I painted this from a photo by Sister Mary Seton Schlather, SND; she has a great eye for glory.
A small figurine was the inspiration for this.
I do not know if chickadees would really shelter in Juniper trees, but I put the two together for interest sake.
I have worked on this painting for many months with an off and on approach. It is one way to try to keep things fresh!
Someone saw my smaller image of this and asked for a larger size. It is all painted and ready to go, but I have not yet heard from the potential buyer who lives across the Atlantic.
Mr. and Mrs. Barn Swallow out and about their business.
I received a few commissions in the last month or so, and this was one. It will be shipped to its destination in another week. This request taught me how beautiful the barn swallows really are, and when I found pictures of the babies, I just could not resist putting them in. Messy birds? Yes, but aren’t we all?
It looks like so much fun…it is on my bucket list if at first I do not kick it.
I am Sister Maresa Lilley, a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame, located in Chardon, Ohio, USA. For many years, I have enjoyed a passion that permits me to reflect upon simple reality with a brush in hand. To capture a simple essence on canvas and to discover inherent beauty is a daily immersion. While busy with teaching, or administration, or other various roles of my past, I found the quiet pursuit of pushing creamy oil paint into some kind of meaningful arrangement a soulful refreshment. I hope that through this blog, you also can enjoy a fresh look at grace and charm in the ordinary.
The Sisters of Notre Dame of Chardon, Ohio, belong to an international congregation of more than two thousand apostolic women religious. We are one in mind and one in heart for the transformation of the world in Christ. 