A New Wild Turkey. A Pencil Drawing.

December 5, 2024 Natalie Wargin

I want to get back to painting but the Roxbury show tired me out some. I decided to do this pencil drawing to get back into the swing of things, pencil drawings being less demanding than the detailed acrylic paintings. Here’s where I landed.

The wild turkeys have been very wild this fall. The antics they get up to in my yard are noisy and crazy and Tilly and I race from front window to screen porch to watch them as they pass through. There’s a group of eleven that appears most evenings around six, just as we’re sitting down to dinner making my table manners less than appropriate. I just can’t help myself. Neither can Tilly. The birds talk and pick at each other, feathers flying here and there, launching themselves over our stone wall and back again.

This is one of them. A beautiful female, looking like a dancer. They are the most fabulous creatures.

“Wild Turkey”
9 x 12 inches
Prismacolor pencil on black Fabriano drawing paper
$200.00

This piece is available in my shop where I’m also running a sale.
20% off any purchase, including this drawing, today through Saturday, December 7.
Here’s a link to this drawing:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1822543532/original-colored-pencil-drawing-wild?click_key=4603d584729f8a48b3dd77b8620dad71119edecc%3A1822543532&click_sum=e4516f47&ref=shop_home_active_1&sts=1

Thank you, as always for your interest in my work.
I wish all of you the happiest of holidays!

Midnight. A New Painting.

July 18, 2024 Natalie Wargin

This painting was a challenge. It was a commission, a continuation of a story I began in an earlier piece about the tomato plant that fairly took over my front yard. Maybe you remember it with the lovely girl in her front garden picking a basket full of ripe tomatoes. The assignment here was to place our tomato girl in her garden again but this time at night. I don’t have a lot of experience painting night scenes. This is where I landed.

It’s a mild full moon night, the lady of the house sits on the bench in her side yard holding her squirming cat. There’s no doubt about her green thumb. The wild tomato plant in the front yard was no fluke. In fact you can see it at the edges of the scene trying to find a place here too. The air is perfumed with roses, peonies, dogwoods, tulips, trout lilies, daffodils, and those little seedy things. There’s scarcely room for anything else, the gardening style here being one of wild abandon. The little stream adds soft background music while birds and animals rest. The house is welcoming, warm light from the open window.

This is only the third commission I’ve taken. The first one was a success all around, the second was a nightmare which made me hesitant to take this “Midnight” assignment. But the patron was happy to review a sketch and then let me run with it. I was grateful for that and we are both pleased with the result.

“Midnight”
24 x 18 inches
Acrylic on claybord

Prints of this image are available in my Etsy shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1732756934/midnight-garden-art-print-of-original?click_key=88a21fe8b96e6e20b8bd45200102a90f8b7ee42c%3A1732756934&click_sum=70cc18d9&ref=shop_home_active_1

Thanks, as always, for taking a look!

Portrait of a House - Sunnyside

June 6, 2024 Natalie Wargin

This is Sunnyside, viewed from behind the house. It was Washington Irving’s home, one of many impressive old mansions here along the Hudson, retreats for the well heeled wanting to escape New York City in the off season. I particularly like this building. Unlike many of the other grand estates built in the mid 1800s, this one seems less stuffy, almost as though it escaped from a fairytale. I might like to live here although it is large and then I'd need staff and how would I manage that? Anyway. Here’s a glimpse of the old pile with the garden in full bloom. Pink trees, red trees, wild roses, spiderwort, daffodils. Evergreens off in the distance, the sound and smell of the river too. Birds and animals are comfortably passing the night beneath the silver slipper of a moon, no dreams of headless horsemen disturbing them.

This painting will be part of my exhibit at the Roxbury Arts Center in November.
If you’re interested in purchasing it before the show please let me know in the comments below.

Sunnyside
12 x 12 inches
Acrylic on claybord
Framed - narrow Maple floater frame
$650

Prints of this image are available in my shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1728131777/art-print-of-original-acrylic-portrait?click_key=e4b777a5f271b320612583d09fe4ae15b2f6e4b8%3A1728131777&click_sum=a0105ff1&ref=shop_home_active_1

From today, June 6 through June 9, get 20% off any Etsy purchase.
Thanks for following along!

