Spring Bouquet in the Dead of Winter

April 3, 2015 Natalie Wargin

I received a bouquet of gorgeous spring flowers in the middle of February. They couldn't have been more welcome since we here in the northeast were struggling with the freezing gray winter that would not end. As you can see, the bouquet was very colorful and it fell into a very pretty arrangement, thankfully -- I'm not much good at floral arrangement myself. I used my most colorful vase too, a majolica carrot pitcher actually. The flowers lasted about a week but I'd taken a few snaps and, as winter continued to hold on, I decided they needed a longer life. So, the painting. I added a few of the funny green caterpillars I see sometimes. They're in there somewhere.

This is an original watercolor and gouache painting of a bouquet of spring flowers. It's 9.5 x 12 inches (24 x 30 cm). It's available in my Etsy shop along with prints of the image. Find them here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/228382184/watercolor-original-spring-bouquet?ref=shop_home_active_1
https://www.etsy.com/listing/228385231/art-print-original-watercolor-spring?ref=shop_home_active_2

Bluebirds in a country setting

March 13, 2015 Natalie Wargin

There are bluebirds here in the Hudson Valley. They appear to be resident and they are not in the least bit unusual. I clearly remember the first time I saw them flitting around my yard. Although I'd never seen a bluebird in my life I recognized them immediately, what else could they be? They looked like the little birds that dressed Sleeping Beauty and I felt like I might have fallen into a Disney special. They are quiet little birds, extremely blue with peach breast feathers. I first saw them in the spring and was surprised to still see them when the weather turned very cold. The silly phrase "bluebird of happiness" comes to mind. They are pretty and bright and not obviously aggressive like other birds I could name. So if they are a good omen, and why not think so, I'm glad they stick around all year long.

The image above is a 9 x 12 inch (23 x 30cm) watercolor and gouache painting.
It's available here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/225343590/original-watercolor-painting-bluebirds?

The images below are small studies for "Bluebirds in a Country Setting."
They are also watercolor and gouache, 6 x 6 inches (15 x 15cm). They are available here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/222544043/watercolor-painting-original-bluebird-in?ref=listing-shop-header-2

https://www.etsy.com/listing/222538885/watercolor-painting-original-bluebird-in?ref=listing-shop-header-3

And as a hurrah that Spring seems to finally be making an appearance please use this code to take 15% off any purchase in my shop: SPRING15
Code is good until Friday March 20.

"Bluebird in Summer."  Study for "Bluebirds in a Country Setting." — "Bluebird in Summer." Study for "Bluebirds in a Country Setting."

"Bluebird in Winter."  Study for "Bluebirds in a Country Setting." — "Bluebird in Winter." Study for "Bluebirds in a Country Setting."

Bears in my yard...again

February 19, 2015 Natalie Wargin

This is a new painting of three bears in my front yard. I've titled it "Maggie" because of the dog standing near the red barn. Maggie, as it turns out, is pretty smart, especially for a very nosey dog. I've never known a dog so interested in absolutely everything but she knew better than to investigate the bears. The mother bear was very aware of Maggie, standing at one point and staring right at her. For some reason I wasn't particularly concerned but I did keep an eye on the dog from the side of the house, ready to grab her and dash in the house if I had to.

This is a watercolor and gouache painting, 11 x 14". The painting itself and prints of the painting are available in my Etsy shop. You can find them here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/222738890/watercolor-painting-original-maggie-dog
https://www.etsy.com/listing/221113089/art-print-original-watercolor-maggie-dog?ref=shop_home_active_1

Juneberry Lodge, Alaska

February 5, 2015 Natalie Wargin

An old friend and client contacted me recently. We worked together for many years in Chicago. Time passed; Marcia moved to Seattle and I moved to New York. We kept in touch and life moved along. Now she and her husband are moving to Homer, Alaska. Alaska! They bought a B&B which they have named the Juneberry Lodge, a nod to both the Juneberry bushes surrounding the lodge and to the former owner, a woman named June, of course. Marcia contacted me about designing their logo and this is what developed.

If you're ever in Homer check out the Juneberry Lodge. It's a sweet place, Marcia and Mannfried are warm and welcoming, and, yes, those are moose in the yard!

