Autumn's Passing

"Embers"   18" x 20"  Framed $950

Just had to do one last painting of the beautiful fall leaves. As autumn fades and winter takes hold, it's nice to recall those sunny cool days with long shadows, the crisp wind tossing the leaves, and the embers of fiery color.

Autumn Leaves

Autumn's Stained Glass  11" x 15"  Framed $525

Clear autumn days can be just magical. The low-angled sunshine highlights the drama and color of the changing leaves. Walking under the trees, I feel like I'm in a cathedral surrounded by colorful stained glass windows as the trees sing hymns to their maker in the golden light.

This painting is available through DailyPaintworks.com.

Fiddlehead Unfurling

Unfurling   8"x 8"   Framed $225

Aren't the fiddleheads of ferns remarkable? A whole fern frond wrapped up neatly in a perfect spiral package. A spring of organic life unloading its potential energy. A mathematical golden spiral unfurling a magnificent fractal form.

I grow several Tasmanian Tree Ferns (Dicksonia antarctica) in my garden. They're in pots and must be moved into the garage during the coldest part of the winter, but they love cool, damp Seattle weather. The fronds are huge and the fiddleheads are so very impressive as they emerge.

This original watercolor painting is currently available on DailyPaintworks.com.

Grand Teton National Park

"High Country Sunset"  18" x 24"  $850 Framed 

Somehow, I managed to miss posting this recent painting from our summer vacation to Grand Teton National Park. What a magnificently beautiful place! Every sunset behind the peaks was an artistic performance. I tried to capture that special light at dusk. In this scene, the yellow wildflowers are almost in silhouette against the setting sun.

Autumn Tapestry

Autumn Study in Red & Green   8" x 8"  Framed $225

I am having so much fun with these colors! The reddish-purples connect with the reds and greens and together they create such a beautiful tapestry! Do you see the spiral in this watercolor? The spiral composition keeps your eye moving around the painting. This little piece is available through Daily Paintworks. Click here to take a look.

Trilliums in the Snow

"Trillium Nivale - The Snow Trillium"  14" x 18"  SOLD 

I just finished this watercolor for Cottage Lake Gardens​. It features Trillium nivale, the Snow Trillium. It's a tiny little trillium, native to the Great Lakes States. It blooms so early in the spring, that sometimes there's still snow on the ground. If you're not familiar with Cottage Lake Gardens in Woodinville, Washington, it's a remarkable place - one of the only places in the world where you can see all 48 of the world's trillium species growing in one location! If you'd like to see some of the other trillium watercolors I've painted for Cottage Lake Gardens over the past several years, Click Here.

Autumn's Red Carpet

"Red Carpet"  8" x 8"  SOLD

The nights are getting colder and the tips of the trees are beginning to change. Soon Autumn will be here in all her glory, rolling out her carpet of red and gold.

This watercolor is one of some smaller paintings I've started creating for DailyPaintworks.com. I just joined a week ago. I'm very honored to be including my watercolors among the work of so many artists I admire so greatly!

I hope to post a couple new paintings each week on Daily Paintworks. (My paintings are just too detailed and time-consuming for me to be able to complete a new painting every day.) I think this will be a great opportunity for friends to acquire my smaller original paintings more reasonably because they're unframed. You can find "Red Carpet" here on Daily Paintworks.

Bridges

"Under the Bridge" 11" x 15" Framed $425

These days are filled with transitions for me - bridges. In a few short weeks, my daughter is off to college. With an ache, I'm watching all the families my children grew up with say goodbye as their kids leave the nest, too. Life just isn't very good at staying the same. When you cross some bridges, you just never know how the transition will go. Who knows what the bridges in our lives might have hiding under them? In this Japanese garden, beautiful and mysterious koi are hiding in the shadows under the bridge. I'm watching the reflections and waiting for a few beautiful things to come swimming out from under my bridges, too.

Tulip Tapestry

"Tulip Tapestry"  24" x 18"  Framed $950

Spring passes so quickly and the tulips come and go in the blink of an eye! I know it's a little late in the season for tulips, but I just finished this large and rather detailed painting and wanted to share it with you.

