Favorite Artist Friday ~ Trisha Romance

Star of Wonder

I fell in love with the work of Trisha Romance in 1990, when a friend purchased a print from this artist, while visiting Niagra-on-the-Lake in Canada, entitled "Christmas Morning."

My husband knew how much I loved her work and gave me "Silent Night", in 1993, as a Christmas gift. We later purchased "Candlelight Stoll" and "The Home Bakery." Her paintings are printed in limited edition prints and then the plates are destroyed.

"Star of Wonder" is another favorite that I sent out as our Christmas card several years ago.

I love the way the artist tells a story about each of her enchanting paintings and have include them below each one.

Silent Night

On Christmas Eve, the white blanket of new fallen snow surrounding our home, seemed so "calm and bright" that only an angel would dare to tread on it.

As we gathered around the table, to give thanks and sing glory to the Newborn King, heavenly peace blessed our family.

Peace on earth seemed a certain thing. As certain as the joy that filled our hearts, and as certain as the Star that led the three wisemen to the place of our Savior's birth, on that first "Silent Night". ~ Trisha

Candlelight Stroll

There is a night, a most romantic night in our town, truly unlike any other. It is an evening that warms the hearts of many and gives new life to even the most serious Scrooge. Early in the evening, many folks dressed in traditional apparel, mix Christmas shopping and socializing as the town prepares for "The Victorian Candlelight Stroll". Christmas music fills the air and just the sound of sleighbells is enough to transport one into a past century. Candles are sold by the hundreds so that not a soul is missed. Faces glow, not from just the candles they hold to celebrate the seasonal event but, with the Spirit of Christmas.

By the time the clock tower strikes seven, the townsfolk and all their visitors join the choir from the courthouse stairs. One by one the candles are lit from stranger to stranger, from loved one to loved one. And the chorus of "Alleluia" sends a tingle up your spine and brings a tear to the eye.

I dedicate this painting to all who have created this magic in many towns across our country, from the candle man to the smallest caroler. ~ Trisha

The Home Bakery

 The Candlelight Stroll wouldn't be the same without a trip to the bakery to fill up on gingerbread men, fruit cake and shortbread. Everything is bundled up in the familiar white box and wrapped up with string, but when we leave I realize that I've acquired much more than I paid for....a childlike joy that warms the insides and a feeling that in all the hustle and bustle it's the simple pleasures that satisfy and fill the soul. ~Trisha

After almost losing her eyesight at the age of four, Trisha gained a new appreciation of sight and thus an artist was born. After the bandages were removed from her eyes, she began drawing everything she saw. She said she felt an indescribable sense of light, freedom and happiness and believes it was a miracle. She has not stopped drawing nor painting since.  In 1989 she suffered from a venous angioma in her brain which has limited her ability to work as she once did. Her bio is long, but a must read if you like her work. She has a way of putting so much light, life and love into her art. I can get lost looking into these magical prints, imagining the stories that are going on within them.

Featured Artist Friday: Laura Frankstone

Francophile, painter, passionate drawer and travel sketcher

It is only fitting that my first featured, and one of my favorite, artist is Laura Frankstone. It is, afterall, how I discovered the world of blogging. While doing a search on another favorite artist, I came across Laura’s blog, Laurelines. At the time, I had never heard the term “blog”, but was enamored the minute I found Laurelines. I went back and read every post she had posted prior to that day. I fell in love with her loose, fluid style immediately.

That was almost three years ago. Since then I have been following Laura as she travels the world -- sketching and painting and telling the story as she goes. I love seeing the world through her eyes.

Her travel sketchbooks are a large part of her life. She is a painter and a passionate travel sketcher, but trained, at universities, in oils. She took up watercolors as a way to make exciting travel sketches.

In 2007 Laura's travel sketchbooks were exhibited at the Biennale du Carnet de Voyage at Clermont-Ferrand, France.
Laura said, in an interview on The Artful Parent, “About three years ago, I turned away from painting to devote myself to drawing, to keeping sketchbooks and travel journals. I was stuck in the studio and needed new energy. I also started my blog Laurelines at that point. I work best within rather narrow parameters, so that first year I set myself a plan to immerse myself in the study of color. I devoted six weeks to each color in the spectrum and kept daily sketchbooks dealing with those colors. The second year, my goal was to become completely fluent in drawing. I divided the year up into twelve themes and drew within those themes every day of each month. Part of my plan that year was to spend a whole month in Paris, sketching—and I did! Last year, I gave myself a more free-ranging set of goals, but I was no less assiduous."

Last year her central theme, both metaphorically and literally, was her search for water. She continues her focus on watery painting this year, with a month long trip planned to Brittany.

She is also illustrating a food lovers guide to her area,

has done some wedding sketching for a friend, and has many more exciting things to share with us this year.

As Twyla Tharp said, “You don’t get in the mood to create --- it’s discipline." Laura’s discipline is something I truly admire and respect about her as an artist. “I don’t believe in waiting for moments of inspiration. Inspiration comes as you work.”, says Laura. Insisting on discipline and orderliness in my own work, it is a quality I appreciate intensely.

I am indebted to Laura for the influence she has had on me unknowingly. Not only have I started my own blog, but she has inspired me to start painting and sketching again (after being mostly self-taught) and has me energized with the idea of wedding sketching, as something fun and exciting to offer to my wedding clients. Wanting more professional training, I have signed up for several watercolor classes over the next year and a half. Maybe I will be brave enough to post some of my work someday soon.

I commissioned Laura to paint the front window of my stationery shop. I am planning to meet her, for the first time, when she visits Asheville in August!

There are so many more favorite sketches and paintings than I can possibly begin to share with you here, so you must visit her at Laurelines to see more. I promise it will be worth the visit!! Please check out her 101 faces. Laura does the most soulful eyes I have ever seen.

Laura Frankstone has one of the most fascinating lives of anyone I know. I live vicariously through her and cannot wait to see where she will take us next!