For the Love of Roses

Welcome to my Poetry and Painting Blog!

The current selected poem below is by George Elliot:

You love the roses - so do I. I wish 

The sky would rain down roses, as they rain 

From off the shaken bush. Why will it not? 

Then all the valley would be pink and white 

And soft to tread on. They would fall as light 

As feathers, smelling sweet; and it would be 

Like sleeping and like waking, all at once!

...................

Yes, I do love roses as well! 
I painted this to go with the above poem...
Large canvas this time: 30x30" in oil..."For the Love of Roses".

COMING EVENT:

By invitation, I will have a solo show "Celebrating Color and Light" at the Page Walker Arts and History Center in downtown Cary, NC. This show is sponsored by the Town of Cary Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources. 

You are invited to join me at the reception there
on Friday, June 26th at 6pm.

Exhibit dates are June 23rd to August 16.

119 Ambassador Loop, Cary, NC 27513 (919) 460-4963

Also...

Victoria Park Florist is featuring a collection of my artwork. 
If you are in the neighborhood, please stop by to see it. 

1129 Weaver Dairy Rd

in Timberlyne Shopping Center

Chapel Hill, NC 27571

phone: 919 967 9394

.......

You may see more of my art and to follow other showings and events, visit

KarenMeredithArt.com

I welcome you to sign up, below, for this occasional blog and share it with your friends who might be interested. AND I invite you to (continue) to send  favorite photos you have taken and writings (inspiring, thought provoking, or humorous) 
 to me at kmeredithart@gmail.com.  

Spring Gardener

Welcome to my Poetry and Painting Blog!

The current selected poem below is by Carolyn Brunelle:

Spring Gardner

Plants, flowers, shrubs, trees

all warmed by the sunshine 

kissed by the bees; 

encouraged to grow so evergreen.

Sweetest blooms we’ve ever seen

arrive in Spring 

with each new breeze; 

and dropp us faithfully 

to our knees. 

...................

 I am smitten with spring, especially this year after what seemed to be an eternal winter! Every year I miss the best of peony season in my garden...But this year I am here to enjoy them. This painting (10x10 in oil) is called "Garden Gift".

COMING EVENT:

By invitation, I will have a solo show "Celebrating Color and Light" at the Page Walker Arts and History Center in downtown Cary, NC. This show is sponsored by the Town of Cary Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources. 

You are invited to join me at the reception there
on Friday, June 26th at 6pm.

Exhibit dates are June 23rd to August 16.

119 Ambassador Loop, Cary, NC 27513 (919) 460-4963

Also...

Victoria Park Florist is featuring a collection of my artwork. 
If you are in the neighborhood, please stop by to see it. 

1129 Weaver Dairy Rd

in Timberlyne Shopping Center

Chapel Hill, NC 27571

phone: 919 967 9394

.......

You may see more of my art and to follow other showings and events, visit

KarenMeredithArt.com

I welcome you to sign up, below, for this occasional blog and share it with your friends who might be interested. AND I invite you to (continue) to send  favorite photos you have taken and writings (inspiring, thought provoking, or humorous) 
 to me at kmeredithart@gmail.com.  

Flower God, God of Spring

Welcome to my Poetry and Painting Blog!

The current selected poem below is by Robert Louis Stevenson. 

FLOWER god, god of the spring, beautiful, bountiful,

Cold-dyed shield in the sky, lover of versicles,

Here I wander in April

Cold, grey-headed; and still to my

Heart, Spring comes with a bound, Spring the deliverer,

Spring, song-leader in woods, chorally resonant;

Spring, flower-planter in meadows,

Child-conductor in willowy

Fields deep dotted with bloom, daisies and crocuses:

Here that child from his heart drinks of eternity:

O child, happy are children!

She still smiles on their innocence,

She, dear mother in God, fostering violets,

Fills earth full of her scents, voices and violins:

Thus one cunning in music

Wakes old chords in the memory:

Thus fair earth in the Spring leads her performances.

One more touch of the bow, smell of the virginal

Green - one more, and my bosom
Feels new life with an ecstasy.

...................

