Thursday, October 23, 2008

The Wolfe Cabin


The Wolfe Cabin, long gone, mowed down to make way for a new and improved mansion on Lake Windermere, B.C., is being *rebuilt* in a painting. Fond memories were made for the Wolfe family in this little cabin. Memories of swimming, laying in the sand, and campfires long into the night. Winter offered skating and warming by the woodburning stove. Now it is gone. All that remains of the Wolfe Cabin is a small 12 X 14" frame, handmade with the wood from its wooden exterior, embellished with some of the original lichen that grew on it. This little frame is going to house the finished painting.
Commissioned by an investment firm, this is a retirement gift for Kevin, a long time client of mine. I originally painted a portrait of his cat Tabitha more than 25 years ago. I found my original reference photos of Tabitha and my plan is to sit her in one of the the windows of the finished piece, as a little surprise for Kevin.
Working on this piece is a nice change for me, from painting horses, and western scenes. I started this piece in late August. I took my french easel outside onto my deck in the backyard to work, enjoying the fresh air and getting into the *cabin* groove as a refreshing change. The attached image is the end result of this first, semi-plein aire painting.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Michelle, so good to have you post again and with a new painting! I would love it if you found the time to post more. I enjoyed interviewing you and learning about your work. I will keep you posted when the article comes out in RURAL HERITAGE. It should be in the Holiday issue, out around mid-November. Keep up the great work! All my best.
b

Michelle Grant said...

Nice to hear from you b! Yeah, I finally made the time to actually *touch* my blog...*doh*

Karen Thumm said...

Michelle, it's about time you posted to your blog again!

I love how loose this painting is when viewed up close (and LARGE!) on the computer screen and yet really pulls together in the smaller view. A cat in the window will be a perfect touch.

Keep on blogging! I am and find it's great motivation to get busy with the art again.