Category Archives: Art

Beautiful Shiba Inu…

20 Wednesday Dec 2023

Posted by in Animals, Art, Dogs, Relationships, watercolor

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© Joan Currie My watercolor of “Yumi,” our rescue Shiba Inu

Mischievous Shiba lives for those moments when you tell him he can’t do something. “No” means a very interesting challenge, and he will devise all sorts of strategies to subvert you. from Shibashake.com

Christmas arrived early in the form of a delightful Shiba Inu named Yumi. She is our second rescue dog and now a devoted companion to her bigger, but not older sister, Kimmie. This sweet dog was initially very anxious, trembling in the corner of her cage, and not making eye contact. But my daughter, Lauren, was very patient and loving with her, and now this 16 pound bundle of joy has become a playful and charmingly naughty member of the family.

Yumi is not a lap dog, and never will be – cuddling is not in her nature. She has an independent spirit and an innate respect for her caregiver’s space. She has lots of energy and loves to hide toys and then find them with great prancing and tail wagging. She makes you appreciate how animals (and humans, too) can blossom with kindness and understanding.

© Lauren Dimarco – Yumi smiling
© Lauren Dimarco – Yumi ready to go!

Beautiful Golden Eagle at Christmas…

08 Friday Dec 2023

Posted by in Art, Birds, Christmas, Purple, watercolor

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© Joan Currie – My watercolor painting of a Golden Eagle with a purple beak.

Purple (or violet) symbolizes repentance and penance. Vestments of purple or violet are used during the seasons of Advent and Lent. The color reminds us of the violet flower that bows its head and is a symbol of humility.

I saw a magnificent Golden Eagle soaring above me yesterday on my hike. What captured my attention was not its wingspan or plumage but its dark purple beak! It made me reflect on the color purple – one that has been associated with royalty and spirituality for centuries. In the context of Christmas, it carries a rich symbolism in the Nativity – one of the three Wise Men, Balthazar, wore a purple cloak and later Jesus was draped in a purple robe as King of Kings.

My last post celebrated the color red and a more secular vision of Christmas. But the color purple drew me into the real meaning of Christmas, the celebration of Christ’s birth, the liturgies, a deep reverence for the omnipresent spirit and ways of the Lord, and a profound connection with my fellow human beings.

Beautiful Walk in the Woods…

19 Sunday Nov 2023

Posted by in Acrylics, Art, Autumn, Nature, Poetry, Reflections, Trees, Winter

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© Joan Currie – My en plein air (fluid acrylic) painting of falling leaves around a tree trunk in the rain.

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.
I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night’s decay
Ushers in a drearier day.
From Fall, Leaves, Fall by Emily Brontë

I reveled in the beauty of fall on my walk – but, there was a bittersweet undertone to the experience. The leaves that carpeted my path were a sign that the world around me was preparing for a long slumber. The once-bustling woods would soon be hushed by the frigid grip of winter. The trees, now so alive with color, will soon stand bare and vulnerable.

Beautiful Husky…

10 Friday Nov 2023

Posted by in Animals, Art, Dogs, Relationships, watercolor

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© Joan Currie – My watercolor and ink painting of Luna, the Husky

In a snowy realm where moonlight gleams,
A Husky roams, Luna, in nightly dreams.
Coat of silver, a shimmering tide,
Her blue-eyed gaze, where secrets hide.

Paws dance softly on frost-kissed ground,
Whispers of tales in each howl’s sound.
Majestic Luna, a spirit untamed,
In her eyes, the starry skies framed.

Fur like shadows, midnight’s embrace,
Chasing echoes in the moonlit space.
Her presence, a symphony of silent grace,
A Husky’s charm, in the moon’s soft trace.
Luna poem by Joan Currie

Huskies are a unique breed of dogs. Their striking appearance, with piercing blue eyes and a thick double coat, is often the first thing people notice. But their beauty is not just skin deep; Huskies are known for their incredible personalities. They are intelligent, independent, and, at times, a little mischievous. Our neighbor’s dog, “Luna”, is all these things and more – her loyalty and companionship are unparalleled. You will never be lonely or bored with a Husky in your life!

Beautiful Blue Heron…

06 Monday Nov 2023

Posted by in Art, Birds, watercolor

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© Joan Currie – My watercolor of a Blue Heron

Now the blue heron
wades the cold ponds
of November.

In the gray light his hunched shoulders
are also gray.

He finds scant food – a few
numbed breathers under
a rind of mud.

When the water he walks in begins
turning to fire, clutching itself to itself
like dark flames, hardening,
he remembers.