 I thought of these words when recently painting outside (en plein air) in a nearby neighborhood. Although the sky was overcast, the color provided by the redbud tree and neighboring flowers inspired me. "Redbud Reverie" 8x10" oil on panel.

Other notes:

I am honored that my oil painting, "Sonatina" (below 10x8" oil on panel) was given second place award in the Small Treasures Show at the Cary Gallery of Artists. 

COMING EVENT:

By invitation, I will have a solo show "Celebrating Color and Light" at the Page Walker Arts and History Center in downtown Cary, NC. This show is sponsored by the Town of Cary Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources. 

You are invited to join me at the reception there
on Friday, June 26th at 6pm.

Exhibit dates are June 23rd to August 16.

119 Ambassador Loop, Cary, NC 27513 (919) 460-4963

Also...

Victoria Park Florist is featuring a collection of my artwork. 
If you are in the neighborhood, please stop by to see it. 

1129 Weaver Dairy Rd

in Timberlyne Shopping Center

Chapel Hill, NC 27571

phone: 919 967 9394

.......

You may see more of my art and to follow other showings and events, visit

KarenMeredithArt.com

I welcome you to sign up, below, for this occasional blog and share it with your friends who might be interested. AND I invite you to (continue) to send  favorite photos you have taken and writings (inspiring, thought provoking, or humorous) 
 to me at kmeredithart@gmail.com.  

While Alone at Topanga Thrift

Welcome to my Poetry and Painting Blog!

My last post offered the poem, "Undercurrent", by the talented Janeen Rastell. She told one of her poet friends about this blog. As a result, Val Dering Rojas sent me a chapbook of her poems, called "Ten", with the hope that one of them might inspire one of my paintings. And it did! I thank her for sharing them with me.

While Alone at Topanga Thrift

It occurs to me

that most things are made

to be filled, even now,

these old red dough-bowls

brim with sun;

the worn-soft roughness

of the feedbag, and the hips

of the ginger jar,

created to contain.

The riddle of space

is how insignificance can be ample,

how absence is useful:

the brass candelabra

with its obviousness and arms,

and now

this tiny teacup in my palm.

I wasn't built for this,

but from here,

emptiness appears to be

such a small thing.

..............

In response to this poem, I pulled some bowls from my shelf and created this still life: "Empty Bowls" 8x10 oil on panel

Other notes:

Victoria Park Florist is featuring a collection of my artwork. If you are in the neighborhood, please stop by to see it. 

1129 Weaver Dairy Rd

in Timberlyne Shopping Center

Chapel Hill, NC 27571

phone: 919 967 9394

Also...

I am honored that my oil painting, "Dappled Gate" (below) was accepted into the Fine Arts League of Cary Annual Juried Show. The reception is March 8 from 2-4 and the show will hang until April 18.

You may see more of my art at:

KarenMeredithArt.com

I welcome you to sign up, below, for this occasional blog and share it with your friends who might be interested. AND I invite you to (continue) to send  favorite photos you have taken and writings (inspiring, thought provoking, or humorous) 
 to me at kmeredithart@gmail.com.  

The Undercurrent

Welcome to my Poetry and Painting Blog!

Recently my friend Bernadette Marriott told me about her sister, Janeen Rastell, a well-published poet. I have begun to look over her poems and must say I love the imagery that she evokes. For this blog posting I have selected the following poem...

The Undercurrent …

not the sound of tires rushing through the slush

or steam racing the radiators,

not the song of the broom across porch planks,

the rub of two rocks as you try for a spark,

not the sigh of the late-leafed beech trees,

or the brush of your grandmother’s slippers,

the tips of her robe as she climbs the stairs,

not her “Shush” when she shuts the door,

in the quiet, what croons to you,

what resonates

is water pressing rock,

waves striking sand.

- First published in the chapbook In the Yellowed House (dancing girl press, 2014)

..............

In response to this poem, I created the image below. It's 24x24" on archival, gallery-wrapped canvas and I've named it "Rhythm". 

Other notes:

Victoria Park Florist is featuring a collection of my artwork. If you are in the neighborhood, please stop by to see it. 

