14 Devotion

14 "Devotion" oil on 8x8 board, ©Laura Gable

A much more settled day today (August 15th) and also the birthday of 3 friends and family members. It was a pretty happy day, still a bit toasty outside but nice and cool in the studio. The paint squeezed out into their colorful little ribbons on my palette were just begging to morph into another sunflower. So another sunflower mini-series is born. I hope you, dear reader, aren't tiring of these beauties. They just make me happy. It must be a deeply rooted association. I'm a naturalist at heart, with an inherent love for the flora and fauna that abounds on this loamy soil. The same soil which sometimes oozes up around our toes when we dare to wander barefooted in the summer. As a child, when the weather warmed in Nebraska, and school completed we'd tuck the shoes away and only pull them out if a trip to the library or shopping was in the plans. With toughened foot pads, we'd wander the gravel driveway of our family's motel, and jaunt off into the weeds and out to tend our gardens. There was so much to keep us busy, and always a great deal of interaction with 4 siblings. In the country, staying home for a length of time was just something very natural. Funny that nowadays I can scarcely stay home for 2 days in a row without going batty. I truly wonder about myself sometimes... so much to do. Anyway, I've greatly digressed here--sorry to ramble on so. Enjoy this sweet little still life and come see it in person at my November open studio tour. They will all be displayed together then.