A small painting of my dog

March 18, 2025 Natalie Wargin

Tilly is a steady dog. loud sudden noises don’t bother her. The thunder of this electrical storm distracts her though which is too bad because she would have loved to go after that chipmunk. Lucky for the chipmunk. Tilly is very fast as I’ve mentioned several times. The rain comes down hard, the wind blows the catalpa’s leaves and scatters its blossoms. The birds are agitated. One chipmunk heads for cover while another sleeping below dreams on. I see the lightening. I’ll have to call the dog into the house in a minute.

“Dog#2”
Acrylic on claybord
6 x 6 inches
SOLD

I don’t do many of these small pieces but they’re fun for a change. Not nearly as time consuming as my 18 x 24 inch paintings so the feeling of accomplishment comes fairly quickly. It’s also a nice challenge to see how much detail I can pack into a small space. Prints of this image are available in my shop. Find them here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1888277519/art-print-original-acrylic-painting-of?ref=shop_home_active_1&logging_key=36b617c5ba07b83bca21d876e815eb424c365ec8%3A1888277519

Thanks 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!

A Story of Three Bears - A New Painting

March 20, 2024 Natalie Wargin

Tilly and I are in the garden when we hear some loud rustling in the woods right behind the house. Usually rustling means chipmunks or squirrels which are really nothing special but this was extra loud rustling. We had to take a look. We see black bears from time to time and know to stay calm and still when we do. Fortunately Tilly was on her leash just in case. Here were three adolescents, romping while in a line, heading north towards Kingston. They move beside the swamp which is beautiful as always. The recently built beaver dam is masterful. There are birds, turtles, a squirrel, and a red eft. Bumble bees hum in the hydrangeas. There’s a fisher too, giving me a shiver. I figure the mother bear is up ahead somewhere, keeping an eye but letting go a bit. Her babies are nearly grown.

“Three Bears”
Acrylic on claybord panel
18 x 24 inches
This piece will be exhibited in November at the Roxbury Arts Center.
It is spoken for.
Prints are available. See below.

My Etsy shop is open again and I’m running a sale. 20% off any purchase from March 20 through Sunday March 24.
You can find prints of the “Three Bears” here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1684296836/art-print-of-original-painting-three?click_key=3cb2c1fa6eb0c01f12ac0b7261e760259e9ab84c%3A1684296836&click_sum=0a13be6a&ref=shop_home_active_1

Thank you for taking a look at what I’ve been up to!

Another Small Portrait

January 30, 2024 Natalie Wargin

Usually I work on paintings that are considerably larger than this, 24 x 18 inches is a favorite size. But I enjoyed doing the little Wild Turkey Portrait that you saw last month so I thought I’d try another. Here is Portrait 2: Porcupine. These portraits may become a series.

I don’t often see porcupines near where I live and I’m grateful for that because if I’m walking outside I’m nearly always with Tilly. She is a mad hunter and I would fear the outcome of a porcupine encounter. I’m certain it would be bad. However I have seen and photographed porcupines and I like painting them. Here is one in an autumn setting, beneath the surrounding plants that are going to seed, turning rust colored and orange. Two little frogs observe. A pale bird seems to have something to say.

Portrait 2: Porcupine
Acrylic on claybord
6 x 6 inches
$450

My Etsy shop is on vacation until March but if you’re interested in this piece you can let me know in the comments below.

Thank you for taking the time to take a look. As always, it’s much appreciated.

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.

Smoke. A new painting.

November 25, 2022 Natalie Wargin

One morning, very shortly after I moved to the Hudson Valley, I looked out a second floor window and saw a flock of wild turkeys. I was entranced and delighted, as I still always am when I see turkeys, but there was something odd about this group. One of the birds was practically white. Knowing absolutely nothing about the wildlife in these parts I guessed that perhaps this group had welcomed a white hen or some sort of duck. Nope.

I came to find out that the light gray, practically white bird, was a smoke phase turkey. Not a true albino it retains some of the natural coloring of a wild turkey but its feathers are primarily a soft gray. I painted a watercolor version of this flock. It was one of my very first paintings. I positioned the birds in front of one of my favorite barns, the one with the gray and oxblood paint. This is a reconsidering of that early painting and a retelling of what I saw way back then.