1129 Weaver Dairy Rd

in Timberlyne Shopping Center

Chapel Hill, NC 27571

phone: 919 967 9394

And from now through January I am having a solo show at my neighborhood's POA building. If you would like more information, please contact me. 

You may see more of my art at:

KarenMeredithArt.com

I welcome you to sign up, below, for this occasional blog and share it with your friends who might be interested. AND I invite you to (continue) to send  favorite photos you have taken and writings (inspiring, thought provoking, or humorous) 
 to me at kmeredithart@gmail.com.  

The Leaf and the Tree

Welcome to my Poetry and Painting Blog!

The following poem was selected by Susan Meals, a long-time friend and shared admirer of Edna St Vincent Millay. She suggested posting the first part of the following poem.

The Leaf and The Tree …

When will you learn, myself, to be
a dying leaf on a living tree?
Budding, swelling, growing strong,
Wearing green, but not for long,
Drawing sustenance from air,
That other leaves, and you not there,
May bud, and at the autumn's call
Wearing russet, ready to fall? 

..............

To go with this poem, my friend also sent a photo of the large tree in front of her Los Angeles home. She literally has fought city hall to save it from being cut down! Unfortunately, the photos she sent just didn't seem to capture the elegance of that wonderful tree. 

Meanwhile, there is a large olive tree in her backyard just outside her breakfast window. She has debated about removing it, because it takes up so much space. But I have always admired that old olive tree: its gestural growth pattern and the habitat it provides. Thus, the below painting is an inspiration of that particular tree and a nod to all things old an beautiful.

Other notes:

This past month of September I participated in a 30-day challenge of a painting a day.  I didn't quite make it to 30 paintings...but 25. That was quite a feat, as I did some travel during that time and had to double up my efforts. My poor husband turned into a painter's widower...bless him! 

Below is a collage of the works produced:

Also, this coming November through January I will be having a solo show at my neighborhood's POA building. If you would like more information, please contact me. 

You may see more of my art at:

KarenMeredithArt.com

I welcome you to sign up, below, for this occasional blog and share it with your friends who might be interested. AND I invite you to (continue) to send  favorite photos you have taken and writings (inspiring, thought provoking, or humorous) 
 to me at kmeredithart@gmail.com.  

Not Yet Autumn

Welcome to the Poetry and Painting Blog!

The following poem was created by Dr. Peter Densen, a good friend, renowned physician, and avid berry picker, particularly in Maine!

Not Yet Autumn …

Not yet autumn, not quite summer.

Filtered sunlight; hazy on

tan fields – that earlier green,

moved gently at a breeze’s whim.

Nubbins where succulent raspberries once promised,

blackberries still plentiful on sandy slopes,

blueberry bushes empty and turning.

Days still warm with promise, 

welcomed by softening tar

on country road, round the turn

mist rising slowly from the slopes,

maples tinged in anticipation.

The crickets’ chorus now a lone aria.

Memories of my youth, here and now.

Not yet autumn, not quite summer.

With this poem he sent me a photograph he took of a blackberry bush...

My painting was inspired by both:

For the coming month of September I am participating in a 30-day challenge of a painting a day.  This is the kick-off for that challenge. For information about the above painting, my daily works for the challenge, and my art in general, please visit

KarenMeredithArt.com

I welcome you to sign up, below, for this occasional blog and share it with your friends who might be interested. AND I invite you to (continue) to send  favorite photos you have taken and writings (inspiring, thought provoking, or humorous) 
 to me at kmeredithart@gmail.com.  

In the following section, I hope that you will add personal comments and links to your own images related to this posting. I would like to make this creatively interactive!

A New Day is Born

The following is a poem written by Lee Werley....

A NEW DAY IS BORN

The sun bursts open the morning sky.

Rays of light reflect upon the waves.

The birds and sandpipers search for nourishment.

A variety of shells await the morning inspection.

Surf crashes.

Wind blows.

The sun shines.

A new day is born.

One more is added to our life experience.

.................................

His poem reminds me of the many beautiful mornings I have enjoyed at our favorite beach haunts, Amelia Island Plantation. It is a lovely spot and never crowded. This painting is based on a photo I took last  year while there.

