My last trip was way back in December. It seems like yesterday, and also like it was years ago. I happily rode trains around Europe: Amsterdam, The Hague, Düsseldorf, Cologne and Haarlem, greedily looking at every piece of art along the way. No more of that for awhile. So in pandemic isolation, I’m making my own art. I’ve always been an occasional Sunday painter. Now pretty much every day is Sunday, so I’m working on becoming a better Sunday painter.
Springtime in the Rockies of Colorado, fruit trees were in glorious blossom and skies were blue.
I got out my brushes and tubes, aiming for a small painting a day.
Pretty soon, Colorado Columbine were in bloom.
Aspen leafed out and we took a lot of long sunny walks.
I filled my deck with flowers, managed to keep them alive, and set up my easel.
One of my cats demanded a portrait too.
I’m waiting for a bear to raid the crabapple tree outside my window. Its leaves are just now starting to turn, and local bears are stuffing themselves again. This one spent most of a day a couple of years ago having at the crabapples.
I realize how lucky I am to spend this pandemic year in a beautiful place creating whatever modest homemade art I can.
I don’t take anything for granted. But I’ll be very happy if and when the day comes that I can wander again on planes, trains and automobiles, looking at art much better than mine. 
castlesandcoffeehouses.com 
Love your cat’s arch expression! I second that wish to be getting on trains and planes in search of art again.
Right, that was from my very first picture of my Coco the day I met her in the shelter. I saw her online and drove through a snowstorm to get her. She knew she had me!
Lucky Coco and lucky you!
Beautiful! I love the trees with white/grey bark. Are those aspen or birch? I love flowers and plants, but I’m not knowledgeable about their names. You are blessed to spend this time in such a beautiful place.
Thanks for sharing! It brightened my day.
Thank you so much! These are aspen, which we have in Colorado, but they’re very similar to the white birch I grew up with in Minnesota. I love them all. Hope you and yours are staying well and you’re able to travel again soon!
I think your paintings are beautiful! I would buy them if they were for sale.
Thank you so much, Paula! Actually I’m going to try selling paintings online as soon as I get better and have more of them. I want to get serious about it. Missing you, hoping to see you before too long!
I missed this one and the previous post. Glad I scrolled through after reading your most recent post.
Loved seeing some of your paintings! That was fun and hope you keep sharing to motivate others to pick up a paint brush and give it a whirl. Exploring what might be a hidden talent is fun.
Thanks so much! I’ve never had so much time to paint. I hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas season and hopefully are able to get together in some shape or form.