Small Portrait #3 - Wild Turkey

February 29, 2024 Natalie Wargin

This is the third piece in my series of portraits, a second wild turkey. Turns out I’m enjoying these small paintings. And you know I love wild turkeys.

Here’s a quiet country road on a moonlit night. She passes the barn then stops and turns her head, wary, careful. There are other turkeys nearby but she’s heard a strange sound, maybe unfriendly, that stops her short. We see her here, her head catching the light, feathers glowing. She’ll be moving on shortly.

“Portrait #3 - Wild Turkey”
6 x 6 inches
Acrylic on claybord
$450.00

If you’re interested in this small painting please leave a note below in comments.
My Etsy shop is still closed but will be reopening soon in March

Thanks for taking a look!

Definitely Something New -- My First Lino Print

November 27, 2023 Natalie Wargin

I began this linoleum print a while ago and as the process got more complicated for me, a first timer, I put it on hold. Recently I came back to it. This is the finished print, the only keeper out of ten attempts. It has several ‘mistakes’ but you might never notice them. I’m fairly happy with the result.

This meteor shower image is one I’ve painted before and I’ll admit that it’s one of my favorites. Everything you see here is true. This is my house, my garage, my front yard. Yes, there was an impressive meteor shower and yes, the deer do come in the night and help themselves to whatever appeals. Wild turkeys definitely sleep up in the trees. As for the piece itself it should have been a reduction print but the image is fairly large (14 x 18 inches) and I didn’t want to destroy the block. I thought I might want to use it again so rather than cutting the linoleum away I cut masks to cover the areas that I didn’t want to print.

I have prints of this piece in my Etsy shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1590540268/art-print-original-linoleum-print-meteor?click_key=f1ac736c397eebd3b1d0f14dafe313b95eaf3d66%3A1590540268&click_sum=b0e38b78&ref=shop_home_active_1&sts=1

From November 27 through December 1 I’m running a sale. 20% off any purchase.
My shop will be closing on December 8 and won’t reopen until early March.
Thanks so much for looking at my work. It’s much appreciated.
Happy Holidays!

Masking an area. “Meteor Shower” linoleum print.

Ghosts of Christmas Past - A New Painting

March 10, 2023 Natalie Wargin

It’s been a while since I sent out a newsletter and this painting is to blame. Would you look at all the people? Nine. And because I’m not well practiced or particularly good at painting faces they took hours. However, finish I did and here you have another scene featuring Emily, my grandmother, and Christmas Eve at her house.

It all started innocently enough when I found a bit of the wallpaper that had been on Emily’s living room walls. Then things got out of hand. I redrew the wallpaper pattern. It’s bold, don’t you agree? I remembered the olive green sofa and paired it with a club chair that in real life was deep red, one of a pair, but here it’s become green too. Our point of view: we’re in the dining room looking past the built in bookcases into the living room where Santa stands next to the tree handing out one gift each to the Christmas-crazy kids.

So many details. An uncle straightens a painting of the Polish mountains that Emily and Felix love to remember. An aunt drinks her coffee beneath a painting of a pretty house set in an equally pretty garden. Each of the boy cousins has an agenda. We’ll keep tabs on the one with the key who has been eyeing the gifts in the locked bookcases. The two girls might be me and my sister Cheryl. Emily, who together with Felix, has been laboring over the Christmas Eve traditions and meal for days and days, is still in her fabulous apron. She’s watching Felix, the man beside her in the Santa suit she made, making sure the right gift goes to the right grandchild.

Until I was working on this painting I hadn’t given much thought to my grandfather in the Santa suit but the fact that he dressed up like this says some lovely things about him. Felix spoke very little English and, along with all the other grandchildren, I never learned Polish. This made for a narrow relationship. I never doubted that he loved us all but he was a quiet, reserved man. Now, here I am, painting him in this outrageous outfit and it’s a revelation. This was a man who had a sense of humor, who loved children, and who definitely loved his wife. Sometimes it takes a very long time to see what was right before your eyes.

“Emily’s Dream #3 - Christmas Eve”
24 x 18 inches
Acrylic on claybord
$2200

My Etsy shop is open and I’m running a sale starting today and running through Sunday, March 12.