Rain... A New Painting

January 29, 2015 Natalie Wargin

I see this scene often, either while running or walking Maggie. The property is on the market and I wish someone would buy it and bring in some cows. Nice black ones. Or spotted ones. There are other dairies in this area so why not? Maybe the parcel is too large or the barns too outdated. The geese love it though. Year after year they return to their spot with the pond, as geese will. Once I had a job in Chicago chasing geese with a border collie, trying to make them feel insecure enough to move away from the golf course or the botanic garden. "Goosing" would be frowned upon here. These ochre colored buildings are especially beautiful and unusual in shape and color, even for this barnish valley. These are the same barns that appear in "Winter Barns with Geese." The barns may be the same but the weather has changed. The wind is kicking up, the trees and the flowers in the foreground are being tossed. One of the geese is edgy. It's starting to rain.

Prints of this watercolor and gouache painting are available in my Etsy shop.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/216293938/art-print-watercolor-painting-original?ref=shop_home_active_1

New Work -- Circle Avenue, Kingston NY

January 19, 2015 Natalie Wargin

I was in the Stockade sitting at the bar having a glass of red. A woman sat down next to me. We struck up a conversation and when I told her where I lived she said we were practically neighbors. She said she lived on Circle Avenue, very close. I'd never heard of Circle Avenue. It turns out Circle Avenue is a couple of miles from me, circular, and completely charming. The houses are close together at odd angles, painted an assortment of colors. It feels cozy and private. I think it might be nice to live there. I saw dogs but the goats are invention. Or maybe a suggestion.

The painting is 6 x 6 inches (15 x 15 cm), watercolor and gouache on board.
It's available in my Etsy shop.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/216656451/watercolor-painting-original-circle

What happens in my front yard

January 8, 2015 Natalie Wargin

"Front Yard"

"Front Yard" detail

"Front Yard" detail

"Front Yard" detail

Black bears are one of the wonders around here. My first spring I saw a mother and a cub walking up the ridge behind the house. Everyone I told said the same thing: "Never get between a mother bear and her cub!" I may be a city girl but seriously? Since that first spring I've seen bears here and there, most recently a very large male standing next to the garage eying my thankfully oblivious dog who was goofing around in the driveway.

The bears that I've encountered seem relaxed and unfazed. Admittedly this happens at what feels like a safe distance although I'm sometimes close enough to get a good look. They are large and dark and powerful & totally intriguing. And very likely to run off at the sight of me.

Bear hunting is allowed here during a specified time. I have a neighbor who killed one last fall and hung it from a tree right next to the road. Out for my morning run I glanced to the side and saw the bear hanging there. I could have reached out and touched it. I jumped a foot in the air and continued on, sad and unsettled.

The painting is 6 x 6 inches (15 x 15 cm) on board.
It's available in my Etsy shop.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/216295300/watercolor-painting-original-front-yard?ref=shop_home_active_1

Zines! Workshop & Gallery Show

December 11, 2014 Natalie Wargin

Last month I attended a "Zine" workshop at Roos Gallery, a nice little gallery in my town of Rosendale. There were two artists instructing us in various ways of folding, assembling, writing and printing our zines. They also told us about the history of zines that started out as "Fanatic Magazines", primarily produced on photocopiers by fans that followed rock bands and wanted to help promote them. Heige Kim, who owns and operates Roos Gallery, put out a call for entries for a December "Zine" show. All would be exhibited and all would be for sale. Perfect timing for interesting Christmas shopping.

Last weekend the "Zine "show opened with dozens of entries created by dozens of artists. The creative community has embraced the zine and they're not just about favorite rock bands anymore -- they covered personal philosophy, poetry, illustrations, cartoons, favorite quotes and more. They were simple, complicated, photocopied, computer generated, professionally printed, hand painted, stapled, stitched, colorful, and simple black & white. It was a wonderful show. My entry is shown above, my "Weeds" paintings put to a new use.

New work + Holiday Sale

November 27, 2014 Natalie Wargin

This is a new painting, watercolor & gouache, that gives a nod to the ever wonderful crow and to a pattern that I designed a while back. I've been thinking for a while about incorporating my patterns into some of my paintings. I'm never sure how things will work and I have already destroyed one painting that I did with a pattern -- an utter disaster. The blue birds were promising but somehow the rest got away from me. That's okay. I've had many casualties and I may resurrect the blue birds someday. Anyway, the pattern I referenced in Fritillarias & Crow is shown below.

This painting measures 11 x 14 inches. Ta-da! Twice as large as my usual work. The painting itself and prints of the image are available in my Etsy shop.

Happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating today. I'll spend mine with my family, doing all the things we usually do: taking a hike, playing some games, eating a little too much, watching a movie.

A little gift for all of you -- a code for 20% off any purchase in my shop.
It's good until December 1st.
TAKE20

https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatalieWargin

Winter barns and geese

November 21, 2014 Natalie Wargin

These are the most beautiful barns. It's a dairy operation and a big one at that. The two main barns are a soft ochre, a bit unusual in this area of ox blood painted or natural wood. There are several other buildings, newer additions and not so picturesque. They didn't make the cut. There's a small pond that usually hosts some geese; two adults and goslings in the spring. By the fall the babies are grown. This is home for this family. Geese will return to the same nesting place pretty much forever. Oh, it's snowing.

This is a new painting. It's 6 x 6 inches, watercolor and gouache on board. It's available in my Etsy shop.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatalieWargin

A couple of barns that caught my eye

November 12, 2014 Natalie Wargin

On Sunday mornings I usually meet some friends for a hike at the Poet's Walk in Red Hook. I drive across the Hudson River into Dutchess County and turn on to one of the prettiest roads ever, River Road. On my right are orchards belonging to Migliorelli Farm and on my left is a breathtaking farm. Atalanta Farm. The buildings are very well kept -- can you see the detail under the roofs? I had to stand at a distance since the gate was closed. There are other buildings and the fields are lovely. Maybe I can get more pictures another time.

This is a much more modest barn that Maggie and I frequently pass on the trail at lunchtime. It's beautiful too; I like to think it's American Chestnut. It has an interesting feature that you can just about make out. Above the window is a board with the word "PLESASANT" on it.
How sweet is that?

These dairy barns are right up the road from me. There are several more buildings and some nice sheds on the property too. Anyone interested in dairy farming? This parcel is on the market. It would be so nice with some cows, don't you think?

This area is full of wonderful old barns in all kinds of conditions. Even the ones that are down on their luck and falling apart are somehow kind of romantic. I'll make a point of photographing more of them. And I really need to start adding them to my watercolors.

One Snapping Turtle, Two Bags of Mulch

October 16, 2014 Natalie Wargin

It was a drizzly August day when I spotted the snapping turtle in the driveway. I watched her on and off for most of the morning and into early afternoon. She was looking for something, circling the lawn and then always coming back to the side of the driveway where I had a couple of bags of mulch sitting. She was beautiful and big and her back was covered with patches of moss. I took a few pictures. I figured she was looking for a place to lay her eggs, having heard the previous summer from my neighbors that that's what happens. Female turtles come up from the marsh behind the house and lay their eggs. That was only part of the story.

I was surprised to see the turtle finally burrow her way under the bags of mulch. I was impressed by her strength but I questioned her judgement. She stayed there for some time and then left, heading back down to the marsh. What had happened? Did she lay her eggs? And if she did, why did she leave? Don't turtles stay sitting on their eggs until they hatch? Sometimes I'm such a city girl.

I went outside once I was sure the turtle had gone and took a look. I didn't move the bags but I could see from the side that she had made a neat mound of dirt underneath and there, in the side of the mound, was a perfect hole. I figured the eggs were in the mound and the hole was for the baby turtles escape when they hatched. I put a fence of plastic mesh around the mulch bags to try to protect the eggs.

I never saw any baby turtles hurrying down to the marsh but I didn't think that meant anything. I wasn't watching the nest 24-7. However, last weekend, when I finally moved the bags of mulch, all I saw was an empty hole. No shells, no sign at all of new turtles.
What happened? I'd love to know.

The top image is my watercolor of a snapping turtle and a button plant. You can find it here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/171512417/art-print-watercolor-button-plant-and?ref=shop_home_active_3

And for you, gentle readers, a code, good for 15% off any purchase in my Etsy shop:
AUTUMN15
Expires 10/20

https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatalieWargin

No more weed paintings for a while

September 23, 2014 Natalie Wargin

I'm pretty sure there are weeds like these everywhere -- weeds that resemble wheat. They don't look like anything special until they bloom and go to seed. Then there's a wild explosion of tangled tendrils and yellow seeds that look like a party skirt. As for the chipmunk, he lives under my screen porch. I see him everyday filling his cheeks and keeping an eye on me for any sudden movements. I sit at my table painting or drawing and watch him through the patio doors as he stands up really tall, looking for who knows what. Sometimes he just sits and admires the trees. So smart.

