It’s been a tough week for me living in to paint. For one thing, those of us who live up here in Central New
York are enjoying all the beautiful Flowering Crab Trees which we have planted in our yards, and are now bursting in an array of pinks, reds and whites. Now the pinks and reds of the Flowering Crabs are being joined by the lavenders and purples of the many Lilacs that abound everywhere. Truly, this is a wonderful time to be living in Central New York—especially after a long, snow-bearing winter.


Spring is my favorite time of the year; it is a time of rebirth not only in the horticultural world but also in my life too. If you read my weekly blog, you know that it’s been a rough time for me the last few months having lost my loyal and wonderful friend, my carriage horse Ben. They say time heals all wounds and there is truth in that. Although I will never forget Ben, it is time to make new memories.

This week three new horses joined our family. They are Irish Tinkers, also known as Gypsy Vanners, a European breed established several hundred years ago in the British Isles and became popular among the Gypsies for pulling their wagons. They are wonderful horses with sweet and kind dispositions. They are extremely hardy and easy keepers. The heavy feathering on their legs gives them the look of floating along the landscape when they trot throughout the pasture. I look forward to working with them and once again driving along my beautiful countryside enjoying the Flowering Crab Trees and fragrant Lilac bushes once again. So no matter how I try at the moment, I am finding it hard to find enough hours in the day to sit at my easel and paint all those lovely scenes of Italy in my
Italian Paintings collection.