karen F Rose

I am delighted four of my oil paintings are included in the new summer landscape exhibit at the Ice House Art Gallery and Studios in McIntosh, FL. Owner of the gallery George Ferreria creates and displays exquisite handcrafted Florida furniture and sculpture from natural and found objects. He has transformed a former ice house into a beautiful art gallery and studio space.

After delivering my paintings to the gallery, I had dinner with my parents both very young at 89 and 90. They told me stories of how when they were children in a small town in Wisconsin they would race after the ice truck to catch shavings off those big blocks of ice that had come from the ice house in their town.

The Ice House Gallery in McIntosh, FL a very "cool" 

artistic retreat.