February 26, 2016

Winter Inspiration: Story Behind the Painting

 Winterberry Watercolor Print with Camus Quote
Sometimes the winter months seem like they will never end. That initial delight when the first snowflakes of the season arrive can turn into a cold and dark dread of winter's final days. Even my creative spirit at this time of year can feel sluggish as if it was laden down with ice crystals.

In November, a lovely customer ordered my Autumn Leaf print with the Albert Camus quote: "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower". She contacted me once she had received her order and asked if I knew of the beautiful winter quote by Camus. I didn't and what a beauty it is: "In the depth of winter I finally learned that within me lay an invincible summer". Isn't that gorgeous? Quite beyond enduring unpleasant weather and dragging seasons, it speaks to the strength that we can find inside ourselves when life is difficult.

She said she would be interested in a companion print with the winter quote and had a wonderful idea of what to include with it. She suggested winterberry also known as Ilex verticillata. Do you know it? It's a beautiful shrub--a species of holly native to parts of North America. When the rest of nature is brown, grey or covered with snow, winterberry sports beautiful bright red berries.

While I wasn't able to find winterberry in my local forest, I did find branches of it at a nearby garden centre. I absolutely loved painting the berries. A greater challenge for me was creating the lettering in watercolour to match the quote I had done for the autumn leaf image. Watercolour paint is capricious. Hand lettering with a small paintbrush is not like using a computer font that remains the same each time you use it, although in the middle of this project I sort of wished it was! I did so many tries before finally coming up with a version that was similar in weight and tone to the previous quote. I am happy to say that my winterberry print is now available in my shop, on its own or coupled with the autumn leaf print.

 Winterberry watercolor print with Camus quote
 Winterberry and Autumn Leaf prints with Camus quotes
Thank you to my lovely customer and Albert Camus for the wonderful winter inspiration!

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You can buy directly from me below. Your order will be processed through my secure Shopify shop. Shipping is free in Canada and the US. A flat rate of $7.50 applies to all other destinations. Products are shipped within 3-5 days of your order. ~ Kathleen


10 comments:

  1. That's a beautiful story & an even more beautiful pair of paintings !!!! Well done, Kathleen ! Have a great weekend ! ox hugs

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    1. Thanks so much, Sonia! It's really nice when people take the time to share their ideas. Have a great weekend too! xo

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  2. I just love both your illustrations as well as the quotes! Autumn is my favorite season and I've never come across this particular quote.

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    1. Thank you, Lori! I love these quotes too. I love how he related the seasons together.

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  3. These are lovely! Your watercolors are so delicate, clean and appealing.

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words!

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  4. These look lovely Kathleen, paired with the wording that's gorgeous. There has to be a spring and summer version??

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    1. Thanks, Julie! Nice to hear from you. I just love these quotes. I'll have to do some digging and see if there are others. Hope you are well. :)

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  5. These are beautiful! :)

    https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/philly-with-a-fjallraven-philly-photography-14621583

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Thanks so much for taking the time to visit my blog and to leave me a comment. I love reading them. -- Kathleen

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