It feels like a Saturday yet it's a Thursdays.  It's been almost 3 weeks since my mother left us.  The night before she died, I had Sam  face-time her and although neither Sam not my mother could speak I felt they both connected one final time.  My sister Deb was there to hold the phone for my mother and she opened her eyes several times.  It's so hard to believe she is really gone.  I still live in the town we grew up in and everything reminds me of her.  She loved looking at my paintings and always acted surprised when I told her that I  sold one- as though it was my first! Painting is the only thing that keeps me from thinking about her or anything for that matter.  I am so glad it works that way for me at least.  Everyone says  "TGIF  "  I say TGIM  Thank God It's Monday.  I am working on a variety of new pieces some on small canvas squares which I am really enjoying.  I have a few still lifes in the works as well as beautiful interesting women, animals and interiors.  

Happy Independence day 2020.  

Waiting for the paint to dry.

 Between not being able to bring our son home on the weekends and not seeing my mother weekly, you would think I would be writing  more blog posts.     The truth is,  I am painting a lot more and my online print shop is busier than ever,  so here I am literally waiting for a few layers of paint to dry on my latest pieces.  Yes, I am painting two at once !
 A little update, Maxwell has moved to Belfast Maine where he is doing terrific with a long wait list for portraits. I am so proud of him and he now gives me painting tips.  Zachary is fortunate to be riding out the virus with his wife in beautiful Scarborough Maine.  Since he is also an artist he can work from anywhere.   Sam is actually doing pretty wonderful as well.  We though not coming home would have a real negative impact on his overall being, but he has been great with no meltdowns or sickness.  I am truly grateful that my mother, soon to be 92 has come out of a series of infections and now appears to be improving dramatically.  My heart goes out to all those suffering from this terrible virus and their loved ones.  I feel for all the small businesses and jobs affected as well.   Art might not be essential but film, literature, television, music, visual art, are certainly helping me get through this time.  Take care.
Catherine     

It's been a while......

When it rains it pours! I have been working on so many projects that I am not painting on my own work as often as I would like. Lots of commissions lately.  My print business has been really taking off and I find myself needing a larger space but I so love working from home.  My mother (soon to be 92)  has been moved to Kennebunk Maine to be closer to my three older sisters as she  has been declining both mentally and physically. I try to see her once a week .   At the same time,  Sam has been going through another rough patch but is starting to get better.    I am so grateful for that.

 This new painting was inspired by a family  I came across on Instagram.    The mom  posts such wonderful everyday  scenes of life with 6 children! I am from a family of  seven BTW.  I was totally inspired by their amazing old world shabby chic home. in England.   This piece "Family Portrait" is 20x16 painted on a cradled wood panel with painted sides.  It would make a great mother's day gift.  

Thanks for looking and have a nice day today.  

What I'm working on.

  I am still dreaming about our trip to Italy.  One of the most beautiful places EVER.   Having Max there, touring his program and meeting some of his new friends, made the trip very special.  I am already seeing an evolution in his paintings.
   I was so inspired and overwhelmed by the beauty at every turn.  It was the attention to detail in the most humblest of places that pretty much blew me away.  The churches, the little towns, the jaw-dropping Tuscan landscape and of course the amazing food.  I have come away from that experience with a desire to  slow things down in my life and in my work, (if possible).  I am interested in increasing texture and color combinations and finding the light both literally and spirituality . 










 

My last painting

Tomorrow, God willing, I will be wrapping up this new painting that I am quite excited about.  This is just a cell phone shot,  which doesn't capture the detail, shadows and depth of colors .   We leave a week from Thursday (my birthday)  for Italy! We will be visiting my son Maxwell in Florence and then off to Chianti as well as Cinque terre.   Scott and I have never traveled so far together because  of Sam but my awesome oldest son will hold down the fort for the time we are away.   

 This is my last painting for a while.    I wanted to create a  classic interiors with a favorite narrative. I have put many long hours into this painting I've lost track.  Some of the furniture is from Get The Gusto ~an amazing shop of art, objects and furniture in Florida.  

