Saturday, June 8, 2013

series feature: peonies...glorious peonies!

Ah...peonies! That most luscious, glorious of flower.

My first experience of peonies was as a little girl--every summer we would travel from New Hampshire to the north woods of Maine to visit my grandparents. My grandfather, a tough, hard working woodsmen, had a soft spot for flowers and had one of the most beautiful gardens in town. The garden was highlighted by a massive hedge of peonies in the back--I would stroll through the garden and bury my face in the huge blossoms in garnet, pale pink, drinking in their heavenly scent.

I've been hooked on them ever since and love to gather them by the armload to fill my home every spring--and of course to paint!
















peonies in a glass vase, oil on canvas, 20x16 inches. ©2012 Kristina Wentzell


To purchase peony prints visit my Etsy Shop.

To purchase peony originals visit my website.


Saturday, June 1, 2013

series feature: orchards

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white


This series started when I was invited to create the cover art for a lovely local magazine called Monadock Table.  It was for the spring issue and as I searched for inspiration of what to paint for the magazine--an image of an orchard in bloom with sunlight dappling through the leaves came to mind.

I created this piece with the road inviting the observer to venture forth into the orchard.

Later, when I was working on a poetry inspired series of paintings, I came across the poem "A Prayer in Spring" by Robert Frost which conjured up such incredible imagery of an apple orchard all in bloom I just HAD to paint it. This spring, I went on a magical mother's day wagon ride through Alison's Orchard in Walpole, NH and took dozens of photos--I see some more orchard scenes in my future.

These paintings are currently on display for the Keene Art Walk at Ann Henderson Interiors through June 9th, 2013, 99 Main Street, Keene NH.



road to spring, oil on canvas, 20x16 inches. ©2011 Kristina Wentzell



a prayer in spring, oil on canvas, 40x40 inches. ©2012 Kristina Wentzell

 

A Prayer in Spring

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfil.

frequently the woods are pink, oil on canvas, 20x16 inches. ©2011 Kristina Wentzell

spring comes to the mountain, oil on canvas, 16x20 inches. ©2011 Kristina Wentzell


the orchard white, oil on canvas, 24x36 inches. ©2012 Kristina Wentzell







©2013 Kristina Wentzell
©2013 Kristina Wentzell

Happy Camper Mobile Art Gallery: 2013 Keene Art Walk

Happy Camper Mobile Art Gallery: 2013 Keene Art Walk: It was a beautiful night for Art Walk in Keene last night!   A big thank you to all the folks who stopped by the Happy Camper Mobile Art...