This is the last of my "Weeds" series for now. I've been working on a calendar that will feature weed paintings and , ta da!, I've got twelve.

This painting is available in my Etsy shop.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/204003488/watercolor-painting-original-chipmunk

I have a very infrequent newsletter that features new items in my shop as well as special offers and discounts. You can sign up here:
http://eepurl.com/UY5MD

The Weed Paintings Continue -- Queen Anne's Lace

August 26, 2014 Natalie Wargin

There's a lot of Queen Anne's Lace along the road these days. I started photographing it as reference for this series of weed paintings and only then noticed that many of the flower heads have a single deep purple flower right in the center. Apparently there's some legend about a lace making contest among a queen's handmaids and a pricked finger and a drop of blood of course. But the thing that surprised and somewhat dismayed me is that I'd never noticed the purple flower before. I've seen these weeds forever and had simply never noticed.

Prints of the painting and the painting itself will appear in my Etsy shop sometime soon.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatalieWargin

More weeds, the series continues

August 19, 2014 Natalie Wargin

I continue to work on a series of weed paintings. When I was growing up on the southeast side of Chicago, in a new neighborhood with new homes and prairies, I saw a lot of milkweed and never thought about it one way or another. But I have, over the years, come to see the beauty of milkweed. It's a striking plant with tight clusters of fragrant pinkish mauve flowers and then, later, interesting seed pods. A friend told me that she takes the flowers and puts them in a bowl, kind of a potpourri. Here's my take on milkweed. Prints of this painting and the painting itself will show up in my Etsy shop soon.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatalieWargin

New Paintings, New Prints!

August 1, 2014 Natalie Wargin

Today I've listed some new paintings and prints in my Etsy shop. Several of the paintings are part of a series I'm working on, a series of "Weeds." I'm enjoying this topic. There are so many pretty, interesting weeds just about anywhere you look. Besides just looking at the weeds along the roadside and at the many, many in my own yard, I'm learning some things. For instance, I never noticed that Queen Anne's Lace has a single deep purple blossom right in its pure white center.
Stop by and see what's new!
I'm offering free shipping on any order through August 15. Use this code at checkout:
FREESHIP

https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatalieWargin

New Painting! Deer Crossing the Swamp

July 11, 2014 Natalie Wargin

One recent evening I looked out my bedroom window and saw a small group of deer crossing the swamp in the forest behind my house. They moved leisurely, walking through the shallow water, moving up the ridge to the spot where they sleep. Maggie and I discovered the spot a couple of winters ago. In the winter I feel less concerned about ticks and more inclined to explore the woods. I'm sure that's where they were headed.

This is a new painting. The painting and prints of this painting will be available in my Etsy shop soon.

Columbines, a new painting

July 1, 2014 Natalie Wargin

I like to pick flowers that are growing wild along the road. I'm not real careful about how I arrange them, I just like some color on my window sill. These flowers separated themselves into yellows and purples which I liked and decided to paint.

Prints of this painting will be appearing in my Etsy shop soon.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatalieWargin

My Studio Companion, Maggie

June 23, 2014 Natalie Wargin

This is Maggie. Don't ask me what kind of dog she is -- your guess is as good as mine. I sometimes call her my North American Shelter Hound. I found her on the internet. She had been confiscated from an abused litter and was recovering from surgery to correct a hole in her heart, the same thing my husband was recovering from. That was almost ten years ago. She is a true dog and my constant companion. Sometimes I'm so lucky.

A New Watercolor! "Riot"

May 29, 2014 Natalie Wargin

This is an original watercolor and gouache painting of a sweet little shed and a "Riot" of springtime growth in the woods.

There's a little structure that I can see through the trees as I run the trail in the morning. It's beyond the woods a bit in an open field that's just been planted with who knows what. These days, with all the springtime foliage, it's harder to see but I still love to catch a glimpse. Here's a picture of what I see: a lush green carpet, the amazing Jack-in-the-Pulpits, and, of course, all the trees that almost hide the little folly.

The actual paper size is 9 x 12 inches (23 x 31 cm) with the 7.5 x 9.5 inch (19 x 24 cm) painting centered on it. The paper is 140# Fabriano 100% cotton watercolor paper, smooth finish. The painting is signed and titled on the front.

You can find this painting in my Etsy shop:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/190807739/original-watercolor-painting-springtime

Use code SPRING15 for 15% off any purchase through June 15.