Persimmons by Theresa Miller

Persimmons Trio

Watercolor on paper

This is one the many watercolors I have made from the persimmons that my next door neighbor gave to me the other day for still-lives. I saw him the other day putting up Christmas lights in his persimmon tree which is totally covered with fruits, just outside of my kitchen window... Every year, around Christmas time, the persimmons become ripe and flocks of birds come to eat - in a matter of a couple of days, all the fruits will be gone and only the Christmas lights will remain...

the persimmon tree in my neighbor's backyard...

The tree outside of my kitchen window... it's really lovely at night when the lights are on....

A portrait for DSFDF

Portrait of an Artist

Watercolor on paper

Here's my contribution for the end-of-the-year challenge from Karin Jurick's blog DSFDF.

Azaleas by Theresa Miller

Azaleas

Watercolor on paper

I have been painting landscapes, pets, still-lives and I really missed painting my flowers.... so there, I got my fix! So, now I can go back to painting landscapes, pets and still-lives...

Chair at Chateau de Nyon II byy Theresa Miller

Chair at Chateau de Nyon II

Watercolor on paper

Chairs are fun to paint....

Autumn II (acorns) by Theresa Miller

Autumn II (acorns)

Watercolor on paper

Same acorns from yesterday's painting - another study from a different angle....

Watercolor painting of Acorns by Theresa Miller

Autumn I (acorns)

Watercolor on Arches paper

Acorns on the ground and squirrels running up and down the trees, stocking food for the winter - autumn is here is stay.

Old Town Geneva by theresa miller

Old Town Geneva (Rue de l'Hotel de Villa)

Watercolor on paper

If you've visited old town Geneva as a tourist, you probably have been to this site: Canons de l'Ancien Arsenal on the right and L'Hotel de Ville on the left and flags everywhere along the narrow street. I just thought that the cafe at the end of the street looked especially inviting this early morning. Canons and l'Hotel de Ville in the near future...

WATERCOLOR PAINTING OF CHAIR AT CHATEAU DE NYON IN SWITZERLAND BY THERESA MILLER

Chair at Chateau de Nyon I

Watercolor on Arches paper

Another painting of a chair.... I had a great time doing it!

WATERCOLOR PAINTING OF RED CHAIR AT CHATEAU DE NYON PORCELAIN MUSEUM

Red Chair at Chateau de Nyon

Watercolor on Arches

I was at the Porcelain Museum of the Chateau de Nyon, the other day, with a group of people I regularly go out with, on cultural visits. Nyon is our neighboring town, a beautiful place by Lake Geneva, that dates back to the Roman times. You can learn more about this quaint town at http://www.region-du-leman.ch/en/page.cfm/TownsLakes/Nyon if you wish.

The display of the porcelain and the history behind the pieces are remarkable and I really recomend you to go and see it for yourself, if you have a chance. If you happen to be there, please notice the beautiful chairs in the Museum - each room has an unique style of chairs, a very beautiful collection of chairs, indeed, available for you to sit on and rest your tired feet while enjoying the exhibits.

Autumn Ivy

Autumn Ivy I

Watercolor on Arches

I love the cooler weather and the autumn colors in the neighborhood. This ivy is from a church wall in Gland, Switzerland. The whole church tower is covered with ivy, so you can imagine how beautifull it is in the fall...

Horseback riding in Commugny

Horseback riding in Commugny

Watercolor on Arches

Two young ladies riding their horses in my neighborhood... a very common sight.

We just came back from our vacation and I'm very much inspired by what I tasted, smelled and saw in the exotic city of Istanbul. I painted the above watercolor just before we left on our trip. Hopefully, I'll be posting Istanbul paintings in the near future...

Alexandra, our daughter, is learning about the Bizantine and Otoman Empires at school, so we decided to go to Istambul for her autumn break, to learn more about the city and its history. We all had a great time sightseeing and learning a great deal about the Eastern Roman Empire and about the riches of the magnificent Otoman Empire. David, my dear husband, was able to spend a couple of days with us before he had to rush back to work. Luckily, he was also able to sharpen his negotiation skills while purchasing a Turkish carpet. Pomegranates, Turkish delights, Turkish apple tea are the few things that we learned to appreciate, yum!

African Violets

African Violets

Watercolor on paper

African violets from my mother-in-law's living room, which I painted some time ago. I love the furry quality of the green leaves...

Daisy (sheep at the Chateau de Cheserex)

Daisy

Watercolor on paper

Sheep at the Chateau de Cheserex - one of the many cute animals that I saw, including a lamb that was no more than 8 days old!

Autumn at the Chateau de Cheserex - Pumpkins

Pumpkins at the Chateau de Cheserex

Watercolor on paper

Last week, I visited a 17th century Suisse Chateau and it's beautiful gardens, along with a group of delightful lady friends. The day was just perfect for a stroll in the neatly coiffed flower, vegetable and fruit gardens, and to watch the playful ponies and sheep. Thank you, Elisabeth for being such a delightful and generous hostess!

Orchids

Orchids

Watercolor on paper

More flowers... I just love painting them! These orchids are not from any exotic faraway tropical country - they come from a local orchidarium in Prangins, Switzerland, not too far from my house....

Poppies

Poppies

Watercolor on paper

I just LOVE painting flowers! I could not resist painting the paper-like petals of this most delicate flower that I saw at the Geneva Botanical Gardens this summer.....

Garden Daffodils

Garden Daffodils

Watercolor on paper

I have a whole bunch of daffodils in my garden here in Geneva, and these are a sample of what I look forward to every spring! Well, the timing of painting these flowers couldn't be more "off" than now for we just entered autumn, but I always remember that in the southern hemisphere it's spring! So, I painted this yesterday for my friends in South Africa, South America, Autralia, and the others who are enjoying spring now. Happy spring everyone!

Black Eye Susan at Chateau de Prangins

Black Eye Susan at the Chateau de Prangins

Watercolor on Paper

I walked to the the gardens of the Chateau de Prangins the other day and saw beautiful Black Eye Susan in full bloom. Aside from the the beautiful flowers and fruit trees, the gardens at the chateau grow old fashioned vegetables from the 18th century. I hear that they serve the food they grow right there in the chateau restaurant. I must make a reservation and have a 18th century meal there, one of these days. The chateau is now a fabulous museum that deserves a visit. http://www.musee-suisse.com/e/prangins/chateau_jardins/chateau.php

Como, Italy

Como, Italy

Watercolor on paper

Como is a beautiful little town by the lake (Como), less than 30 miles north of Milan, in northern Italy. It took us around 30 minutes to get there from Milan by train (Cisalpino), a nice change in scenery from the crowded streets of Milan, full of shoppers. Como is crowded with a different crowd of people - laid back tourists enjoying their well deserved vacation. The above painting is a street scene just around the corner from the Duomo (Cathedral) in the middle of the town.

Venice - Piazza S. Marco

Venice - Piazza S. Marco

Watercolor on paper

Alexandra is back to school and I am back to painting! It hopefully means that I'll be posting here on a more regular basis... We had a wonderful summer filled with many events and activities. The highlight of our vacation were Sho and Kate's wedding in the USA and our family trip to Italy. I hope you had a wonderful summer, too!

The above painting is one of the many happy scenes that we witnessed during the holidays. The children in the painting were just some random kids that we saw at the Piazza S. Marco, in Venice, feeding the birds - they were really having a lot of fun! I had a great time painting birds for the first time....