Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.

Searching In Storms

~ No canvas absorbs color like memory. ~ Robert Aris Willmottcc

Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans. ~John Lennon

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." Pablo Picasso

"Do not believe in miracles. Rely on them."

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly."

The Italian Job

This favorite painting of mine is still up for grabs.  I thought for sure it would be scooped up by one of my regular Etsy customers by now.   This holiday season is shaping up to be a good one for me after a slow start and for that I am very grateful. On another note,  my son Sam has been doing much better since he had  extensive dental work.  It breaks my heart ever time I think about how much pain he was in for months and being misdiagnosed as behavior problems!    I have recommitted my main focus to working on  his communication skills or lack of them.  We seem to always be starting over in that department. 

I feel energized and optimistic about 20011.  I can't wait to begin a new body of work.

Post Office~ I Love Lucy Style!

   Spending lots of time at the post office lately.  Don't get me wrong, that's a good thing.  I have been busy shipping prints and paintings of all different sizes to places as far as Australia.  However,   if you were to observe what goes on with me at the post office, you would think you were watching an I Love Lucy  episode. Since the post office has this great  flat rate box offer I actually have to pack up the items I am shipping right there!    Any given day you will find me there, looking for a pen that writes because I forgot my sharpie,  with packing tape stuck to my sweater, waiting in line to buy a box, then realizing that it isn't the right size, sealing up boxes without including the contents,  forgetting the shipping address at home, and buying way too much bubble wrap. 
BTW I briefly hired my son Max to take care of these duties so I could get to my real job PAINTING.   That was short lived when he came home with a $54.00 receipt for shipping one small painting !  He said yes to everything the post  office clerk offered about sending the package.  I don't have the patience and time to hire an assistant I guess.  
I am looking forward to 2011 and sharing all the new directions I am going with my work.  For now, it's back to the post office even though I know there is a better way.

Winner Of My Fine Art Giveaway is........

Karena has won my fine art giveaway.  She will be receiving this print matted and framed. 

                    Congratulations Karena and let me know where to send your print.  Catherine

Growing Pains

I decided to go in a more whimsical direction with this latest painting.     I wanted to bring together my love of interiors, textiles and nature (I know very Matisse like .)  You can make up your own story as you look at this seated woman.  She ended up looking a lot like my third oldest sister Susan in a way.  This was not my intent but it works for many reasons.

This painting is 11x14 .  stretched canvas.  For sale in my etsy shop

Story Of A Flower II

This is another variation of a painting I did a while back.  I wanted to mix my love of Middle Eastern and  Asian design within the flower.  This painting is 11x14 painted on stretched cotton and linen.  The sides have been painted so no frame is needed.  For sale in my Etsy shop

December Fine Art Giveaway/YOU CHOOSE

  

 This month's Giveaway will be an 8x10 fine art print matted and framed.  It's very simple to enter for a chance to win. 

  

 

  

1. Go to my Etsy shop  http://www.catherine47.etsy.com/  Choose which 8x10  print and title  you would like to win.      Look under section "8x10 prints".
2. Come back here to my blog http://catherinenolinfineart.blogspot.com/ and leave a comment telling me which print you would like to win.  That's it!

I will choose the winner by Google Randomizer on Monday December 13th.  Please leave an email address so that I can contact you  if you  should win. 
               

Partridge on an Orange Bench

This is my newest painting.  When I was in Sicily a year ago, my sisters and I were very lost down a old dirt road.  I actually saw a partridge just like this one in  a yard under an orange tree.  What a beautiful site.  this painting is 11x14 done on stretched cotton and linen.  the sides have been painted so no frame is needed. 

Resting Gardener

This was one of those paintings that I struggled with and kept making changes.  I almost gave up on it this morning but I am glad I stuck with it.  It's another small piece but says a lot.  8x10 on stretched cotton and linen  for sale in my etsy shop. 

Beyond The Veil

 Just in time.  My son Sam will be home starting tomorrow for five days so I am very glad I was able to finish "Beyond the Veil" this evening.  The colder it gets outside the more flowers I seem to paint.  Here I have combined some of my most favorite things.  This painting is 11x14 done on stretched cotton and linen.  The sides have been painted so no frame is needed.  For sale in my Etsy Shop.


Photo is a little tilted but the painting isn't!

The Tree Of Life II

This is my newest piece. Another variation on The Tree Of life. I have enjoyed every brush stroke, every minute of my time creating this painting. It's going to be difficult to part with this one. Although it 11x14 done on stretched cotton and linen I can visualize it much larger also. I could have gone on and on with detail and layers forever! I hope you enjoy looking at this special painting.

Tomorrow I will be posting a painting that I am very excited about. I actually have several customers who are interested in it. It's called the "Living Tree II." I was hoping to finish it today but was stuck in Boston traffic a lot longer than I thought I would be. Things have really started picking up in my Etsy shop which tells me the Holidays are a coming!

Sleeping Tiger

Just got back from a sister's weekend at the Cape. As many of you know I have five older sisters, and one younger brother. It was a year ago last week that we all went to Sicily, so we decided to have a reunion. I hate to sound cliche but I can't believe how quickly time goes by.

