It’s Bluebonnet Season in Texas! And that means plein air painters are traveling the back roads, looking for the perfect scene to paint their annual bluebonnet painting! I haven’t found a field of bluebonnets in a good location yet. But the close up studies have been really fun. And from that, painting the larger 20×20 reminded me of painting hydrangeas in Georgia! (Some of my GA friends may recognize the same style.)
Those of us in Central Texas are glad to see the bluebonnets blooming! It’s another sign that spring is here – new life, longer days, sunshine and brighter colors!
If you’ve got the winter blues, maybe a bluebonnet painting would take care of that:
8×10 6×8 8×10 on paper 8×10 on paper9×12 on canvas
…or a walk through the bluebonnets…that’s a sure cure for the blues, too! Happy Spring!
When we began preparing for a move to Waco, Texas a few years ago, my husband and I knew we wanted to live in the country, on the same side of the county as our son’s family, and wanted more than one acre of land. Our house hunt led us fifteen miles away from Waco, to more land than we needed, six miles from our son, and a Mart address.
Mart, with a population of about 2000, gives many subjects and opportunities for paintings. (You may have noticed I’ve been using the hashtag, #artfrommarttx, on my Instagram account.) I took a photo for this painting while parked at the Dollar General. Like so many rural places in Texas, the grain elevators dominate the skyline of the town.
Welcome to Mart, TX! 9×12 oil sold
Read’s Grocery, on the main street, is a convenient six miles for me when I need a quick trip to the grocery. During the days of quarantine, they remained open with stocked shelves and sanitizing protocols, for which I am grateful.
Pizza Pro is on the right side, with delicious baked spaghetti and, of course, take out pizza! They even sell empty pizza boxes to artists who need wet canvas carriers!
The friendly staff of the U.S. Post Office of Mart has been such a help to me in shipping paintings and filling orders for prints. They always have time to help me figure out the best way to do things. And our rural carrier, who brings packages to the door, has become a first name friend. Gotta love the small town life!
Farm to Market 9×12 oil
I was puzzled by the names of some Texas roads being FM2957 or FM939. I’ve always had trouble remembering numbers. Words like “Lake Felton Parkway” or “County Line Road” come to my mind easier. I learned that FM stands for Farm to Market and was an avenue for that in the beginning of their construction. This painting, Farm to Market, is the view I see as I enter the Mart City Limits from the County Line Road (or FM 939). And those hay bales have been there with the For Sale sign since about summer before last.
Home on the Range 10×20 oil
So, yes, we moved to Waco. But, we have a Mart address, and we are really closer to Hallsburg and Elk. If you decide to visit, it might be best to call for directions. The porch rockers are ready for you. But I’m probably around back, painting art from Mart!
My best prayer times seem to be while I’m painting outdoors. Maybe I’m listening better when the only sounds I hear are those of nature, the very creation of God. Maybe He speaks more vividly when I am studying visual images and analyzing how the light shines on them. Maybe I am more focused, for at least an hour or so, and easier to speak to when I’m all alone. I paint and I listen and I pray.
This morning I have been thinking about my friend who challenged us to read a chapter in Proverbs each day for the 31 days of November. As I read, I apply it to myself, but can’t help but think of her, as I know she is reading the same verses.
Though my friend is from Crawford, Texas, she lives in Thomson, Georgia! (Yes, there is a parallel to my move from Thomson to Crawford, TX.) Our paths intersect in so many other ways. But this morning, the intersection comes from prayer, from a common faith in Jesus, and from the Holy Spirit hearing prayers from TX to Thomson and back again.
As Wide As A Texas Sky! 11×14 oil
I’m often reminded that I live miles away from many people I love. When they hurt, I long to go and be with them. But this big wide state of Texas is a looong way from quick trips. I can be with them through the power of prayers. Though it may sound trite, prayer is anything but! “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person can accomplish much.” (James 5:16) And the Holy Spirit can carry those prayers from here to there, from me to God… from God to me, and He hears. The impact of prayer is As Wide As A Texas Sky!
I am coming to the end of a season, in more ways than weather. While the fall breezes are beginning to tickle at the edges of the intense summer heat, our time at The Ranch is coming to a close, also. Our new build is finished inside! We are moving in this week! After nine months of being in a transitory state, I think we have birthed a barndominium!
Before and After
You might remember, we began with a metal barn on 29 acres. Steve took walls apart, designed a new floorplan, and we secured a contractor to get this project underway. We chose this site because it is six miles from our son’s family. The acreage gives “room to breathe,” and be close to nature. Interior photos coming soon!
Since November 2018, we have lived in a log home at the 85 acre ranch on the northwest side of Waco. (If you missed those adventures, scroll back and read the blog.) It has been the perfect Artist Retreat for me with access to almost daily plein air painting. And, I have more than 50 or so new paintings and studies from this place.
I’m in the process of revealing these new paintings in a special online art show on this website! Also, many of them will be featured in my space at the Brazos Fine Art Show, to be held at the Waco Hilton, November 8-10. All paintings are for sale!
The end of a season is usually welcomed. Most of us are glad to pack away summer clothes and get out sweaters. (Most of us are just as glad to pack away those sweaters when the warmth of spring rolls back around. ) Yet, there is something melancholy about coming to the end of a season. And while my knees are ready to live on one level again, and I am eager to bid the outside laundry room goodbye, I will miss the sunrises over the pond, the surprises of wildlife strolling by, the shade of the front porch swing and the ever present hospitality of the Covington Family, the owners of the Ranch.
