A Healthy Waiting Room

A neighbor friend of mine recently gave me a lovely pot of violets, an inspiring subject for a painter, but as I found out insightful as well.

She and her husband receive a pot of violets each time they visit their optometrist’s office. She continued to explain, she’d read an article in the waiting room on things to watch for when choosing a doctor. This list included taking note of the waiting room's plants. Do they look healthy, drab, or dead? The philosophy being if the doctor’s office fails to care for the plants under their supervision, what does this say about the care you will receive?

She was comforted by this observation, noting not only does their optometrist care for their plants, but they provide their patients with them. She had numerous violets about her kitchen counter and was happy to share one with me.

My original 5x7 watercolor, Pot of Violets, is available for sale from my Etsy Shop.

Snow Day in the Berkshires

Erica Dale Strzepek, Resting For Now,
Watercolor & Gouache, 5x7 inches, ©2012 

A snow day yesterday in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts meant no school for my boys. Between naps, snacks, endless PBS shows, and shoveling I worked on some small 5x7 blank greeting cards. Their small size allows for quick, finished work, very rewarding feeling for me. I find my recipients are always charmed by a personal card.

I snap pictures where ever we go, always with a painting in mind for later. The theme of abandoned trucks is a favorite subject of mine, this group of work is from a site in Williamsburg, Massachusetts off Route 9.

Erica Dale Strzepek, At Home in The Woods,
Watercolor & Gouache, 5x7 inches, ©2012

The drive along Route 9 provides beautiful vignettes of humble New England farms, the rambling Mill River, and the charming Williamsburg center including the Meekins Public Library and the Williamsburg General Store. We enjoy stopping a wonderful bakery, Bread Euphoria, located on the town line. It is along Route 9 I have often admired a unique property cluttered with old steam engines, numerous pieces of farm equipment, various barns and out buildings with plenty of old vehicles.

Erica Dale Strzepek, Here We Sit,
Watercolor & Gouache, 5x7 inches, ©2012

My Williamsburg series of blank cards is available for purchase from my Etsy Shop. Each card is an original painting, not a reproduction, each card sold separately.

Found Treasure

It started when I was young; I loved collecting what others considered worthy of discarding. My mother would tell the story of me, at age four, causing trouble in pre-school hoarding random items from the playground in my coat or pant pockets. I would come home daily with bits of small shiny wrapper scraps, a colorful cap from an unknown bottle, or various other untold objects; all with the idea of turning it into something or treasuring it for what it could become. This was highly frowned upon by all.

Erica Dale Strzepek, Small Pencil Series - Scallop,
Pencil, 6x6 inches, ©2011 

Despite the early discouragement, my collecting has not stopped. The little bits of this and that in my opinion are still not necessarily trash. I cannot go most places without finding something worth picking up as a found treasure. When out on nature walks with my boys, small pebbles, brightly colored fallen leaves or a smoothed piece of drift wood are sure to make their way home with us. Worn bits of sea glass from a Cape Cod beach or uniquely marked pottery shards long ago discarded in the Hoosic River, I am fascinated by the stories they could tell.

Erica Dale Strzepek, Bowl of Treasure, Digital Photograph, ©2011 

A most intriguing recent find was a shard of Depression Era Vaseline glass. I spotted the out-of-place glowing green fragment in the water amongst the common colored rocks. As I reached my hand to carefully retrieve my find, I imagined its former life as a common place delicate footed dessert dish. What homemade delicacy could have filled its graceful curves? I envisioned the Berkshire hostess presenting a delicious serving of strawberry shortcake complimented by local farm fresh, white whipped cream. Yum! What occurred in its household history for its fate to end up as a broken shard in the cold flowing, Hoosic River? The preceding possibilities were innumerous... “Hurry up, would you?” called out my husband to me. “We’ve got to get going,” he finished. With that, I shoved the beautiful found treasure into my pant pocket.

Support fine artists and other small business owners this holiday season: SHOP SMALL on Small Business Saturday, November 26, 2011. Use coupon code SHOPSMALL25 to save 25% off your Etsy purchase from my Etsy Shop. I thank you!