The interwoven layers of color in this field of tulips reminded me of a tapestry. All those vertical stems are like the warp threads in a garden of woven fabric. I tried to capture how the spring light was filtering through the flowers. The dark bushes in the background set off the colors so beautifully. Can you see the happy little hidden frog, too?

The Art of the Front Porch

"Ruth's Front Porch"  8"x 8"  SOLD

I have a few friends who are "artists of the home". Every little corner of their house looks like a painting. I admire their attention to detail and housekeeping artistry so much! My home, by contrast, is a random collection of mostly uninteresting but functional things, usually buried under camping gear, creative project materials, or piles of things to be taken care of later.

Ruth is one of those friends who fills her house with charming, thoughtful details. Walking to the front door of her blue house with the blue delphiniums, the white railing matches the white rocking chairs perfectly and there is a painting just waiting to happen.

Midsummer at the Lake

"Midsummer Sunset, Turtle"  10" x 18"   $525 Framed  

Paddling around in a canoe can be great fun. I always enjoy sneaking quietly up on the turtles sunning themselves on the rocks. This guy is catching the last rays of the sun on a hot summer's day. The golden light and buzzing dragonflies make it seem like a magical midsummer evening. You know the fairies can't be far away.

Spring in the Mountains

"Snowmelt"   24" x 16"  Framed $850

Anyone recognize this location? This is in Mazama, Washington in the meadows where we cross-country ski. That's Goat Peak in the distance. (If you look carefully, you can just see the lookout at the top.)

I've always had this fondness for skiing through this little stand of birch trees. The vertical white lines they make are just such fun!

In this painting, I played around with changing the color of the trees from yellow-green to blue as they recede. I also reduced the contrast in the far-away hills to emphasize the distance. The golden touches on the snow and on the hillside let you know that the sun feels warm and spring is on its way.

Daffodils

"Daffodil Duet"  11" x 14"  Framed $525  

I finally got organized and had some quality scans done of my most recent work. I am so pleased to be able to share my new work with you at last! This new watercolor features "ice follies" daffodils from my garden. Their buttery-yellow faces are so cheerful!

Those of you who've been following my work for a while know that I sometimes like to hide a little frog in the painting. (The frogs are my little indicator species letting everyone know that all is well in the garden.) Can you find him in this painting?

I'm continuing to show my work at Gallery North in Edmonds, Washington. If you are looking for a very pleasant outing on a nice spring day, the Edmonds waterfront has some beautiful walkways and there are lovely little shops and restaurants all around the downtown area. Gallery North is right on Main Street just up from the ferry dock and they're open 7 days a week. You can find new original watercolors of mine available there every month, as well as fine art prints and cards of my work.

Enjoy every moment of the spring that you can!

New Trilliums in Bloom

2015 Trillium Tour Poster Artwork

Once again, I have had the privilege to create the artwork for for this year's Cottage Lake Gardens Trillium Tours poster! (See the 2012, 2013, and 2014 posters below.)

Trilliums are a rare spring wildflower that require 7 years from planted seed to flower. Many species of trilliums are endangered and protected. ALL of the 48 species of trilliums in the world can be seen growing at Cottage Lake Gardens in Woodinville, Washington, just a few miles from where I live! This year's poster artwork features the impressively tall, reddish pink Trillium chloropetalum. These amazing trilliums are in bloom at Cottage Lake Gardens as we speak!

If you're interested in participating in this year's spring Trillium Tours at Cottage Lake Gardens, there are only a few spaces left, so don't hesitate to sign up.

For more information about Trilliums or Cottage Lake Gardens, please visit cottagelakegardens.com. Posters and note cards featuring my trillium paintings and other trillium-related gifts can also be purchased from the Cottage Lake Gardens website.

2014 Poster

2013 Poster

2012 Poster

Woodinville City Hall Art Exhibit

Woodinville City Hall

I am very honored to have an exhibit of my artwork at the Woodinville City Hall in December and January. This show, titled "Seasons in the Wild Garden", includes 20 of my original paintings. Each of the four seasons is featured in watercolors displayed in different areas of the City Hall.

All paintings are available for purchase and can be released from the exhibit for holiday gift giving. Please contact me at catherinemjamesart@gmail.com if you are interested in purchasing a painting. 10% of all sales will be donated to the Rotary Club of Woodinville.

The exhibit runs through January 31st.

