This is, for me, a great opportunity to feature portraits I painted between 1997 and 2012. I exhibited the first wall of portraits at Nashawannuck Gallery, Easthampton, MA in 2000. Nearly 90 townspeople were portrayed in oil on 10 X 10 inch panels for that exhibit. It might be interesting to see again how I made these impressionistic renditions. There have been many new ones painted in these past 12 years. I paint these portraits in "conversation sessions"of not longer than 2 hours. No one is required to sit still. That brings excitement and challenge into the effort and results in

studies that are full of movement and imperfection.

It cleared up nicely this afternoon and we got these light fluffy clouds floating gently by.

I am absolutely addicted to painting the fast-moving clouds we have been having for the past month. Today they started like this and now are fleeing even faster but dull and angry-a real SW storm.

Maybe we will have seen the last butterfly in the garden, but the sunflowers are holding on to their blazing glory. First frost last night and that is the sign of winter to come. I can hold the feeling of late summer flowers in my paintings. They give my house the extra warmth it needs on those frosty fall days.

Our view between the two trees going out and back into the polder. I have painted this many times. Everthing is constantly changing although the two trees and their unique shapes "sculpted" by Herman every spring are somewhat constant points. I never tire of looking into the distance and dreaming of infinity.

Dutch Skies

                                                          Here's the dessert today.

Painting Dutch Skies

It doesn't look like I will run out of subject matter. Every day is a continuing procession of changing forms and colors. Following the flow of movement is addicting.

Couldn't resist sending this one- hot off the easel. such fun to do. never want to stop watching these dramatic skies and having the excitement of following the upsweeping waves of color and form.

These absolutely fantastic days of crashing-into-each-other cloud formations have gripped me by the throat and sent me to the easel. I have begun a series of thumbnails, the smallest so far being this one:10 X 15 cm. on prepared mat board panels. I let the brush go where it wants, following trails of colors sailing across my field of vision. I couldn't imagine doing these from photos. That would be boring for me. I want the excitement of change, the freedom to let the paint go where my eyes take it.
More tomorrow.

Today I want to honor my son, Craig Johns, Cummington, Ma. He made this Iron Scrap sculpture some years ago at a time he was over here in Holland for a few months. I will be featuring more of his work on an off. We have a large collection of Craig's Iron Scrap sculptures in our gardens. This piece is called "The Family". Yes, we have chickens which might have inspired Craig. The idea of his own family did not exist at that time. He now has a wife, Joy, two children of hers-Drew nearly 13 years old and Anwyn, 10 years old, and their baby Cooper Thomas Johns,  1 year old on September 2nd. Who would have thought it-exactly what it turned out to be?

Herman's Carnae water lilies

Today I want to honor Herman and this year's superb crop of water lilies. I paint them when inspired by the light going over the mystical waxy petals. Someone recently asked to have a bouquet of Carnae's for a wedding. They will come open around 10 a.m. and close slowly around 4 p.m. for about 4 days in a vase. look to his part of the website: www.waterlelies.nl

Today is the 1st birthday of my grandson, Cooper Thomas Johns, Cummington, Ma., USA. I will be enjoying the beauty of nature here in Holland- right in my own backyard. This series of landscapes is painted in oil, then paper and then another layer of oil to produce a sensually ethereal impression of the world I see from my garden.