Women and Hope

Good Afternoon.  This small watercolor represents to me the hope all women carry in their arms all the time. Hope for the children, the world, the country, the peacemakers, a cure for cancer, a happy outcome, peace, etc.  I hope it inspires you to carry hope in your arms, whether or not you are a woman.

Thanks for tuning in.

TWO SISTERS

Good morning, folks.  This is a pen and watercolor scene I did which, as you see, is called Two Sisters.  It makes me think of two sisters; one pregnant and living paycheck to paycheck, and the other living a more luxurious lifestyle.  The affluent one comes to visit the other and their mother joins their conversation taking place by the fence in the backyard of the pregnant sister.  Across the fence, in the background, you can see "the city" which the "uppity" sister calls home.  Standing beside the mudpuddle, the pregnant sister seems to be observing her mother and sister with hard, reality-based eyes.  "There she goes again," she seems to be thinking.  My intent was to create the city mouse/country mouse meeting and I decided to add the mother for the artistic tension as well as the natural tension that exists in families sometimes.  What do you think?  Thanks for tuning in.

Five Crabs

Hello Folks. Glad to be back painting again. This is a little watercolor I did as an exercise to try to jump start my muse again. These little guys, being orange and all, must have been boiled already. But, they're still smiling! I know that feeling, don't you - being boiled, or boiling with anger and resentment, or boiling over with emotion - and, sometimes I can still smile through it! Thanks for tuning in.

Sunflower and Company

Hello folks. I am sharing this pastel today with you because it is the first painting I have done in quite some time. As I posted before, I have been assisting my husband in his chemotherapy. The good news is that he only has two more treatments and he's finished. The bad news is - there isn't any!!

This sunflower represents summer to me. This year the dawn of summer will mean so much. More than spring even because even though there is a gorgeous daffodil blooming at the side of my house, the temperatures during the day are still cool as if winter just won't let go. I think we can make the analogy of winter with bad times. Often when situations in our lives start to get better, it seems as if there are still reminders here and there that can pull us down again. It is as if the bad time won't let go. I have no advice concerning how to cope with such. There are a lot of cliches out there like: think positive, or have faith, or just put one foot in front of the other. These suggestions are good but on a deep level, we just plain want it over. Well, I just want some stuff in my life over and I want summer to come and to ride down the highway and watch the heads of sunflowers bend in the breeze. I want to roll down the window and feel the heat and even get sweaty because it will mean that summer is here and winter has let go. Thanks for listening.

Hello From Morna Owens

Dear Friends and Followers:
I have not been posting on this blog as I have not painted recently due to the illness of my husband. He had surgery in October for bladder cancer. He was quite ill in the hospital and when he came home. Then there was Christmas. After that, he began chemotherapy the last week in December which will last until March. Caring for him became my passion. My muse stirs me up on occasion with inspiration but the most I seem to be able to do is sketch out the idea. I will be back. I thank all of you who have visited this blog from far away and I regret that there hasn't been more for you to see. I notice that "Boa Babes", Serious Night Blooming Ceres and "Navy Kiss" get hits frequently. Thanks for browsing by. Feel free to leave a message as the creative part of me could use a comment or two to support my effort to return to painting when I can. Thanks for listening and please remember to not only offer to help those folks you know who are ill but the ones caring for them too.
My best to you all, Morna

MORNING, AT LAST

Good morning, folks. I post today the finished oil I started some weeks ago. I have renamed it, MORNING, AT LAST, because my life has been filled with many complications since Part 2 was posted. My son, my husband and my mother have all been ill. Two of them extremely ill and I was called away from home for one and am caring at home for the other. All during this time, this painting stood on its easel staring at me. It is a large canvas, 20" x 26", so it also loomed over me. It seemed to be yelling at me, "Paint me. Work with me. Finish me."One morning, in a brief respite from all the chaos surrounding me, I sat down at it to paint a little. Time became suspended and after several hours, I was finished with it. I realize now that it became one thing that I could control, one thing that I could complete, one thing that had a happy ending, one thing that took my mind off the rest of my life where I was feeling hopeless, helpless and sorely inadequate. This painting may not be my best work technically, but it will always be the one that "watched over me" during a hard time. And, the one that gave me rest when I could find it no place else. Thanks for listening.

Morning - phase 2

Hello Folks. This is phase 2 of the oil painting I am working on at present. As I said, oil painting takes time and I appreciate your being patient with me through this process. As you can see, the trees are growing leaves. Any comments would be welcome.