I began this small painting last week before I left and just now finished it. What can I say, I love cats especially tiger striped ones. We always had one growing up. Here I really wanted to work with multiple patterns and lots of contrast. This piece is 8x10 painted with acrylic paints on stretched cotton and linen. The sides have been painted so no frame is needed. For sale in my Etsy Shop.

Girl With Auriculas

This is my latest painting. This flower has been on my mind for a while. I decided to incorporate it into this small painting. 8x10 painted on linen and cotton. For sale in my Etsy Shop.

Winner Of My Fine Art Giveaway is........

Sorry I didn't post this yesterday but things have been crazy around here. The winner is Felicity from Gifts of Serendipity! I see that I have many new followers which is great however, the second step of the giveaway directions was to comment on a print from my Etsy shop. Unless you did both steps you were not entered in fairness to those who did.

Congratulations to Felicity and let me know where to send your print, "The Living Tree." Catherine

Abstract Eagle

This is my new painting. I got a little help from the Byzantine and Egyptian period here. I love the lines and shapes of birds. They can really pull off these colors and patterns. They make it easy. This painting is 11x14 for sale in my Etsy shop. Don't forget about my November giveaway. The drawing is the 10th! Thank you all for such lovely comments and encouragement. Catherine

November Fine Art Giveaway!

I can't believe it's November. Time for my fine art giveaway. This month I am doing things a little differently.

I am giving away an 8x10 fine art print of your choosing matted and framed!

1. Simply go to my Etsy shop and pick the print you would like to win. http://www.catherine47.etsy.com/

2. Become a follower if you haven't already.

3. comment on the print you would like to win.

I will pick the winner on November 10th by Google randomizer.

The Tree Of Life

Well, this isn't exactly the holiday design I mentioned in my last post. I often get side tracked and I'm glad. I started this painting early last week but was going back and forth working on my holiday card design and also a commission and feeling frustrated. Friday after a hike with my husband in the deep woods, and a little inspiration from my hero William Morris I was able to finish. This is my version of the "Tree Of Life" seen so often covering the walls in beautiful rooms. This painting is also a companion piece in a way to "Birds In Paradise" a painting I completed in the spring. 11x14 for sale in my ETSY shop.

Passion Flower

This is a new small painting I just completed of a passion flower. I find the structure and design of this flower totally amazing, I just had to paint one. A few things you might not know about them . The leaves are said to have an antidepressant affect. I know that looking at one has that effect on me! Another very interesting fact about the passion flower and it's relation to "The Passion" of Christ. The "Passion" in "passion flower" does not refer to sex and love, however, but to the passion of Jesus in Christian theology. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Spanish Christian missionaries adopted the unique physical structures of this plant, particularly the numbers of its various flower parts, as symbols of the last days of Jesus and especially his crucifixion:
• The pointed tips of the leaves were taken to represent the Holy Lance.
• The tendrils represent the whips used in the flagellation of Christ.
• The ten petals and sepals represent the ten faithful apostles (less St. Peter the denier and Judas Iscariot the betrayer).
• The flower's radial filaments, which can number more than a hundred and vary from flower to flower, represent the crown of thorns.
• The chalice-shaped ovary with its receptacle represents a hammer or the Holy Grail
• The 3 stigmas represent the 3 nails and the 5 anthers below them the 5 wounds (four by the nails and one by the lance).
• The blue and white colors of many species' flowers represent Heaven and Purity.

This painting is 8x10 painted with acrylics on stretched Cotton and linen. For Sale in my Etsy shop

This and that.

My painting, New Years Eve In NYC, was selected as" January" for Massachusetts General Hospital's Illumination's Calendar for 2011. This has prompted me to get going on a few new designs for the holidays and an Autism holiday card as well. I am also working on a new commission for a couple in Cape Elizabeth, ME who just bought a beautiful old farm house with many lonely walls. After receiving many requests for how to frame my paintings in my Etsy shop I decided to offer this service for a very small fee. I actually enjoy framing.

New paintings coming soon.............

The Queen's Chair

I just love the lines and style of this chair. I include it in many of my bigger paintings. We had a similar chair growing up but the fabric was pretty ugly! We also didn't have such a pillow. This painting is 8x10 painted with acrylics on stretched Cotton and linen. The sides have been painted so no frame is required. For sale in my Etsy shop today.

Good Bye Keeper Of The Shade

Never a dull moment at our house. This past weekend we woke to the sound of two huge limbs falling off our beloved oak tree . The two limbs that broke off this massive tree were trees themselves. We are fortunate that they fell away from our home and no one was hurt. However, my husband Scott was very sad when we were told the rest of the massive tree had to go.

It was more than just a big tree in our yard. It provided a beautiful canopy that made our fire pit cozy, where we would sit with friends and family, it was also the home of "Kevin" a feisty red squirrel (we named him that after someone he reminded us of) and who knows how many other animals and birds. It also provided a branch for Sam's swing and kept our house cool in the summer. The yard looks pretty bare and exposed now. Scott asked the tree people to leave the stump so we could use it as a table and a remembrance of our big oak tree.