Here is the flock on a glorious autumn day traveling through a field. The grasses are fading to parchment, as are the ferns. The buttonbush has turned red. Trees and bushes are wildly colored. Woodsmoke from the chimneys fills the air with that lovely smell. The sky is moody. There may be a hint of snow in the air. The turkeys are restless, the smoke phase stops to groom herself. A little frog observes.

“Smoke”
Acrylic on birch panel
20 x 16 inches
$1600

This painting is available in my shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1340474200/original-acrylic-painting-of-wild?click_key=c0562f837032618839743f4c8e7db56a09ebc416%3A1340474200&click_sum=d431ec44&ref=shop_home_active_1

Prints of this image are available here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1354447555/art-print-original-acrylic-painting-of?click_key=0dbd2844f029a3e56c9717ccd08849c9394aaf0f%3A1354447555&click_sum=a537c3b0&ref=shop_home_active_1

Everything in my shop is 20% off through Tuesday, November 29. No code needed.
Get things while you can because my shop will be closing indefinitely on Wednesday, November 30.

Thank you for following along. Thank you for your interest in my work.
I wish you all the very best of holidays!

Two Small Botanicals. New Work.

October 6, 2022 Natalie Wargin

I find the most interesting plants growing in the woods and along the wetland edge. Here are small watercolors of two that I see, depending on the season: Bloodroot and Buttonbush. Bloodroot gets its name from its red orange roots that resemble carrots. Yes, I pulled one up so I could see for myself. The roots can be used to make ink or dye. The leaves are big and curvy, the flowers are smallish and white. In the spring, in the woodland shadows, this plant spreads and beautifully fills a lot of space. The second plant, Buttonbush, grows in wet areas and also appreciates shade. In the spring the blossoms are like little green balls that each open into dozens of tightly packed small white flowers like the globe you see here. The foliage is dense and dark and in the fall the “buttons” become red and copper colored. Both of these plants are quite dramatic.

I haven’t done any watercolors in a while and it was a pleasure to work on these two. They are small, as I say, and working on small pieces was also a nice change. I’ll be back to larger work soon.

Both of these originals are available in my Etsy shop where I’m also offering free domestic shipping on all orders through Sunday, October 9. Here are the links:

“Bloodroot”
5 x 6 inches
Watercolor on Fabriano Hot Press
$90
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1318491625/original-watercolor-painting-bloodroot?click_key=6d824a8df84af158ef00b08fb3a00f0133c480d6%3A1318491625&click_sum=7bca4747&ref=shop_home_active_2

“Buttonbush
5 x 6 inches
Watercolor on Fabriano Hot Press
SOLD
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1318500245/original-watercolor-painting-buttonbush?click_key=f24f7649d7317fc42c19a9d7951b9b5884f25ffb%3A1318500245&click_sum=d04f1daa&ref=shop_home_active_1

You can also find prints of these paintings in my shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatalieWargin?ref=seller-platform-mcnav

Thanks so much for taking a look at what I’ve been up to.
It’s most appreciated!

A new Sampler In Colored Pencil

August 5, 2022 Natalie Wargin

I decided to do another colored pencil sampler, just to get back into the swing of things after my exhibit in Woodstock. These drawings done in the style of an old fashioned sampler are relatively quick for me to execute and they’re very satisfying when completed. I’ve titled this one “Everything.”

Just above the curve of the earth are the moon and stars in the night sky and the soft clouds and sun of a new day. In the hills white tailed deer graze, odd birds fly, a rabbit runs, a horse gallops. Somebody should repair that fence. The woman waters her wildly successful garden. Just get a load of the peonies. An old dog relaxes. I’ll bet the house is cozy. The shed seems in good repair and if you choose to sit and rest for a moment you can watch the turtle in the pond under the buttonbush. There’s a black bear near the tree. I have to think about him.
This is everything.

“Sampler #4, Everything”
19 x 22 inches
Prismacolor pencil on Stonehenge Drawing Paper
$400

I’m running a sale in my Etsy shop, 15% off any purchase. The sale runs from today, August 5 through Sunday, August 7.
This original piece of art is available here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1278990519/original-colored-pencil-drawing-country?click_key=82736205cf8f36676c849f1f380c14b46f89819f%3A1278990519&click_sum=852e91ca&ref=shop_home_active_1

Prints of this image are also available here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1265042630/art-print-original-colored-pencil?click_key=355b32be87acde1a1c3fa446a8713b5229ebfd6f%3A1265042630&click_sum=9f11c33f&ref=shop_home_active_1

Thank you for taking a look at what I’ve been up to. I appreciate it!