For information about the above painting and my art in general, please visit ...

KarenMeredithArt.com

I welcome you to sign up, below, for this occasional blog and share it with your friends who might be interested. AND I invite you to (continue) to send  favorite photos you have taken and writings (inspiring, thought provoking, or humorous)  to me at kmeredithart@gmail.com.  

In the following section, I hope that you will add personal comments and links to your own images related to this posting. I would like to make this creatively interactive!

The Garden Wall

In April of last year Barbara Foster Shutz wrote the following poem. She is a fellow Chapel Hillian and I had no idea that she had such talent!

The Garden Wall

Do Phlox feel blue to be

behind the garden wall?

Do Gunnera feel awkward,

weighted down by leaves

so large, green giants 

greedy for damp space 

between the dainty marigold

and its open yellow face?

Might Red Hot Pokers

frighten off the chill

of night?  Could Candelabra

Primula, their separate 

heads and watchful eyes,

prevent  the stream

from running down the hill

and out the garden gate?

And what if Rhododendron

mastered every art,

racing at the speed of light

to breach the wall,

to conquer worlds beyond?

Would stone contain 

and air confine

their lusty aims?

Let trees with all their Fibonacci 

limbs and leaves reach and stretch 

to offer shade outside the wall, 

as roots cling firmly

to the garden soil that mothers 

Violets, double Daffodils.

Lupine, dressed in multi-colored garb,

standing tall and straight,

will guard the garden wall.

When reading this I was reminded of a scene the last time I was in Switzerland. Here is my painting of "Lupines".

For information about the above painting and my art in general, please visit ...

KarenMeredithArt.com

Consider stopping by a show of my entire available works at the Campbell House in Southern Pines during the month of May. The show is called "Light and Legacy" and includes Carol Owen's beautiful spirit houses. 
It's a lovely time of year to explore that area!
http://www.mooreart.org/programs/visual/upcoming-art-exhibits/

I welcome you to sign up, below, for this occasional blog and share it with your friends who might be interested. AND I invite you to (continue) to send  favorite photos you have taken and writings (inspiring, thought provoking, or humorous)  to me at kmeredithart@gmail.com.  

In the following section, I hope that you will add personal comments and links to your own images related to this posting. I would like to make this creatively interactive!

Egg Gathering

Welcome to the Eleventh Edition
 of Poetry and Paintings

My dear friend, Ellie Densen, sent me the following poem by Margaret Hasse, which was written in 1974. She writes in a voice described as “potent, clear-cut, honest – no posturing, no distractions. All heart and soul and care.” I thought it fitting for this season.  

Benediction to Egg Gathering

I put my hand on the head

of each in my family.

I am counting fresh eggs again...

warm and whole

from the feather duster bottom

of the hen who polished the brown ones,

the white ones with yolk shining through

When you think of eggs,

do not think of chicken coops,

air grey with lung-coating dust,

do not think of supermarkets

cold storage and grade A.

Think of clover barns,

hens nesting in green-golden bales.

Think of straw basket...

not a styrofoam carton...

a basket with a cone of eggs,

warm like fresh bread,

rich like vanilla ice cream,

and nestled in a simple

blue cotton kerchief.

My friends,

I collect enough to eat and to concoct with.

.........................................

My painting related to this poem is..."Chick Reflections"

For information about the above painting and my art in general, please visit ...

KarenMeredithArt.com

I also would like to share photos of two sets of eggs recently found by Renee Thompson on her property. She is a true lover of birds and author of The Plume Hunter. Visit her blog at http://www.reneethompson.com

For your calendar....I will be having a show of my available works at the Campbell House in Southern Pines during the month of May. Let me know if you wish specific information...

or just stop by if you're in that area. 482 E Connecticut Ave. 

I welcome you to sign up, below, for this occasional blog and share it with your friends who might be interested. AND I invite you to (continue) to send  favorite photos you have taken and writings (inspiring, thought provoking, or humorous)  to me at kmeredithart@gmail.com.  

In the following section, I hope that you will add personal comments and links to your own images related to this posting. I would like to make this creatively interactive!