From Gray to Scarlet; Some science and spirit behind the red legend.

Last week I kept seeing Cardinals everywhere. He was on the trail everyday when I ran. 

He showed up in my yard. It was one of those things where I knew it wasn’t going to stop until I painted him.

I’m really glad I did. I needed him to remind me.


 There is so much I could write on the cardinal, but I'll save a few tidbits for the next painting he graces. ( I know he's not done with me.) Cardinals hold significance on many levels for me. I was born a Buckeye, so these fierce little songbirds will always hold a place in my “heart of it all”. (Along with Ohio, the cardinal was also named state bird of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.)
They are gorgeous birds with a song that truly does sound like “cheer”. Seriously, youtube it. 
It’s even more special to me that the reddish brown and gray females of this species, while not as bright and bold in color, actually do sing. This puts a damper on the former theories that birdsong was only a male trait for sexual selection. For me, it’s a great metaphor for women everywhere. We have a voice, and it’s not all about mating. Sing on, sister!
Although cardinals do mate for life, which leads to this next interesting fact-
Male cardinals actually lose some of their brilliant crimson color while helping to rear nestlings. 
They are great parents that fiercely protect the nest. Dad birds. What?! I know, right?

 Artwork & Play in-progress

But when they aren’t being awesome bird fathers, they are territorial and aggressive. They are known for fighting with other crimson cards, including those they see reflected in glass.
Warriors, indeed. Cardinals can also be a warning symbol of aggressive vanity that might be holding us back.

It’s easy to see why the male cardinal’s fiery crimson plumage always captures our attention, especially on those bleak winter days. But there really is so much about these birds that brings me awe and peace, it’s no wonder that the final and most important symbol of a cardinal is that of an esoteric nature.
Many say that seeing a cardinal is representative of a visit from a loved one that has passed.

All of us live our daily lives with a certain amount of heartache for those we have lost.
Some days can be a proverbial blizzard. The forest is whipped with icy winds, the snow is blinding, our feet and hands are numb, and the tears freeze on our eyelashes. It makes it hard to see the path let alone keep on walking.
Then a brilliant flash of red reminds us it won’t be winter forever. The sun will shine. The snow will melt. The wind will subside. A song of Cheer.

I titled this painting Cardinal Direction with that in mind.
When we are mindful, seeing these birds can influence how we direct our steps and our thoughts afterward, even through the bitter cold winds. Thank you, Cardinal. 

Do you have a cardinal story?

                                    I'd love to hear it. Please, leave a comment or Contact me.  :) 

Click HERE for details on the original or to order a hand signed print of "Cardinal Direction".

Slow and Steady

 I often come across tortoises on my daily trail route, but this guy made me stop and rest for a bit.
It's not the most exciting trail sighting, it's actually very common. Somehow I usually go right by the slow pokes, a quick nod and smile, then I continue looking for more exotic creatures to ignite my creative spark.

 Although I often whine about needing to, I rarely take the time to slow down. Life gets busy and it all seems to pile up so high that I can't see the green grass all around me.
This tortoise was exactly what I needed this week.
I had the chance to snap a few pictures of him (or her!) eating, and I when I got home, I decided to clear my schedule for the day.
I ignored emails and texts, I ate a weird concoction of all the things I was craving (sauerkraut, almond cheese, and pepitas)
I enjoyed an afternoon thunderstorm, and then went into the studio and painted myself a tortoise.

(New meaning of fun with alcohol)

 See? Going into your shell isn't always a bad thing!
This original painting is a very unique piece of my work unlike my other watercolor paintings, as it combines watercolor and alcohol on a canvas panel coated with watercolor grounds. The alcohol drips and mediums make a very unique effect on the non-traditional watercolor surface.

 Visit me on facebook and comment for a chance to win an art print.

Do you need to slow down and draw into your shell? 

Let the tortoise remind you to protect what's really important; you!

If you would like to add this "Slow & Steady" original painting to your art collection,

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Dragonfly Druzy

 After dragonflies kept appearing to me, following me, and even landing on me, I was a little baffled.
I would see literally dozens of dragonflies every day that I went on my trail run or ride. (Ummm, ok, so it's actually not very cool when you're zoned out while running and one of these big guys flies right into your face or lands on your neck.)
When they started showing up at my house, I knew I couldn't ignore it as coincidence. It was time to learn more about this mesmerizing winged animal totem.

 A few years ago, I was a volunteer at Hospice Savannah. As the art activities facilitator of a children's bereavement group and photographer at Camp Aloha, I often came across the lovely and comforting story of dragonflies.

(Here's a brief re-telling by Walter Dudley Cavert.)

I can't say that I undoubtedly think these visitations are a sign that a departed loved one is trying to communicate with me, but I do know that a wise woman looks deeper and considers how she might apply the traditional myths of such a coincidence to her own situation.
 Transformation, transition, transcendence, light, and seeing past illusion are just a few things dragonflies symbolize. They have also been seen as a sign of good luck, and the loose style I felt needed to communicate their energy fits perfectly into my luck series, so of course, I painted a dragonfly.

"Dragonfly Druzy" 11x14, Watercolor on Aquabord, © D. Renée Wilson, 2014

 Glittering light on dragonfly wings is very reminiscent of a druzy.
A Druzy is a fine coating of crystals that have grown on a rock fracture surface, and I've always been drawn to them. I thought it was a fitting title since the dragonfly can symbolize light and transition. Through brokenness and loss, we can often see light that would have otherwise remained hidden. 
Since I painted the dragonfly, I haven't seen quite as many on the trail, but I'm keeping my eyes open for the next muse mother nature sends to me.
This Dragonfly Druzy is titled and ready to find a new home! 
  Does the dragonfly speak to you?
It may be time to look past illusion and toward transition. Let the mystery and magic of the dragonfly guide you through growth and transcendence.