Before February Escapes

 

Here is a favorite painting of mine made a couple of years ago, right before the Covid times we all found ourselves in.  This small painting was inspired by a neighbor's magnolia tree and the white crowned sparrows in our own back garden.

It sold at the small show I had at Gallery 113 in Santa Barbara.  It's one of my all time favorite paintings.  I am fond of magnolia trees because of all the stages they go through, the buds, the blossoms, the bright red seeds, the ants that like to live inside them and the glossy leaves with their soft brown underbellies.

This month is nearly over and signs of spring are appearing in our front and back gardens.

In the front the almond tree, Vincent, is blooming. He's an old tree but he sure puts on a show once a year.  He has beautiful gray and wrinkly bark, and with the pink blossoms he's a stunner.  No, he doesn't produce almonds anymore. The apricot trees are nearly ready to bloom, in fact they are teasing with one or two blossoms. I really look forward to the apricots every year.

I'm proud to announce that I applied to and have been accepted into The Ojai Studio Artists, a group of professional artists, who host Second Saturday open studios as well as the big 3 day event in October when the whole group welcome visitors to their studios.

In the studio I have just finished 3 new paintings! 2 of them will be available during my Second Saturday open studio on April 9, from 10-3.  I'll be opening my own studio to visitors and so will other OSA artists in my vicinity, about a dozen of us or so. Right across the street from me is Elaine Unzicker who meticulously joins metal rings to create jewelry, bags and apparel.  

For more information on this go to https://www.ojaistudioartists.org. Sign up for their email list to be notified about our open studio events and other OSA news. 

For cards and prints of the above painting and other botanical themed work of mine please visit my etsy shop: LisaSkyheartMarshall.etsy.com