Thanks for stopping by.  Catherine 

Peacock Place and Hide and Seek 2 new paintings

Lately I have been living vicariously through my son Max's time in Florence Italy.  He is there taking an intensive workshop at the Florence Academy Of Art learning the old masters techniques.  He calls me everyday on his way home to discuss what he has learned.  I am so proud and excited for him during this once in a life time experience.  I cannot wait to visit in October and see for myself! 

I am enjoying working in these rich jewel tones.  I am a huge fan of 16th and 17th century classical still life paintings especially Dutch .  I see both of these pieces in a baroque style gold frame.  

I have had quite a few calls for more Tree Of Life paintings but I can only paint them when I feel inspired to do so.  They are coming but at the right time.  Thanks for looking and stay tuned! 

Enjoy the fall foliage.   

www.catherinenolin.org  

  

Hide And Seek- 14x18 still life

   My classic still life .  I worked on this piece a lot longer than I anticipated but I am so excited with the results. The colors are so rich, luminous  and  lovely.  I was so excited that I forgot to crop the left side I see! Anyway, so far this fall I am so busy and grateful with work .  Max leaves for Florence Monday for 3 months to study at The Florence Academy of Art and in about 4 weeks Scott and I will be visiting him.  I am also grateful for my son Zach and his wife Kayla who will be looking after Sam when we go.  

I have so many ideas in the works and wish I had more time to execute.  

Your life can change in an instant.

I think about that all the time.  In  both a good way and bad.  Just when we thought Sam has coming out of a difficult period things got worse. I was heart broken and at a lost for answers as to why he was suffering so much.  He is slowly coming around but something has changed and we need to go back and see many specialists to rule out G.I., orthopedic, etc.  so far dental has been taken care of.

I am so grateful for such a loving family full of support and hands on help as well as a wonderful staff at Sam's residence who truly care. 

I am hopefully back in the studio Monday about to continue working on some custom work I began before Sam's problems began.  No matter how hard life can be you can always find ways to be grateful.
 

On my easel

I am working on a large expressive piece that pretty much sums up what's going on.  These are all echoes of my mind.  It's evolved quite a bit from last week but I got some inspiration from some of my favorite artists.  This photo was taken with my phone in poor light but I think you get the idea! It's 24x36  For those who are interested -I plan on finishing up tomorrow. Thanks for looking

The week it's been

 I am feeling more and more optimistic as each day arrives  after a very difficult crisis weekend with Sam.  We didn't see it coming and just when we thought things were under control they escalated again.   I began to feel somewhat numb, indifferent because we couldn't figure out what was wrong with him.  His pain was heartbreaking.  -The absolute worst feeling which I haven't experienced in years as a parent of a nonverbal autistic now adult in uncontrollable distress.
Around Wednesday we were able to turn things around and I am grateful for all the help and prayers and positive vibes from everyone around us. It truly takes a village!  As bad as that whole experience was for  our son, many lessons were learned and some already strong bonds were now forever cemented.  Today I am back in the studio finishing up a few pieces I had begun last week.

What I'm working on

 I have been working on two pieces lately, going back and forth from one to the other.  One is 11x14 and the other is 14x18.  Sam will be starting horseback riding therapy(hippo-therapy)  which I am excited about since finding ways for him to exercise is challenging.  Of course one of my new pieces includes, you guessed it,  a horse!  The other is a sort of fatherhood theme but not what you think!
It's funny how a lot of my ideas, bringing objects together is subconscious initially and then
full of synchronicity! Next week we head to Scarborough Maine for a short vacation/ family reunion of sorts so I hope to wrap up my two pieces before we leave. 

The sun is so bright shining through my studio window I can hardly see, but so happy it  is warmer and not raining.  Today we pick up Sam for the day and Scott will bring him to see my mother as he always does at the nursing home.  It's the highlight of her day, life I suppose.  She tells him the same story of the three little pigs, even though he is twenty five  now, as always.  I am grateful she is still here at 91 mother of seven.  Looking forward to getting back to work in the studio  next week before vacation begins! 

