Merry Christmas!

"So Shines a Good Deed"  8"x 8"  $225 Framed

One more new painting that's on exhibit at Caffe Zingaro in Seattle through December 31. If you're heading to a performance of the Nutcracker over the holidays, Caffe Zingaro is only a block away and is a great place to grab an excellent coffee before or after the performance.

This painting's title is taken from Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice:

"How far that little candle throws it's beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world."

You can make a difference every day. Light your candle and change the world!

Merry Christmas to you all! 

The Light Shines in the Darkness

"The Light Shines in the Darkness"  8" x 8"  $225 Framed  

I am a huge fan of the work of local artist Angela Bandurka. Her acrylic paintings have such beautiful rich color and such a luminous glow in them! I saw a beautiful painting of hers called "Glow" this fall and I wondered if I could capture a similar glow in watercolor. I pulled some old candles out of the cupboard, cut some Nandina berries from my garden, and took hundreds of photos, trying to capture just the right light. Then in the watercolor, I did my best to layer the clearest possible reds and yellows and set them against the darkest possible darks. 

The darkness this time of year can be really tough. I'm always counting down the days until the winter solstice passes and the days start to lengthen again. (Only 6 days left now!) The cold is difficult for me too, and I loved the chance to paint this candle flame and revel in its warmth! 

At Christmas, we celebrate how Christ, the Light of the World, came and darkness fled! The title of this painting is taken from a Bible verse, John 1:5: "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it". What great hope we have in that! 

Merry Christmas to you and all those you love!

This painting is at Caffe Zingaro, 127 Mercer Street in Seattle through the end of December.

Art Print Sale, Monday, December 16, 2013

Looking for some affordable artwork for Christmas? 

I'm participating in an ART PRINT SALE on Monday, December 16 along with artists Connie M. Bishop, Helga Jaques, and Charlene Collins Freeman. Both framed and unframed prints will be available. All my prints are of archival quality, printed on watercolor paper, and meant to last a lifetime. Many are matted and ready to drop into a standard frame. 

There will be Christmas treats and artists painting on site! If you have questions about selection and pricing, just email me at cmeyerjames@yahoo.com. 

December 16, 2013, 11:00am - 7:00pm
CMB Gallery
1805 136th Pl. NE, Bellevue, WA

CMB Gallery is located in the corridors of the Ultimate Salon Studios in the Overlake area of Bellevue, Washington. For a map CLICK HERE.

Prints available from Catherine M. James

Winter Rose

"The Weight of Winter"  11" x 14"  SOLD

It's always difficult for me to see the garden fade with the coming of winter. For me, winter is a weight to bear. It comes at such a cost to so many delicate, beautiful things.

The roses don't give up easily. There is always a bud or two hanging on until Christmas, blooming against the odds. This fragile rose struggles on and shows it's beauty in spite of the cold and the snowy burden it bears.

Mountain Sunset in Winter

"Last Light, Winter"  18" x  24"  SOLD  

In winter's short days, the sunset always seems to come too early. I wanted to capture that precious last light and warmth of the sun at the end of the too-short day. This is a scene from the Methow Valley in Washington, just east of the Cascade Mountains. As the warm sunlight recedes, the cold shadows lengthen and the mist flows into the valley. The pinkish light of the sunset catches on the tops of the hills just before it disappears.

This painting is at Caffe Zingaro at 127 Mercer Street for the December 2013 show, but it has sold already!

To see another painting I've done of the Methow Valley, click here.

Fern in Snow

"Fern in Snow"  11"x 14"  $475 Framed

I am so glad to finally be able to share my new winter watercolors with you! I've been painting like a fiend for the last couple months in preparation for the new show at Caffe Zingaro. 

This painting is another one from my garden. I have always had a real affection for ferns. I grow at least a dozen different ferns in my garden, including a couple huge Tasmanian tree ferns and a monster-sized Australia fern! This painting is a sword fern (polystichum munitum), one the most common woodland plants in the Northwest US. Drought-tolerant, happy in the shade, evergreen even in the mountains even under the snow, this fern is indestructible. Sword ferns often grow in the most pleasing spiral shapes. I loved how the dusting of snow accentuated the patterns in the long elegant fronds of this fern. 

If you'd like to see this painting in person, it will be on display at Caffe Zingaro at 127 Mercer Street in Seattle through the month of December. Stop in for a nice cup of coffee while you are enjoying holiday performances in or around Seattle Center!

December 2013 Art Show at Seattle Center

I have a new show of my artwork at Caffe Zingaro near Seattle Center!

Caffe Zingaro is at 127 Mercer Street, just up from the Opera House, Intiman Theater, and Seattle Rep and across the street from Teatro Zinzanni and the Metropolitan Market.

If you're visiting Seattle Center during the holidays for the Nutcracker ballet or other performance, this is a terrific place to grab a lovely pastry and a really excellent cup of coffee!

The show includes 15 of my watercolors including 6 brand new pieces that have never been shown before! (I'll be introducing the new paintings to you in blog posts over the next several weeks.)

When you stop in, be sure and register to win a ready-to-frame print of my painting "Fireworks Finale"! (Look for the little clear plastic ballot box on the shelves next to the napkins and sugars!)

My watercolors will be up at Caffe Zingaro through the end of December.

Win a print of "Fireworks Finale"!