Posts by rsamiljan
Heading into Autumn
My favorite time of year is here, my favorite colors are everywhere! It becomes a personal mission when I see an array of colors, capturing the leaves right before they fall, and to photograph the palette of Autumn. I love the tactile qualities achieved when painting with wax, and many of these new paintings use encaustic…
Read MoreEnd of Summer
Where did the time go? I spent Labor Day finishing a painting that I’d been thinking about since returning from Arizona last week. This summer I was able to travel and see amazing National Parks; experiencing these natural wonders has impacted my creativity. First were visits to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone. The Teton…
Read MoreWyoming
I visited Jackson Hole, Yellowstone, and the Grand Teton National Park last week and I had never been to Wyoming before. I was overwhelmed by the natural beauty everywhere, I am so inspired to paint! Landing at the Jackson Hole airport, the Tetons are right there. These mountains are dramatic like no other mountains I…
Read MoreNew Routines
I’ve been acclimating to life in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It’s a huge change from my urban dwelling and lifestyle in Chicago (and before that Boston). Landscape inspiration is steps away from where I live now. I am still reviewing photos I took last spring, summer, fall and winter. Finally I have time to explore and…
Read MoreA Plein-air Year
Personal goals are important to me and early in 2023 I had a big one… I have always been intimidated by the idea of painting on location, En plein air, also known as plein-air painting. It is the simple act of painting outdoors. I was afraid my paintings wouldn’t be “good enough”, and that I…
Read MoreChange
So much has changed since my last blog post…. I vacationed in Israel this past July and now there is a war that has shattered some of the communities we visited. I traveled with my best friend who is now my husband (and an Israeli citizen) and we have been glued to the news. My…
Read MorePastels at the Peninsula School of Art
“Cana Island”, a favorite painting completed on the last day of the pastel workshop. I finally made it to the Peninsula school in Door County, Wisconsin. I attended a pastel workshop with Colette Odya-Smith last week. It lasted four days and I am still absorbing so much of what I learned. I wrote an article…
Read MoreNew Mexico Landscape Inspiration
I was in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Cerrillos, Taos, and Placitas last week. I had only been to New Mexico once before but knew I was already in love with the landscape, the mountains, and the light. Watching the sunset each night was hypnotizing. Seeing the sky colors change from blue and white to warm shades…
Read MoreWinter Sunrise
My favorite time of day during winter months… very early morning. Maybe because my dog wakes me up before the sun rises, although sometimes I am up before him! The quiet before most people are up and moving, the crisp winter air, combined with the warmth of the sky colors… this is the only time…
Read MoreNew Year/ New Knee!
This is the year I finally decided it was time to deal with my bone on bone arthritis. After last June, working the Wells Street Art Festival, barely able to walk at the end of the show, the physical toll of working a weekend festival was a reality check. I couldn’t keep getting cortisone shots…
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