Eleven pieces and a pre-show sale

May 13, 2022 Natalie Wargin

This is the final piece for my show at the Woodstock Artists Museum and my third Peaceable Kingdom. You may have heard my sigh of relief when I finished it. Below are all the pieces I will display along with details and prices. If you want to buy a painting before the show let me know. Any work purchased before May 20 will be discounted by 15%.

Peaceable Kingdom #3 - All Around Us
Acrylic on claybord, 24 x 18 inches, framed
$2200

There are 32 creatures here, all sharing the woodland, existing nicely, just as it really is. The birds are busy, bluebirds and sparrows and owl and woodpecker. The black bear dozes while a pair of squirrels chatter, the turtle looks surprised by the snow, the fisher heads for her underground shelter, the coyote is almost invisible. The dancing horse feels the excitement of the cold. There’s a little fox next to the stone wall where a chipmunk sleeps and a crow complains as crows do. Deer rest, so does a cow. A raccoon gets cozy, and turkeys, geese, and a single pheasant scatter. In front of the house, where welcoming lights shine, a bunny rests. There’s a goat there too. A woman, who might be me, walks the snowy lane, watching the dog who is certainly my Tilly.

Tomato Garden
Acrylic on claybord, 24 x 18 inches, framed
$2200

Porcupines At Mohonk
Acrylic on claybord, 24 x 18 inches, framed
SOLD

The Letter
Acrylic on claybord, 24 x 18 inches, framed
$2200

Red Fox And Barn
Acrylic gouache on birch board, 18 x 12 inches
SOLD

Foxes At High Falls
Acrylic on claybord, 24 x 18 inches, framed
$2200

Maggie And The Goose
Acrylic on birch board, 24 x 18 inches
SOLD

Donkeys And Pears
Acrylic on birch board, 20 x 16 inches
$2000

Memento Mori
Prismacolor pencil on Stonehenge Drawing Paper, 28 x 18 inches, framed
$650

Meteor Shower And Bouquet
Prismacolor pencil on Stonehenge Drawing Paper, 22 x 18 inches, framed
SOLD

The Fight
Acrylic on birch board, 18 x 24 inches, framed
$2200

New Work and a PBS Interview

January 28, 2022 Natalie Wargin

Well, I’ve been keeping busy. This is a new painting featuring the monster tomato plant I grew this past summer. Just as I was finishing this piece I was contacted by WMHT, our local PBS station. Would I be interested in being featured on their show about the arts? Yes, I would.

First, a little about the interview. The producer/director and the camera woman came to my home, turned my living room into a sort of studio where the interview was filmed. Then we went to my work area in the basement where I was filmed while I painted. This was the hard part. The camera was almost literally on my shoulder. Good thing I’ve learned how to tune the world out when I need to. It’s a short piece and if you’d like to take a look here’s the link:
https://fb.watch/aLMWetGbjF/

Picture it, a single tomato plant that all but took over the front yard. She could never have known how perfect the conditions were for that little seed but all the warm sun, the good Hudson Valley dirt, and the careful watering created a wonderful monster. Here she is, her cozy house and peony hedge behind her, picking another basket full of tomatoes. There is abundant life all around. Birds are bickering, a chipmunk helps herself, a skunk has wandered in. And that very fast dog, who just can’t seem to help herself, is getting mighty close to that squirrel.

”Tomato Garden”
18 x 24 inches
Acrylic on Clayboard

I’ve reopened my Etsy shop and you can find prints of this image here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1154168238/tomato-garden-art-print-of-original?click_key=72bba725ab2f741b717dc5019fcda0489281b3cb%3A1154168238&click_sum=25d605b5&ref=shop_home_active_1&sts=1

Thank you for reading along.
If you have any comments on the interview, or anything really, I’d love to hear them.

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.

Hello! The shop’s open with new work!

March 19, 2020 Natalie Wargin

Hello again! Little did I realize when I was working on this bright piece that a splash of bold color might be just what we all need. Especially this spring. I hope you’re all taking care and keeping well.