Winter.
From A Poem for the Blue Heron by Mary Oliver

I watched a blue heron as it stood in quiet contemplation – its long, sinuous neck curved like an ornate candelabrum. In the language of the poets, this elegant creature embodied a dignified grace, a symbol of refinement and grandeur. Its slate-blue plumage, reminiscent of fine silk, caught the light, creating an ethereal aura that stirred my senses. I had to paint it.

Beautiful Sea Eagle…

07 Saturday Oct 2023

Posted by in Art, Birds, Nature, watercolor

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© Joan Currie – My watercolor and gouache painting of a Sea Eagle

He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ring’d with the azure world, he stands.

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls.

From The Eagle by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Until recently, I have not been a fan of eagles. I think I associated them with my father’s emphatic mantra, “You can’t fly with the eagles if you hoot with the owls.”

I wasn’t sure I even wanted to fly with the eagles – their sharp, hooked beaks and talons looked very scary! Rather, I loved the reassuring sound of owls hooting in the stillness of the night (even though they are birds of prey, like eagles, but I didn’t know that then). I wanted to hoot, too, but alas, that was not permitted as long as I lived under my father’s roof.

P.S. I finally finished the watercolor of our Akita, Kimmie. Please see my August 26th updated post.

Beautiful sailboats…

26 Saturday Aug 2023

Posted by in Art, Photography, Sailing, Travel

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Smell the sea and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly. – Van Morrison – Into the Mystic

I have had an amazing summer traveling in the Pacific Northwest. This charming fleet of sailing camp boats on Puget Sound caught my attention. I, too, learned how to sail at a very young age and the knowledge garnered about points of sailing and wind, helmsmanship, racing, knot tying, tides, currents, and weather has served me well. I have been inexplicably drawn to the sea my whole life and these lessons learned have helped keep me safe in some very challenging and even treacherous waters.

Beautiful Vermeer Exhibit at the Rijksmuseum…

26 Wednesday Apr 2023

Posted by in Amsterdam, Art, Rijksmuseum, Vermeer

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© Joan Currie – The Milkmaid by Vermeer

The wonderful, serene paintings of Jan [Johannes] Vermeer – although sadly few in number – show a world of Dutch order and domestic calm. His work illuminates the quiet life of ordinary Dutch men and, particularly, women going about their lives: cleaning, chatting, cooking, drinking, playing music, and quietly contemplating life. Their existence is shown as measured and predictable, comfortable but not glamorous, unhurried and orderly with nothing out of place. from Vermeer by Sandra Forty

I just returned from Amsterdam having had the good fortune to see the sold-out Vermeer exhibit at the Rijksmuseum twice, while I was there. In addition, I traveled to The Hague to see the Girl with a Pearl Earring, as the painting was removed from the Rijksmuseum on March 30, 2023 to return home to the Mauritshuis.

Johannes Vermeer is my favorite painter. The Rijksmuseum’s retrospective exhibit (until June 4, 2023) features 28 of 37 known Vermeer paintings. It is the first time since the Dissius Auction in 1696 (when, allegedly, 21 Vermeer paintings were put up for sale), that so many of his paintings have been on display at one time.

Although I have seen several of Vermeer’s works before, the exhibit lighting was spectacular and it allowed me to see details of the paint texture and layering that I had not noticed in the past. Below are some my favorite Vermeer paintings.

© Joan Currie – Woman in Blue Reading a Letter
© Joan Currie – The Glass of Wine
© Joan Currie – Detail of Girl Interrupted at Her Music
© Joan Currie – Detail of Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window

Beautiful Taking Flight…

19 Sunday Mar 2023

Posted by in Art, Art studio, Birds, Home, Poetry, Reflections, watercolor

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© Joan Currie – Detail of my watercolor of a Grosbeak

When a bird, takes flight
Wings, sail on air
Silhouettes of time
Upon clouds, inspire
No height, inconceivable
Nor dream, unreachable
Fear, no longer, an obstacle
Hunger, no more, high I soar
Tears retreat, from, the earths floor
The sky, stretches out, its arms and opens its door
from A Bird Takes Flight by Bernard E. Harris

After months of contemplation, I awoke this morning and knew it was time to move. Although I haven’t settled on the exact location for my new home, I am ready to take flight!

Beautiful Do What You Say You Are Going To Do…

13 Monday Mar 2023

Posted by in Acrylics, Art, Art studio, Reflections, Relationships, Self-portrait

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© Joan Currie – My self-portrait in acrylic on canvas


If you don’t mean it with every bone in your body, then just don’t say it. – Danielle LaPorte

I have learned over the years that beguiling promises, theatrical proclamations, and seductive statements of intent mean absolutely nothing without action, follow-through, stepping up to the plate, becoming a stakeholder, and/or demonstrating observable results. So please, no more talk – take action!