A motivation keeping my mom doing many of her hobbies is the realization that what her children see her do, they will end up doing. The idea behind this is that much of our education is the result of imitation. In fact one of the Greek words for education literally means imitation. In this post … More Start ‘Em Young

A layover in Minneapolis back in December brought a head on study of a Delta plane. A lovely way to spend an hour till boarding time- while digesting a tasty chartcuterie and flight of wine which I had shared with a fellow traveler. Hope you’re having a lovely Sunday! #watercolor #delta #travel #airports #windsorandnewton #urbansketching … More Leaving on a Jet Plane

Christmas Day has come and gone, but hopefully you still are enjoying your gifts! This urban scene from our town was my gift painted for my parents. I wanted Dad and Mom to have something that portrayed a scene in our life here in Saint Mary’s. It was to be a sign of my appreciation … More Around the Bend with Mishka

When a teacher is sick, the sub takes over. Visions of nightmares can ensue if there’s disorder, but on one particular occasion last November, this teacher got a rare treat from her sub. Mrs. Isermann is a boys school substitute and monitor for St. Mary’s Academy. While I was sick for two weeks, she covered … More Boys will be Boys

In the Flint Hills of rural Kansas, just above our small town of St. Marys, the New Immaculata continues to rise. This rising is captured almost weekly in a watercolor notebook of mine. I try to capture each picture on site, and then paint it later. Ideally, I would paint it on site, but the … More In Spite of the Bitter Weather

Midnight Mass was a little controversial this year. Not because of worship, but because of an activity I chose to do. Every Christmas, the first of three masses is celebrated at midnight. The main midnight mass in our community was candlelit. Lately my fingers have itched to sketch scenes of the activities surrounding heart of … More Capturing Midnight Mass

Christmas is a time of giving. Giving is a sign of gratitude. What better way to commemorate the gift of giving than capturing our local WWI Memorial Arch during a winter snowfall. Over 700 college men from historic St. Mary’s College 1923 The Memorial Arch is dedicated, “To the Sons of St. Mary’s College who … More A Snowy Arch

Finding a Christmas tree can be a unique experience, especially if you’re Chevy Chase in “Christmas Vacation.” If you live in St. Marys, KS, a group of families come together each year to produce Town Square Christmas Trees where you can go select your Christmas tree at a local lot. They import beautiful Douglas firs … More Finding a Christmas Tree

Sugar Creek Country Store is a charming, old style grocery store and deli in our small midwest town of St. Marys, KS. It is housed in the recently remodeled historic Urbansky building, downtown. Built as early as 1865, it was restored several years ago, thanks to its owner who believes in the positive impact that … More Sugar Creek

The Christmas Bertrand Bazaar was a huge success, thanks to our wonderful community. I never expected to do so well, but it was clear that this community supports local budding artists, especially when the artwork captures the everyday beauty of our small town. It was also felt like part of a team being next to … More Thank-you for the Bazaar