Growing up, I’ve always thought of my Grandmother as someone very special, almost as if she was of celebrity status. Our house walls were covered with her watercolor paintings. I was surrounded by her works of art daily, inspired by the sweeping, muted colors and the simple farmhouses, flowers and scenes of rural America she choose to focus on. I whole heartedly believe my love for art and color stems from having her paintings in my childhood home as well as her influence throughout my life. I didn’t spend nearly as much time with her growing up as I did my maternal Grandmother who lived close by throughout my life, but I do feel a strong bond with this grandmother, a kinship in spirit and creativity. This past week I was lucky enough to spend some time in her home and her studio. I had visited her studio before and just loved its magical elements. The pictures I took do not do the room justice, but I wanted to document them here anyway.

I love all the natural elements she has brought into this room. Old birds nests, rocks, branches and flowers she’s found on walks. She has pottery from all over the world and trinkets hidden in corners in case it strikes her fancy to paint them. She has a big, open window providing natural light that  looks out onto her property, where a moss-covered Adirondack chair sits outside in the overgrown grass, begging to be painted from inside. Her classical music c.d.s sit ready to provide aural inspiration and there are art books upon art books and picture upon picture that she has collected and taken to get her geared up to begin and finish a painting. I love how she not only has her own paintings framed and up on her walls but other painters art. She is not only a painter, but a genuine lover and collector of art and I think this makes her as an artist, so much more interesting. This room and the rest of her home is so inspiring. I’ve just recently been introduced to the word and philosophy of wabi sabi and I truly believe my grandmother’s home is the epitome of this aesthetic.

If you would like more information on where to get your hands on one of my grandmother’s incredible works of art you can go here. Or click on the Marty Rogers icon on the right hand side of my sidebar.