But as usual , when a door closes a window always seems to open. We can look forward to actually growing vegetables next season with all the sun pouring in, and more light filling our home.

I will be posting a new painting hopefully today!

Anna is the winner of my Fine Art Giveaway!

Congratulations to Anna. I will be emailing you for info so that I can send you your framed print! Thanks for following me.

Check back for my November Giveaway soon!

The Italian Job

This is my latest painting. I have been wanting to do a piece that reflects my love of Italian opera. I have always loved classical music but only recently have I fallen in love with Opera music. To be honest I really don't know much about it except that I find it very moving and inspiring. This painting is 11x14 done on stretched cotton and linen. The sizes have been painted so no frame is needed.

October 17th Giveaway Winner announced.

Just a reminder that you have until Oct 17 at 10 am to leave a comment and be entered into my Giveaway! Winner receives this matted and framed 8x10 archival print of my original painting, "Dreaming of Italy."I have had a lot of interest in this giveaway on both Facebook and this blog! I will be posting a new, very exciting, painting this evening,( hopefully) Another Italian inspired piece! Ciao Bellas

Lily In The Valley

Growing up my Dad wasn't much of a gardener, or lawn care- taker for that matter. It just wasn't a priority. Even as a young child, I couldn't help noticing the golf course looking lawns on either side of ours. We had too much shade for grass to grow he would say. It's no wonder that when a patch of lilies of the valley (they like shade) came back every year in our yard, I was in awe of them.

I still love them along with their lovely fragrance and try to include them in my paintings often.

This new painting is 8x10 and the sides have been painted so no frame is needed. For sale in my Etsy shop. I am obviously crazy for peonies also, I hope to plant some next year in my yard if I can find a sunny spot since my yard is too shady~

When Sam smiles, all is right in my world.

Oct. 17th- is the date of my Giveaway drawing. You can comment here and on my fan page, "Catherine Nolin Art Studio" on Facebook to enter if you haven't yet. I have begun working on a group of new paintings. Tomorrow I will be posting one of them. I will try to add a new one or two every week in my Etsy shop, in between commission pieces. I want to have a good selection of reproductions and originals for the holiday season this year.

I am looking forward to Monday, tomorrow. We had a good weekend with Sam. He was happy full of smiles and eye contact. When Sam is good it's like getting the "okay" to paint.

October Giveaway Time!

With my outdoor art show schedule coming to an end, I can get back to more painting and posting and monthly giveaways. I am posting my Giveaways on Facebook so there's a bit more competition now. This month I am giving away a signed archival reproduction, matted and framed of this original painting, "Dreaming Of Italy". Simply leave a comment and you will be entered to win. Drawing is Oct. 17th. Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you if you should win! Thanks for all your lovely comments and support, Catherine

Cool, Clear and Dry~ Bring it on!

The rain, wind and cloudy skies are leaving. I am looking forward to a glorious autumn weekend in Pound Ridge, New York at the "Pound Ridge Fine Arts and Crafts Show." I don't think I could take another day of the humidity considering my hot flashes are every 20 minutes. Two of my newest paintings will not be making the trip since they have found new homes in both North Carolina and Texas.

If you happen to live in the area (Westchester County) hope you will stop by and say hello.

Oh Suzani

You would think since I have two son's who are both artists and excellent photographers (one is a film maker) that I would have amazing photographs of my work. Instead like the Little Red Hen, I just do it myself. I spend, waste so much time, trying to take good photos of my paintings because I know how important is. I just don't feel like taking the time to learn the proper way because I am more interested in painting. I know I am not alone when I say this. Maybe it's my camera? Anyway, this new painting holds a special place in my heart. I just love everything about it. It's 11x14 painted on stretched cotton and linen.

Starting next week, I will be posting more often now that my summer show season is over.

Also I will be posting my GIVEAWAY here and on my Facebook fan page.

Lady Elaine

A mixture of ideas that all came together in this new painting, "Lady Elaine." I actually knew an Elaine who was in some ways a mentor to me in my mid 20's . She had a great sense of style and really enjoyed the finer things in life. She must be well into her eighties now. This painting is 11x14.

Chinoiserie Bouquet

This is one of two new paintings I've been working on. Ever since returning from my show in NYC I have been caught up with surface texture and depth of color. I've been doing a lot of experimenting which is why I haven't posted anything new until now. I am very excited about my next series of paintings. I feel as though I am reaching a new stage in my work! As long as the doors keep opening~ I am gratefully walking through them! Chinoiserie Bouquet is 8x10 painted on stretched cotton and linen and will be for sale in my Etsy shop.

October 2nd and 3 rd I will be showing my work in beautiful Pound Ridge New York, (Westchester County) at the "Pound Ridge Fine Art and Craft Show."

Special Offer

I very much enjoy selecting the frames for my paintings. Over the years I have found what compliments my work and looks best. Since opening my Etsy shop I began gallery wrapping my paintings and painting the sides so they didn't need a frame. I will continue to offer gallery wrapped pieces in my Etsy shop but I am also offering a select few pieces FRAMED. These are beautiful complimentary frames. Most of them are solid wood, antique gold. I have only increased the shipping cost slightly to cover the increase in weight.