Loves to Knit

I think this is done, more or less. I’d thought of doing this months ago but was side-lined by end-of-season yardwork and the threat of oncoming winter blizzards. Still, I’d often find it helpful to take a break from painting and go out and plant crocus or rake leaves — just to clear my head. I’m in love with the work of Michigan artist Andrea Kowch, and if you’re familiar with her work, you’ll notice I kind of borrowed a little from one of her backgrounds. She often has lots of animals in her paintings, so I dared add a few here. If it’s good enough for her, it’s good enough for me! Who knows – maybe I’ll add a few more.

This painting is a portrait of my friend Gail and her beloved dog, Zephyr. She’s quite the knitter. Here her knitting is coming up out of Zephyr’s fur. In a way this painting symbolizes how one can find peace in a crazed, violent world, by getting lost in the creative process.

If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll notice I’d changed the pattern of the knitting. Originally I’d tried painting criss-crossing cables, but my brain just couldn’t compute! So this morning I invented a new pattern.

I couldn’t resist throwing in an intrepid couple in their canoe out on the raging Lake Michigan. They remind me of friends Linda and John on one of our wild kayak adventures a few years ago.