3.10.2016

Wisdom and Light

"We study for light to bless with light."

That's the adage found on one of the stained glass windows in Orr Chapel on the campus of Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, MS. Each year the alumni association holds an auction - The Long Blue Line Auction - to support faculty grants and student scholarships. For the past couple of years I have been honored to be asked to contribute an item to be auctioned.

This year's contribution is based on that window in Orr Chapel. The seated figure is Wisdom - never a bad acquaintance. Wisdom sits on her throne and reminds those who see her of the connection between wisdom and study and light and blessing.

This is the painting - acrylic - that I created based on the window.
The window was designed and created by Lamb Studios in New York City. It serves as a memorial to Annie Coleman Peyton (1852-1898), a founding mother of what is today MS University for Women. The school was chartered in 1884 as Industrial Institute and College.

3.07.2016

Gingko Leaves

Not too long ago, ginkgo leaves were falling everywhere... and falling in some very unusual colors! Lynn Miller Design was part of a paint-your-own picture party, an event developed to raise funds for Mississippi University for Women's local alumni chapter scholarship.
I painted two examples to provide a starting place for color and arrangement, but participants created their own designs using custom ginkgo leaf stencils. When I was approached about being part of this event, my only "requirement" was that the design allowed for lots of individuality and not everyone making a line with the same color of paint at the same time. There were as  many different compositions and color schemes as there were painters. And that's the way I like it!
There is a huge ginkgo tree on MUW's campus, and its leaves have a special place in the heart of "W" students. The paintings were all done on 16" x 20" canvases with acrylic paint.