Spring Revival~New Landscape Painting and Narrative

Hill Country Revival

Spring Landscape of Texas

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spring's Revival

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

by Cindy Morawski

One of the first signs of spring for me in San Antonio is the subtle purplish-mauve color of the red-bud tree's blossoms. They peek out from the bare branches of our suburb's landscape signaling more good things to come. While taking a stroll around our neighborhood yesterday, I also noticed that the Bradford pear trees had come to life with their white, lacy blooms. Meanwhile, buzzing bees are back, and stretches of grass surround shrubs that haven't lost their leaves in the winter. They all seem to appear a brighter shade of green. Spring is in the air!

****************************

In honor of spring, I painted the above landscape Hill Country Revival, a Texas Landscape that depicts the land's recovery from winter. Wildflowers such as bluebonnets and prairie primrose dot the scene, while a rugged wagon lane leads you to a traditional Texas live oak tree and then further along into the country. A bright blue sky with soft puffy clouds announces new life as well. My plein air framed painting measures 11x14. It's now available as an original or print for purchase. Please check-out my website's gallery for more details. www.cindymorawski.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you're looking for a spring break outing next week, consider killing two birds with one stone, so-to-speak. The Bright Shawl Art Gallery and Lunch Tea Room is a great destination. Located at 819 Augusta in San Antonio, it is easy to access because it's just a few blocks off I-35 North. The Texas Pastel Society's Art Exhibit, featuring three of my landscapes, is currently showing at the Bright Shawl and will be running through May 6th. The gallery is open daily from 9 to 4. Lunch at the tea room and gallery exhibit is open weekdays, except for Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Chef John, a Culinary Institute of New York graduate, prepares delicious and affordable menus and buffets throughout the week. Paul and I sampled the buffet on March 1st and thought it was fantastic. We'd definitely recommend it! The tea room is filled with the natural light of a beautiful courtyard that is adjacent to the building. The Bright Shawl, a charming limestone cottage, was originally known as the King home, and it is now a Texas landmark. Its spacious facility accomodates groups for all types of receptions and banquets with catering and party planning also available. It's one of San Antonio's best-kept secrets in my opinion!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HAPPY SPRING!!!

~~Cindy

Morawski Fine Art

Mockingbird Studio and Gallery

8603 Waldon Hts.

San Antonio, TX 78254

210-522-0706

cski02@sbcglobal.net

Looking Back a Hundred Years, Homestead and Heritage, a Landscape Painting

Homestead and Heritage, a Landscape Painting

by Cindy Morawski

********************

I heard earlier this month that the drought in Texas is "officially" over. After driving on Loop 1604 this past weekend, I can believe it. I used the bluebonnet test for my measuring stick this spring. I found a sea of blue everywhere! Recently, I decided to check through my bluebonnet photos of the past. I clicked through my computer's picture files, and this is what I found. Last year's two photos showcased a group of only three random flowers in our community's greenbelt area. Of course, there were a few others in our greenbelt, but they had been nurtured. After lots of water, the protected ones finally bloomed. It was like looking at an endangered species in the zoo. That dang drought had done its damage! "What is that flower? Do you remember seeing it before?" I overheard someone say that as I was walking my dog down the greenbelt trail while shaking my head in disbelief. It wasn't until I went back three years ago into my picture files of 2007 that I found big-time bluebonnet evidence. My dog Phineas was surrounded in a thick blue carpet of neighborhood bluebonnets. I didn't have a small child handy to take a photo so I settled for my dog. Yikes! That drought did last a long time! Now I know why I appreciate this spring so much. I can't get over the many shades of green, the zillions of colorful wildflowers, and the gigantic weeds in my yard. It's truly amazing what a rainy season can do to San Antonio. After popping my allergy meds this past week, I've also said thanks every morning when I have awakened to all this beauty. Just Color My World!

********************************************************************************

Therefore, with all this appreciation of nature going on, I decided to paint a tribute to Texas and to the Season of Spring through a landscape painting. Of course, I had to feature wildflowers, especially bluebonnets. I added trees, grasses, and a rural cabin along my horizon and entitled it -- Homestead and Heritage. Nostalgia, like Charles Dickens, can bring out the best of times and the worst of times. During the drought, I felt nostalgic for rainfall, all things green, and blooming flowers. And it just so happens that when I think of Texas history, I also get a little bit sentimental about log cabins and a simpler time. That's why I felt compelled to place the cabin in my painting.

*********************************************************************************

One of my favorite San Antonio landscape artists who happened to be a genius in painting bluebonnets was Julian Onderdonk. I saw his beautiful paintings in an exhibit featured at San Antonio's Witte Museum on Broadway awhile ago. In my opinion, one of his best was painted in 1912, "Bluebonnet Field." It features the Texas Hill Country in all its bluebonnet splendor. In 1912, San Antonio must have had a spring that rivaled ours. Onderdonk's spring paintings can also be a measuring stick that there was no drought going on in 1912. When you look at his art work, you can see a sea of blue in his bluebonnet landscapes. Almost a hundred years later, I can almost imagine how Julian must have felt gazing out at all those bluebonnets. Spring in Texas. Can it get any better than this?