Indoor Time

It’s been a long winter here in the Northeast. We’ve cycled through a number of colds and sinus infections, snow and ice storms, lots of bitter morning walks with the dog. I spent the last few weeks trying to come up with ideas for spring cards, for Easter and Mother’s Day, but snow piles were still melting and I was having a hard time remembering daffodils and tulips. Instead I painted a lot of dreamy indoor scenes, like this one with the Countess Brook Blankenhorn, who rescues wild animals and rehabilitates them in her 23-room mansion. The Countess abhors shoes, prefering to go barefoot. She also coordinates the wallpaper of the castle with the print of her dresses.

The Countess Brook Blankehorn, with Frederika the Aldabra Giant Tortoise, Ramona the Red Fox, and Rose, a very near sighted Flamingo.

Another favorite indoor scene from this cold and dark winter was an attempt to paint the Boathouse, a little speakeasy-type cocktail bar tucked away in courtyard in Lambertville. You must be seated here. They do not serve food. There are rules. It’s decorated from top to bottom with nautical paintings and regalia. Skunk is reading the latest New Yorker, Fox and Cheetah are catching up after a week of work, and Flamingo is finding out the latest Lambertville gossip from Alligator, the bartender.

Skunk likes a gin martini, while Cheetah is partial to a Negroni.

A few days of high temperatures and blue skies has melted the remaining snow. Snowdrops and crocuses have emerged, so inspiration of all things spring is striking. My next post will likely be full of all kinds of flowers and baby animals….