You may remember that last year I put in a peony hedge. Surprisingly it was kind of a success. I cut some blooms, red ones and white ones, and took some photos to work from. Here I've featured only the red and deep pink flowers in a bouquet, and I will admit that in this painting I got a little carried away with red. I thought for a minute that I'd use up all of my red paint. I really worried a little. In the upper corner I opened a window for some relief and there was a pink house with an impatient woman in the window watching a very happy black dog. The woman might be me. I don’t recognize the dog.

“The Pink House”
12 x 16 inches, watercolor on Fabriano Hot Press.

Here’s a second piece finished just a week or so ago. The little yellow building is a Quaker chapel in the woods next to a trail. The trail, you can see it on the right, starts with a rocky section that's not difficult to negotiate unless it's rainy. Then be careful please.

The yellow chapel is sometimes used for weddings and is beautifully simple inside with benches arranged on the square, an open area in the center of them. Here are all of the woodland creatures I've grown accustomed to along with spring flowers -- day lilies, daffodils, fragrant mountain laurel.

I've added several foxes, mostly red, one gray. The grays are unusual here and after eleven years I've only seen one. Foxes are true survivors and should we finally destroy this planet of ours cockroaches and foxes will live on. Foxes are supremely adaptable. Social in a skulk or solitary they can live practically anywhere and they can eat practically anything.

“Fox Chapel”
18 x 24 inches, acrylic on board.

My Etsy shop is open again. I’ve added some new prints and some new originals and from March 19 through March 26 all prints and original work is 20% off.

You can find my shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatalieWargin

The “Red Peony” painting is here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/770512022/original-watercolor-painting-of-red?ref=shop_home_active_4

And the “Fox Chapel” painting is here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/785439255/original-acrylic-painting-woodland?ref=shop_home_active_7

Thank you for following along!

Let's Not Fight

December 18, 2019 Natalie Wargin

I heard a story from a hunter about two does who fought over an apple. How intriguing. The deer I see, and I truly see them every day, seem so docile and calm. I’ll occasionally hear one huffing a mild protest but an actual fight? I did some research and not only can you find photos you can also see fights in action. I was shocked and inspired. Here’s the result. It’s a blue sky day in autumn, the oaks are full of bright leaves and acorns. Chattering birds and a single leaping squirrel seem surprisingly uninterested in the situation below them. A quiet red fox walks out of the tree line. In the center two bucks are in a tangle. Is it a fight? Is it a dance? Do the two does figure into this situation? I’ll let you decide.

“The Fight.”
Acrylic on panel, 24 x 18 inches.

This image is available as a print in my shop. You can find it here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/762761807/art-print-original-acrylic-painting-of?ref=shop_home_active_1
Receive 20% off any order from December 18 through December 20.
My shop will close on December 21. Any orders received by the 21st will be filled.

Thank you all for your continued interest in my work. I wish you the most joyful of holidays!
See you in the spring!

A Walk on the Farm. A New Landscape Painting

September 27, 2019 Natalie Wargin

Most likely I don’t need to remind you that my paintings depict things that have actually happened or things that I’ve observed. Occasionally I throw in a detail simply for effect and there’s one in this piece. The lights in the tree. But as for the rest of it, here’s the story.

My sister and I took her little dog, Riley, down to Davenport’s farm. We walked in the hot afternoon sun past the barn and the rattle trap truck, past the white duck who is actually part of a different story, down the dusty fields and we took a left, turning where we’d never turned before. What we saw surprised us. A secret garden. Lush cool greenery, ferns and shadowy trees, a couple of chairs beside a small stream. We would have lingered but Riley was running as usual, past the lettuces and corn, worrying the rabbits, startling a couple of wild turkeys. It was a good afternoon.

“The Walk.”
Acrylic on birch board.
20 x 16 inches.
$1800.

This painting and prints of this image are available in my shop which is now reopened. In addition to free shipping on any order over $35 I’m also offering 10% off any purchase from today, September 27 through Monday, September 30.
You can find the painting here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/739384531/the-walk-original-acrylic-painting?ref=shop_home_active_2&frs=1
You can find the prints here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/739385835/art-print-original-painting-the-walk?ref=listing_published_alert

Thank you for taking a look at what I’ve been up to!

