Greetings, friends! This past September, John and I took our second road trip out west to see some of our most spectacular National Parks. We drove through 23 states and visited 7 National Parks: Yellowstone and Grand Tetons in Wyoming, Glacier in Montana, Yosemite and Death Valley in California, Zion in Utah, and Rocky Mountains in Colorado. All of them were new to us except for Zion, which we also visited last year. We returned this year to hike the park's famous Angel's Landing trail. It was every bit as awesome as we hoped, and probably the highlight of our trip. |
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Condors in Zion, 22 x 30 inches I am very excited about this piece! It comes from photos I took when we were at the very top of Angel's Landing, looking down into Zion Canyon, with huge California Condors soaring over a giant rocky spire. The pair repeatedly landed on a spot on the cliffside just out of sight below us, and we speculated that they may have had a nest there. Being critically endangered animals and one of the rarest birds in the world, it was a privilege to watch them so closely and hope that we were observing parents tending young. California condors are the largest North American land birds, with wingspans of up to 9.8 feet (3 meters)! Pictured below: John and me at the top of Angel's Landing and then back down at the trailhead, with the famous precipice visible behind us. We felt invigorated and successful at the end! |
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Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park, 8 1/4 x 13 1/2 inches, sold Yellowstone's Hayden Valley is a large, sub-alpine valley with vast meadows along the Yellowstone River. One of the most amazing things about Yellowstone is how huge and varied the park is. Aside from famous features like the geysers and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, there are boundless meadows, winding rivers, the very beautiful Yellowstone Lake, and, of course, tons of wildlife! |
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Grizzly practice.. We saw bears twice on our trip—first in Yellowstone and then in Yosemite— including a good, long look at a mama grizzly and her cub scavenging and digging for food in fallen, rotting tree trunks on the ground. I look forward to putting them into future paintings! |
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A few scenes from Oriental, NC I have family in Oriental and have lived there twice. My grandparents retired there the same year I was born, so the village holds some of my most treasured memories. My painting subjects will always return there from time to time. These paintings are from this summer, before our trip west. |
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Harborside Reflections 8 1/2 x 14 inches, contact me for purchase details On the evening that is depicted in this painting, I couldn't stop watching the reflections on the water. The air was cooling off after a hot day, the sounds of the boat hulls on the water were calming, and the reflections were beautiful and mesmerizing. How could I resist capturing it? I couldn't. |
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Around Oriental, 7 x 10 1/2 inches, available for purchase on Etsy A familiar scene if you've spent much time on the water around Oriental (and really, how could you go to Oriental and not spend much time on the water), where there are more boats than people and tucked behind so many homes are serene creeks lined with masts and hulls. |
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Red-bottomed Boat, 10 1/4 x 12 1/2 inches, sold I painted this scene from a photo that I took in 2009. I've studied and sketched it a couple of times over the years; it just kept calling to me. As with so many of my paintings, the idea incubated patiently until, one day, its time arrived and it was time to get out of my head and onto the paper. Happily, this painting was purchased by family members, so I'll get to visit it when I visit them in Oriental. |
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More new watercolors are available on Etsy Most of the original paintings in my shop are small works, so they're great for gifts! Visit the Original Watercolors section of my shop here. |
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Upcoming event: Best of Our State 2022 |
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Each January, Our State magazine “comes to life” with music, history, humor, storytelling, art, and food at the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, NC. The Best of Our State is a lively weekend of learning and luxury designed to rejuvenate the senses to begin the new year. This coming January, I'll be an invited speaker, along with Elizabeth Hudson, the editor of Our State about our collaboration for Silver Linings, a 2019 book that Elizabeth wrote and I illustrated. Find more information about the event on Our State.com. |
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Full-day Workshop: Taking Control of Your Watercolors Saturday, February 26 9 am – 4:30 pm, with a 45-minute break for lunch
All levels welcome, but students will get the most out of this class if they have at least tried watercolors before Tuition: $115 Registration: email me at laura@lauraposs.com
Have you ever thought that watercolors were unpredictable? This fun workshop will teach you to better understand the behavior of watercolors, putting you in charge of your paintings, removing most of the guesswork, and allowing you to paint more confidently. The key is to understand the nature of water on paper, and I want to show you how. As well as learning to understand watercolor behavior, you will gain new skills in paint application, handling edges, reserving whites, and correcting errors.
Class time will be divided between demonstration and time for guided practice. Basic watercolor painting supplies are required; a list will be provided at registration (or before, by request). Tuition is $115; you can pay 50% at the time of registration and the other 50% a week before class. Class size is limited to 5 students, so everyone will receive plenty of one-on-one attention. Contact me to register, laura@lauraposs.com
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Private lessons: I'm still teaching private watercolor lessons at my home in Greensboro, but my schedule is quite full at this time. If you'd like to be on a waiting list until I have more availability, you can find information and get in touch with me about classes here. |
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The holiday season is upon us! |
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I hope you all have a terrific Thanksgiving, wherever you end up this year. Enjoy the season of giving, thanks, and love that follows. And most of all, have an amazing new year! I'm always humbled by how many people are interested in my art and follow me through my watercolor journeys. Thank you so very much for being one of those people. All the best for a wonderful holiday season, Laura |
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Enjoy this newsletter? Why not forward to a friend? :) |
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