Stewart Farm, Maynooth, Ontario

A painting I did for my mother's 75th birthday. This was the barn at the old farm where she was born and raised. I don't remember it completely and missed a few small details, but the emotion is there and I'm glad I was able to capture that somewhat. Would have liked to have taken more time with this one, but she was delighted and that makes me happy. Should be placing a lot more up on this blog soon. I have a lot of work to do in the next three weeks. :)

More Than Everything

The air is filled with memory...

Hope shelters distress

and is lost to control

that does not stay together

fingers ... tracing ... touching...

longing

kisses lost to promised zephyr

stretching time to cover discouragement

(independence does not vibrate so animated now)

when disappointment fathers fear

life moves to slow motion

and every moment from the past

is adorned in costume

and plumps to a surreal dimension

I only hold the musing;

the stars that fall fom the blackest night

shattering at my feet

I break so easily

I wish for whispers

for day to be night

and my love to settle into every corner,

that my heart might know at last

the ease of doubtless air

Copyright © roxannegaebel [06 - 27 -2010]

Fish Ladder

A painting requested by my mother to give to a friend of hers for her birthday. I'm finding balancing the colours found in nature with my own internal palette to be quite trying at best. The thing is to take the picture away from the real life scene and examine it for its own elemental merit. I decided getting the water just the right colour was unecessary, as the colours that emerge as I paint are far more interesting and beautiful. This turned out with more green than expected, but the murky brown that the river looked on the day of photographing left much to be desired. 

Anyone familiar with the Port Hope area will reconize the Ganaraska River and our infamous fish ladder. I wish I had a photograph of this from the seventies. I believe their was a foot bridge that spanned the width of the river at the top of the ladder. In any case, this holds a bounty of memory and emotion. I hope Cheryl enjoys it.

Serenity

I did this for someone special who told me that water is his inspiration and serenity. I hope that when he looks at this, it calms and soothes the soul and inspires him in the best ways possible. I let go of the perfectionist in this and I love how it turned out. More than I have in a long time. This is closer to where I want my paintings to be. I haven't given this to him yet, but hopefully he finds as much pleasure in it as I did creating it.

I love the colours I found in the sky. I think I probably spent the most time on it. The sun gave me the most grief. It is so hard to capture the exact movement that I want. *sigh* It's still something I truly enjoy doing. When I paint, I feel more free than at any other minute in the day. :)

The Lights

I have finally gifted this painting (had to wait to meet up with the recipient) and so am now finally able to share it. I wanted to give AB another attempt and although I prefer my first one to this, the rainbow of colour in this one does make me smile.  Unfortunately, the photo doesn't come close to showing the colours as vivid as they truly are. But I DO like the way I've filtered the trees in.

I am not entirely happy with this one, but I'm still learning to shush that inner perfectionist.

The Bridge

FINALLY!!

I am finally done with a painting I began about two months ago. The link (just click on the title, "The Bridge"),  provided will take you to the artist's blog who inpsired this. Scott is a gifted photographer and sees art wherever he is. I am thankful that he allowed me to use one of his photos for inspiration. 

I am not certain why this gave me such grief, but the black eyed susans were so unforgiving. I stopped when I was almost finished the bridge and had everything else painted in EXCEPT those blasted beautiful flowers. lol It sat in the living room just mocking me everytime I looked at it. I finally managed to coax the muse to help me finally finish it and now it gives me some satisfaction when I look upon it. This photograph simply does not do it justice. I couldn't capture how truly beautiful the colours look on canvas, but this is the best I can do for now.

Now I must visit this actual bridge and see how beautifully life imitates art. :P Thanks Scott!! :D

Dandelion Days

I wrote this for my sister Janene who died, September, 2002. I miss her every day.  I mostly remember those days in the summer when we left the house at the crack of dawn and didn't find our way back until the sun was setting.  Those were the best days! The Dandelion Days.