Peonies in Colored Pencil

July 26, 2019 Natalie Wargin

I may have mentioned that I have never had a green thumb. Garden success has always run in my family but I have had very little of it. My grandparents had a prolific flower garden behind their house. They also had a bountiful “Victory Garden” in a nearby plot shared with their neighbors following the second world war. My grandmother liked to tell me, as we toured her yard, about the beautiful gardens in Poland which inspired her. My mother always grew flowers. She got things to grow in the most unlikely places, a dizzying stand of purple irises right next to the garbage cans in the alley. My father had a postage stamp sized vegetable garden that gave an impressive yield. My sister has grown garlic commercially. And my brother in California, boastful thing that he is, loves to show us not only photos of his flowers and vegetables but also the system he designed that lets him water his plants from anywhere on the planet. By comparison I could get very little to thrive in my Chicago garden. But the times they are a-changing.

The Hudson Valley soil is rich. That must be a big part of it but my garden is definitely growing now. I have always wanted a peony hedge and when I found a sale a year ago, an offer I couldn’t refuse, I ordered ten roots. This spring I was rewarded. Not quite a full hedge yet but close and the blooms were impressive. Pinks and reds, including the color I love best, the pale pale almost white peony. This pencil drawing shows a bouquet of those flowers.

“Peonies.”
25’ x 19”
Prismacolor pencils on Strathmore drawing paper.
$275.

The original and prints of the image are available in my shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/720837001/peonies-original-colored-pencil-drawing?ref=shop_home_active_3&frs=1
https://www.etsy.com/listing/720835595/peonies-art-print-of-original-colored?ref=shop_home_active_4&frs=1

In addition to the new drawing I’ve also added some new greeting cards. You can find them here:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatalieWargin?section_id=14952051

I have made some changes to my shop, now offering free shipping always on any order over $35.
In addition to this I’m running a sale, 20% off on any purchase of any amount from Friday, July 26 through Monday, July 29.

Thank you for following along!

A New Kingdom and a Podcast

May 30, 2019 Natalie Wargin

“Peaceable Kingdom. The Animals” detail.

This piece has taken it’s sweet time coming into being. I was sidetracked by several matters that took me away from my work. But here finally is the finished painting. It features the animals that I see almost daily. That’s me on a very good day, jawline tightened, with faithful Maggie in the center beneath a surge of blackbirds. In real life I was caught beneath that surge one morning on the trail with a flock of one hundred blasting above me, nearly touching my head. It was breathtaking. Here is a calmer version. I appear to be releasing a blackbird into the spiraling flock, insinuating myself I suppose, into this impossible scenario. Blackbirds, coyote, deer, black bear, fisher, turkeys, pheasant, squirrel, skunk, fox, rabbit, chipmunk. You’ll recognize my house in the background. The question remains, why are they all on the move? I could get political and say it has something to do with the damage we’ve done to our natural world and the list of soon to be extinct species I’ve been hearing about. But I actually think those crazy birds just got everyone excited.

“Peaceable Kingdom. The Animals.”
Acrylic on board
24” x 18”
$1500.

A reader made a suggestion that I add an audio feature to this newsletter. I kind of liked the idea so here goes. I wrote several versions of a script, all of which I tossed. They sounded too stiff and in the end I decided to simply talk about what I see when I look at this painting. Although I’ve called this a podcast it technically isn’t, not yet. You won’t find it on iTunes although, if this goes well, who knows?

ETSY SALE! Get free standard shipping on any purchase from May 30 through June 3.
The painting and prints of the image are available in my shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/693860112/peaceable-kingdom-the-animals-original?ref=listing_published_alert

https://www.etsy.com/listing/693858252/peaceable-kingdom-the-animals-art-print?ref=shop_home_active_1

The Storm and A Show!

July 20, 2018 Natalie Wargin

A funny thing happened when I started this painting. The sky took over. I had every intention of showing a garden on a sunny blue sky day but, as you can see, that's not what happened. I've never before had the feeling that I wasn't completely in control of a piece. When my brush began making those dark churning clouds it crossed my mind that I could make the sky brighter and clearer but something kept me from doing it. In the end I was glad that I let the painting have its way.

So a storm is definitely coming. Trees are blowing sideways, blossomed branches are tossed, a curtain flies from a window, a bell on a gate rings and rings. Milkweed, ferns, wild roses, and spider wort are tangled. The stream is rushing into the pond and the ducks are having second thoughts about their swim. The deer are heading for shelter, a turtle seems to have found some. And if I know that dog she's about to be frightened when the thunder starts. The stone house looks safe and welcoming. I think someone's about to get dinner going.

"The Storm," acrylic on panel, 24" x 18". This painting has sold.