With gratitude, and a bit of anxiety, I close this chapter and look forward to what’s ahead on Red Gate Road. —Melanie Stokes
And when I say “Welcome Spring,” I truly say that with feeling and meaning this year! Was it a long winter for you? Or is it just me? (My thoughts go out to those who live “above the snow line.”) Here are a few spring paintings from my easel:
At Day’s End
16×20 oil
Spring Paintings En Plein Air:
Bluebonnets are just beginning their season! More to come!
I am certainly enjoying being able to paint outside comfortably and seeing more variety of colors in the Texas landscapes. And yes, all those infamous Texas wildflowers are truly amazing!
Morning in Brazos Park East – 9×12 OilMorning in Brazos Park East – Waco, Texas
All paintings are available. Contact me for prices and commissions.
A Recent Commissioned Piece – based on a plein air study of peach orchard – 24×36 oil
And…
To answer the question I know you want to ask, …”Yes, construction has begun on our home!” (That was another reason the winter of waiting seemed to be long.) Steve has been drawing up plans and doing the “Demolition Dance.” Now, our contractor will take our ideas and this shell of a metal building and turn it into a home. (Really. We aren’t crazy, just creative. Stay tuned to be sure!)
When I paint, I often have realizations which I feel come from God, as He uses visual imagery to clarify direction for me. And sometimes, those images are solidified by phrases popping into my head that I may, or may not, have heard before.
As I painted this scene, I thought of my Mama saying, “It looks like you are going to the jumping off place!” Now, where in the world was the Jumping Off Place? When I was a little girl, she would use this comment if we were on a treacherous road, unable to see beyond the horizon line, or moving into unknown territory. As a child, I pictured the Jumping Off Place as the very depths of hell!
This composition caught my attention because I like the way the yellow grass of a road is highlighted, yet appears to be leading, who knows where, against the vast Texas sky…perhaps, leading to the Jumping Off Place! The clouds are a bit ominous in the foreground but there is light ahead, even though one can’t see where it leads!
We have recently moved four states over from Georgia to Texas. My husband and I packed and pulled our remaining possessions over the highways to land here in the Waco area. Some thought we were going to the Jumping Off Place! We are excited about a new chapter in life. We are pleased as punch to live in the same area as our oldest son and his family! We are tickled to death to get to sit by our two grandsons in “big church”! I am giddy with joy to have a daughter-in-law nearby who enjoys art shows!
But, when I look out the window at the yellow path, I can hear Mama say, “Looks like you are going to the Jumping Off Place!” And I smile. Because, though it is has had some scary moments, there is something a bit exciting about the unknown of the Jumping Off Place.
After painting this, I found out that this old road leads to a gate, which opens to a state highway. And the state highway leads, in both directions, to interesting places filled with interesting people! For you see, every road leads somewhere! Often we need to stop and wait for direction, maybe paint a picture or two, as God speaks about what to do next. We will approach with caution, but anticipation, to see what lies ahead.
Are you old enough to remember the opening scene of the Little House on the Prairie television series? You know, the one where Laura and her sisters are running happily through the waving prairie grass and swaying wildflowers?
Walking Through Wildflowers 10×20 Oil $150
Well, that’s the flashback I had when I was recently walking through wildflowers on a prairie near Waco, Texas. Two grandsons ran ahead, following the curving path their father had mowed. (I know Laura had to blaze the trail herself. It looks real picturesque on tv, but those grasses can cut and who knows what danger lies deep beneath them?) With the help of the pathway, we could enjoy the aesthetic, sensory experience in safety!
White flowers bloom for acres in August on the prairie. “Snow on the Prairie” is a fitting name. This day the storm clouds were beginning to bank themselves in the distance, providing a violet colored backdrop for the greens and white. The rain would be welcomed to give enough moisture for the next variety of flowers, waiting to spring forth from the cracked earth.
As we walked through the wildflowers, the boys ran ahead, delighting in finding trails that forked in two directions. The dog zig-zagged around in the tall grass, looking for whatever dogs look for. Our son and daughter-in-law walked and talked with us, as we explored and dreamed about the future. Eventually the boys came back around, the dog was called from his wanderings off the path, and all of us went back to the house to rest.
Walking through Wildflowers … if you lose your way, you simply follow the path toward home.
This painting came about after a recent visit with my son’s family in Axtell (outside of Waco), Texas. I needed to paint it as confirmation that I could enjoy painting the landscapes there. For you see, we are looking toward moving to Texas. Yes, you read that right!
We are at the stage of life where one thinks about the future as one of the last chapters of one’s story (but hopefully a long chapter full of lots of action!). Both retired from our careers, we have been searching for where God would lead us next. So, without all the questions answered, we are remembering what Abraham did when God said, “Go.”
In the next months, we will be cleaning out, packing, selling, searching, settling and looking toward Texas. Yes, we will miss Georgia. Yes, we hate to say goodbye. But adventure beckons and you can still follow me on Facebook!
I hope to be involved quickly in the Waco arts community. There is a lot happening downtown with all the new energy created by Chip and Joanna Gaines, including new art galleries!
Steve, who always wanted to be a cowboy when he grew up, is looking forward to using all those woodworking tools he has collected for years, in a western setting. And we are both looking forward to being near Luke and his family, who have been Texans for over a decade.
If you need a painting from me before I leave Georgia, now would be the time! I would rather sell it to you than try to pack them all. Look on my webpage and give me a call.