Woodinville City Hall is open to the public on weekdays:
17301 133rd Ave. NE, Woodinville, WA
Monday-Thursday 7:30am-5:00pm and Fridays 7:30am-4:00pm.

Winter Watercolors in the Council Chambers

 

Summer and Fall

Spring Paintings

Snowy River

"Snowfall, Sammamish River" 18" x 24"  $850 Framed  

This is the Sammamish River, just down the hill from where I live. I wanted to show the quiet stillness that happens when it snows. Snow is not common here in western Washington, and everyone stays home when it snows. I love the silent hush that covers the busy city whenever the snow falls.

It was quite a challenge for me to paint softly and without many edges, but wonderful to have the chance to paint with so many beautiful grays!

 

I've been going the extra mile with the framing on my latest larger pieces and I'm particularly pleased with this one. I've framed "Snowfall" with a "float frame" instead of my usual double mat. (You can see the soft edges of the painting.) Thank you to Ben Franklin Frame Shop in Redmond for creating this gray weathered frame that compliments the painting so perfectly!

"Snowfall, Sammamish River" will be one of more than 20 of my watercolors hanging in the Woodinville City Hall in an exhibit titled "Seasons in the Wild Garden" during December and January.  The art exhibit is open to the public weekdays during City Hall hours: Monday-Thursday 7:30am-5:00pm and Fridays 7:30am-4:00pm. I hope you'll have a chance to stop in and see this significant show of so many of my watercolors!

Woodinville City Hall
17301-133rd Avenue NE
Woodinville, WA 98072

Wishing the Fall Leaves Farewell

"Autumn Light"   18" x 24"   $750 Framed 

We've just had a week of frosty weather and autumn has changed into winter. The dying of the leaves is always tough for me. Our winters in Seattle are short compared to many places, but 4 or 5 months without leaves is never something I look forward to. But I am grateful for the beautiful show the leaves put on as the season closes.

I've been watching this week how the light and colors are changing with the cold. The sky has become more of a blue-green than the rich blue of summer. The greens are tired and faded. The shadows are long. The frost lingers in the cold shadows and there's always a faint low fog in the trees. The light is low and it catches the colorful leaves from the side and sets them ablaze.

This scene is from near the entrance to Marymoor Park in Redmond.

Autumn Vines

"String of Hearts"  11" x 14"  Framed $475 

These vines are planted everywhere in the Seattle area to cover and soften concrete walls. Intertwining vines make such beautiful pictures. I've probably taken hundreds of photos of the ones near Marymoor Park in Redmond, not far from where I live.

One of the reasons I enjoy painting with watercolor is because I am so fond of lines. Watercolor makes it so easy to paint such clean, lovely lines! And of course vine-covered walls are just filled with elegant lines.

I love how these vines change so unevenly in the fall, showing a whole spectrum of color at once. I especially love how the younger leaves in these vines look like necklaces of colorful hearts.

Collecting Chestnuts

"Autumn Treasures, Chestnuts"  18" x 18"  SOLD

When I was little, I always looked forward to collecting chestnuts behind my grandmother's house. Inside the spiky hard covers I would discover these jewels of smooth beautiful redness that were more magnificent treasures to me than gold coins.

Ice Wine Label Art

 

I just finished this commissioned painting for Finn Hill Winery. This artwork will be featured on the label of Finn Hill's upcoming semillon ice wine from Rosebud Vineyards. An ice wine is interesting as it requires very unique conditions. It's made from grapes that are frozen on the vine and results in a sweet dessert wine. 

I've been lucky enough to contribute artwork to a number of Finn Hill Winery's labels. To see some of the other wine label artwork I've done for them click here. 

If you have the chance to go wine tasting in Woodinville, Washington this month, be sure to stop in at Finn Hill Winery! Owner, Rob Entrekin, makes all of his wines on-site and is happy to share fascinating details about his wine-making process. I have 17 of my original watercolors on exhibit at Finn Hill Winery right now, plus new 2015 Art Calendars available. Thank you again to everyone who joined me for the Artist Reception at Finn Hill Winery on Sunday, August 24!

Finn Hill Winery is open for tasting 12:00-5:00 each Saturday. They are located in the Woodinville Warehouse Winery District at 18800 142nd Ave NE. (Click here for a map.)