I have some news too. I have had three paintings accepted into a juried show at the Woodstock Artists Museum. The show is titled FOCUS: Surveying the Landscape. I'm very happy about this. It's the first juried show for me and my paintings. The show runs from July 21 through August 26. I'll be at the opening reception on Saturday, July 28 from 4 to 6pm. I'd love to see you if you happen to be in the area.

I have several new prints in my Etsy shop.
Everything is 20% off starting today, July 20, and running through Monday, July 23.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatalieWargin

Pink Tulips And An Attack

April 26, 2018 Natalie Wargin

Spring has been very slow in arriving here in the Hudson Valley. I know this is true of many parts of the country. But even if there's still snow on the ground it seems a sign when the market starts to sell tulips. I'm especially fond of the pale pink ones myself and I can never resist. In a way this is a reprise of an earlier watercolor of pink tulips and peepers; tulips in the foreground, the little frogs hanging on to the stems and leaves. But in this painting, beyond the flowers, is my rural landscape and a little drama that unfolded. Maggie was attacked by an angry Canada goose who came out of nowhere. Luckily Maggie escaped mostly unharmed. This is a true story.

As you can imagine the altercation between goose and dog got my heart racing. I'm working on a depiction. It will be the painting you'll see in the next installment of this newsletter. You can watch my progress on my Instagram page here:
instagram.com/nataliewargin/

The painting, "Pink Tulips and An Attack," and prints of this image are available in my Etsy shop.
You can find the painting here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/595821212/pink-tulips-with-peepers-and-canada?ref=shop_home_active_1

You can find the print here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/592033034/pink-tulips-with-peepers-art-print-of?ref=shop_home_active_2

I've added several more prints of past paintings to my shop as well.
And to celebrate the arrival of this very tardy spring there's FREE SHIPPING on every order from April 26 through
Wednesday, May 2. No code needed.

Meteor Showers. One more for the show.

October 30, 2017 Natalie Wargin

"Meteor Shower"16" x 20"Acrylic on panel$1800. — "Meteor Shower"
16" x 20"
Acrylic on panel
$1800.

A couple of years ago my husband and I decided to watch a juicy meteor shower that had been predicted. Coming from Chicago, with all of its ambient light, we'd never had an opportunity to do this. But the wide open skies of the valley gave us a good opportunity. Here's my depiction with some license taken. In reality this happened at 2 am on a frigid January morning. We bundled up and took blankets and quilts outside to lay on and wrap up in. Maggie took one look at this and walked right back inside. Here in the painting I've made the night a warmer one with turkeys bedding down in the trees and deer eating my plantings. In the sky is a ridiculous display of stars and flying meteors, a slight exaggeration.

This is the final piece for my show, number eleven. If you're interested in purchasing this painting please get in touch through the contact page or send me an email. And if you're near Gardiner, NY between noon and 2pm on November 18 stop by the Gardiner Library. I'm having a small reception and would love to meet you.

"One Morning" + FREE SHIPPING!

May 27, 2016 Natalie Wargin

That's my neighborhood to the left of the big tree. My house is the eyebrow colonial more or less in the middle. The one with the intelligent dog in the yard. This is what a cool spring morning is like. There's a bit of woodsmoke coming from the chimneys. A lot of rain has fallen, turning things that special early green and the blossoms are beginning to bloom. Along with the woodsmoke is the scent of wild pink honeysuckle. The dogwood is especially showy. There's a breeze tossing the trees a bit. The Catskills have my back, the sky above is overcast and cloudy. Maybe there will be more rain.

To the right of the big tree is a spot that Maggie and I discovered while walking in the woods behind our house. We like to follow the deer paths and on one particular day we came to a spot with seven indentations in the dry fallen leaves. I knew what it was as soon as I saw it, the place where the deer sleep. The deer were gone, of course, but I've added them here. All sleeping peacefully. All but the one keeping watch.

The topsy-turvy arrangement of the houses and barns on the left surprised me but it is accurate. I wasn't sure about that crazy blue fence and didn't think it would survive the painting but there it is. It's only an invention but it grew on me.

This is a 16" x 12" acrylic painting on cradled birch board.
It's available here in my shop:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/295064831/original-acrylic-painting-one-morning?ref=shop_home_active_1

For free shipping on any order use coupon code HAPPY
Code expires on May 31.

To see work in progress on this painting take a look at my Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/nataliewargin/