Begin Again

 After each painting that I complete I am excited to begin again!  I never have trouble finding inspiration.  It seems to be everywhere for me lately. The picture of Max my son and my sister Joyce was taken at  The Cloisters in New York.  An amazing place which helped inspired me to paint my angel. 
 Today is 60 degree  but the sun has only made a few appearances so far.  I began my day cooking Sam's food for the next several days since he is on a highly specialize diet that only I can properly prepare but I've started writing it down in case I am unable to at my husband's request!  It's a time consuming task, cooking 95% off all the food he eats at his residence but I wouldn't have it any other way. It works and I have it down pretty well.  I just can't seem to cook for my husband and myself!
Going forward, I am starting  a still life with some interesting features.    I also plan on another Tree Of Life  and a piece with a piano again sometime soon.   I am excited to paint now that I've shipped all my print order and paintings for the week.  I love my studio time. 

A village of Angels.

It's been quite a while since I have written anything here.  Things have been so crazy- busy in a good way, but I've missed blogging about my work and how it relates  to my life .  It's funny how paintings and ideas evolve for me which are not planned out but end up making perfect sense!  It's as though something out there, something greater,  is at work shaping things, or at least I 'd like to think so!  A few years ago I painted an angel which I believe resides in China, when Sam was going through a profoundly difficult time.  I was beside myself with anxiety and pain for what he was going through because I was helpless .  Having a nonverbal child (young adult)  who can only speak through self injury is one of the worst feelings of helplessness for a parent.  I suppose painting an angel helped me work through the pain, his pain and knowing it was out of my control and that perhaps something greater than myself was out there ready to grant a miracle. 

Sam now twenty five is doing so much better than I could ever imagine after what he went through for years.  Some of it is truly accepting things I cannot change but also dramatically changing the things I can.  I should say "We" because my husband is a big part of that.  It literally took a village (  of angels)  but he is now  sleeping better than ever, use to sleep only  3 hours a night then up for the day at midnight,  had horrible dental issues but now  we have an amazing  dentist, his ulcerative colitis is kept in check without harsh medications, has loving people, therapists,  taking care of him and the list goes on!   We face many challenges ahead with his limited communication but he has an awareness and  understanding like never before.  I am truly grateful for the many angels in his life watching over him.  So I'll keep painting angels and keep looking upward. 

https://catherinenolin.org/artwork/4567819-Among-Us.html

Goodbye For Now

 I can't seem to keep this blog going at the moment!  This was the first place I would first publish my new paintings however, I find it impossible to keep up with this blog along with my website, daily painters, Etsy,  Instagram and FB  and two other sites I post my work.  If you are interested in joining my ever -growing email list, please contact  me at catherinenolin@comcast.net  and I will be sure to add you!  Please refer to my facebook page and Instagram page to see what I am working on as well.
Thanks for your interest and support over the years.
www.catherinenolin.org 
https://www.instagram.com/nolincatherine/?hl=en   
https://www.facebook.com/catherinenolinart/?ref=bookmarks
                                                                                                                                           Catherine

Fox and The Bear ON my easel

I am wrapping up a few small pieces .  The fox is 11x14 and the Bear is 12x16  

What I'm working on

I'm working on a couple of smaller pieces which should be ready Friday.  The first piece is 11x14 on a wood panel and the floral is 12x16 on a wood panel as well.  Thanks for looking! 

The Collector At The Villa Large 24x36 Canvas New Work

Completed just in time to hand out treats !  10-31-2018  The Collector At The Villa is a large scale painting on gallery wrapped stretched canvas with painted sides. I've been very inspired lately looking at a ton of contemporary art which translated into this painting.  I can provide more photos since this is a big piece and lots to take in! 

Thanks for looking.  Wired and ready to hang.l 

https://catherinenolin.org/artwork/4481404-The-Collector-At-The-Villa.html

what I'm working on

This painting is 24x36 and evolving  daily. Embracing a more surreal and contemporary vibe.  This shot was taken with my phone but I think you can get a feel for it.    Thanks for looking. 

Pastime Paradise -New work

My newest piece is now available  Pastime Paradise.   It's 16x20 painted with oils on a cradled wood panel with painted sides.  For me this painting has a magically quality that I so love.  The mystery and theatrics I so enjoy along with nature and classical themes.  

Thank you for looking! 

click the link to view on my website 

https://catherinenolin.org/artwork/4476093-Pastime-Paradise.html