You can find this painting here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1434143983/christmas-eve-family-memories-original?click_key=66be8873377802b174829d66edeb003d76a8b1f0%3A1434143983&click_sum=7eeded9f&ref=shop_home_active_1

You can find prints of this image here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1419951996/art-print-original-acrylic-painting?click_key=47a0166967f15d3426f4e09d1857438998751e90%3A1419951996&click_sum=00e231a7&ref=shop_home_active_1

Thanks for taking the time to read this story. Thanks too for your interest in my work.
Merry Christmas!

“Emily’s Dream #3 - Christmas Eve” detail.

Two Stories, One Pencil Drawing

April 21, 2022 Natalie Wargin

I feel the show in May nipping at my heels. This is the penultimate piece for my exhibit. It’s a colored pencil drawing, another sampler, that combines two of my favorite stories, the meteor shower and the weed bouquet. I’ve contained them within a floral border.

A few years ago, at 2AM on a very cold morning, my husband and I carried blankets and quilts out to the front yard where we laid down to watch a meteor shower. The dog took one look at this and went back in the house. Her loss, though, because it was a sight to see. I’ve shown it here with deer instead, under the shooting stars, helping themselves to my garden. The inset bouquet is actually a bunch of dried weeds, Queen Anne’s Lace and other things that looked pretty but made me sneeze so badly that I could not keep it. The floral border is adapted from samplers that I’ve admired.

“Meteor Shower and Bouquet”
Sampler #3
22 x 18 inches
Prismacolor pencil on Stonehenge Drawing Paper

I’ll be closing my Etsy shop indefinitely while I get ready for my May show and another show that will come on it’s heals. Before I do I will run a final sale.
20% off any purchase from April 21 through April 24.
Here’s a link to my shop:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatalieWargin

Thank you, as always, for your interest in my work.

A Firefly Metaphor. A New Painting.

December 4, 2020 Natalie Wargin

Yes, I know. The Fourth of July isn’t on anyone’s mind right now. But this is a timely painting although I didn’t realize it until I was almost finished. Let me explain.

I set out to do a night time painting of Circle Avenue, a little neighborhood near my house that’s strung along a semi-circular road. You may have seen that I’ve painted this street before. I’m drawn to the neighborly feeling I get whenever I drive through. I also wanted to do another night scene.

While painting the trees I kept remembering all the fireflies that I see each summer lighting up the forest behind my house. The tall dark trees and all the tiny insect lights. On and off. It’s magical. I don’t need to tell you. So in the end I decided to add some fireflies. And a thought occurred to me. Here was some light in a dark landscape. Something I suppose, in a way, we’re all waiting for. I do not paint political statements or protest pieces. I believe that the beauty all around us will save us. Perhaps it’s my protest not to paint a protest. But I think I did paint a metaphor.

”July Fourth”
Acrylic on panel, 16 x 20 inches.
$1500.00
This painting along with prints of this image are available in my shop.

You can find the painting here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/915868367/fireflies-on-july-fourth-original?ref=shop_home_active_2

You can find prints of this image here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/901940178/fireflies-on-july-fourth-art-print-of?ref=shop_home_active_1

I will be running a brief sale from December 4 through December 6.
20% off any purchase.

I wish you all the very happiest of holidays, whatever they may be.
Thank you for your interest in my work. It means the world.

A Mystery. The Letter.

November 3, 2020 Natalie Wargin

It’s early evening, crescent moon and stars in the sky. Dogwoods bloom along with all those other things. Wood ducks enjoy the peace. The lady of the house has received something interesting in the mail. Her faithful companion awaits her in another room, curious about the letter, knowing she’ll confide. Outside the garden and marsh are busy. An impressive snapper, new life.

This is my latest acrylic painting. I enjoyed this one. I wanted to do a night scene and I wanted to feature the big snapper that comes up to my yard every year to lay her eggs. I’ve never seen any of the eggs hatching nor have I ever seen any of the hatchlings. But if there have been some baby turtles I’m sure they’d make for the marsh and this is what they’d look like. I hadn’t planned such a detailed reflection in the marsh of the house and it’s inhabitants and although I found it tricky to do I’m pleased with the result.

Prints of this image are available in my Etsy shop. You can find them here:https://www.etsy.com/listing/872090607/art-print-original-painting-house-and?ref=shop_home_active_1

I’m also offering 20% off on any order from November 3 through November 7. You can find my shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatalieWargin

As always I want to thank you for your interest in my work.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all.