Softly the light pours through the trees

falling down in radiance on silky brown locks

that whip through the air on wings of the wind

flowing like the white fuzzy seeds we set free

Smiles and giggles, packaged from before

are let loose to the gathering wind

and carried off to the land of never wonder

where hearts are light as lazy clouds

and souls delight, removed of shrouds

I remember you
I remember this
I remember absence;
our moment of happiness

Tulip trails and butterfly dreams

fluttering for your laughter

that taunted my mood and so easily

broke my frown

you, whom life was too crowded for

Death, that eager chamber of darkness,

envious of all the joy and breath

you gave to the earth;

bitter and cold in his loneliness

abducted your innocent heart

leaving your absence lingering

with a stinging, ceaseless ache

The only solace now are the memories

of those glorious sun-swamped Sundays;

those water-logged, carefree, monumental

child-minded eternities;

the remembrance of every smile

and all those dandelion days

Copyright © roxannegaebel [09 - 10 -2007]

The Woods

Another Christmas present that I can finally share, now that the recipient has opened it. :) The path is a little shaky in my estimation, but I love how the birch trees turned out, not to mention the massive colour of autumn that is my reason for living through another winter in this forsaken climate. haha

Trees are fun to do because it is so difficult to mess them up. ^_^

Sunrise on Lake Ontario

This was the result of a "practice" piece I did. One gorgeous October morning I rose early to capture the beauty of light rising over the lake. This is my intepretation of that photo op.

Colour is so extraordinary. I love experimenting with it. Maybe I'll get more daring and do some very different colour combinations one day. For now, I'll just be satisfied with working on the skills I am readily eager to hone.  :)

Where I Want To Be Most ~

Not a piece of poetry, but a thought really, that crosses the mind now and again about the place I run to when life becomes too overwhelming to handle.

where I want to be most ...


a place where second chances come more than once
a place I can be who I am and not fear ridicule
a place that values love, compassion and uniqueness more than it does the acquisition of money or power
a place so beautiful it could make angels weep
a place where equality and fairness are sovereign

in short, the place I go when life condemns, scorns and mocks me.
Inside my poetry books.


Life seems less of a trial when immersed inside of words. Whether it is a story, a poem or the lyrics to a song, words that make us feel like we are not alone are the glue that helps hold our conviction together. The emotional equivalent to a hug. :) And we all need more of those.


Enjoy life. Enjoy friends. Enjoy the pure pleasure of words when you can.

Dolphins at Sunset

This was a definite learning experience. I spent a very long time working this over and redoing much of it. It still didn't turn out the way I wanted or envisioned. But so many have expressed appreciation for this, I couldn't ignore sharing it. I'm still learning about colour and how to create motion in my paintings. And as frustrating as it is, I am still loving the learning experience every time I place paint to canvas. Stretching boundaries and finding my niche, so to speak. And I read something recently that made me realize perfection isn't everything.


 "Artists who seek perfection in everything are those who cannot attain it in anything." ~Gustave Flaubert 


Somehow I must learn to be satisfied with less than what I perceive is perfection. To accept and embrace the style that is inherent in my art.

Lark's Song

Perched upon some silent tree

The Lark is singing quietly

Lament for loss of feathered heart

Which sadly tore his soul apart

A song to mirror friendless skies

In hues more blue than bluest eyes

Waking all from fabled sleep

And far more sad than Willow’s weep

Though resonant and kind to ear

It grieved and broke my heart to hear

Listening, the sky turned gray

As dancing sun refused to play

And hid behind the stormy clouds

That cast the gentle earth in shroud

When suddenly the Lark’s song crowned

A note to drown all other sound

Then silence fell with deafening ache

That caused the hardest hearts to break

And as I walked, dark loneliness

Bathed in perfect emptiness

While melancholy reigned supreme

And stripped me from the land of dreams

But I would weather any pain

To hear the sad Lark’s song again

Copyright © roxannegaebel [03 - 26 -2007]