SUMMERTIME!!! "OLD GLORY" AND GREAT TIMES WITH FRIENDS!

(Updated JULY 2008)

"Freedom lies in being bold." ~ ROBERT FROST

It’s summertime ~ and that spells every kind of fun in the Pacific Northwest.

When the sun is shining, we’re all outdoors here. Picnicking, boating, bicycling, golfing, hiking, gardening, barbecuing, and hitting all the summer craft and music festivals hosted by every community for miles in every direction. (Check my Retail page for my summer Redmond Saturday Market schedule.)

The photo of Doug and me shows us enjoying a wonderful Eastside neighborhood tradition. Every July, right around Independence Day, the Tollefson family throw an enormous barbecue at their home on Yarrow Point.

A stone's throw from the shores of Lake Washington, they live in a beautifully restored craftsman-style house with a pickle ball court, huge deck, gardens and back yard ~ perfect for entertaining the dozens of folks who descend on their home in search of potato salad, hot dogs and Marc Tollefson's famous flank steak.

After truly gluttonous picnicking, the Tollefson throng walks a half block to the neighborhood street dance ~ complete with live music and more libations.

This annual event is a GREAT way to welcome the summer months, plus Doug gets to reconnect with his high school friends. He grew up not far from Yarrow Point, and lots of Bellevue High alumni show up at the picnic.

To see my painting of the Tollefson's pretty shingled home, "Tulips at the Tollefson's," click on the 2009 Eastside Calendar icon on my Calendar page. It's the featured artwork for the month of March.

DECORATING FOR SUMMER IN "OLD GLORY" COLORS

In keeping with the patriotic holidays of Memorial Day, the 4th of July and Labor Day, every summer our home gets the “red, white and blue” treatment ~ inside and out.

It’s fun to decorate with little flags, wind socks, antique toy wagons, banners, stars and big bouquets of white dahlias from my garden (they’re my pride and joy).

As you can see by the photo here, we Wards love the all-American theme this time of year.

Seasonal decorating is a bit of a "happy compulsion" with me. My creative mother, Sally, set a great example (she decorated for all the holidays when I was a little girl growing up in Eastern Washington). I really enjoy carrying on this family tradition ~ and my husband Doug likes it, too!

Click on the image of our dining room here or on Our Home pdf to see more pictures of our home's summer decor.

"INDEPENDENCE INN" ~ A SNOHOMISH SETTING!

Two of my favorite Puget Sound destinations are Snohomish and Port Townsend ~ probably because both are chock-full of beautiful Victorians of every size, shape and color!

The NEW! summer flag and picnic-themed painting featured here is of a pretty two-story Dutch Colonial-style home in Snohomish.

Doug and I have more reasons than ever to head up to that quaint communitity, as it's also home to our son Matt, his wife Heidi and our grandchild, Addision Lee ~ pictured in the painting.

You can see more of the lovely homes this town is famous for by visiting my Puget Sound page.

PORT TOWNSEND FEATURED THIS MONTH!

This July, my What's New page highlights eight Victorian beauties from Port Townsend.

PT, as it’s affectionately called, is filled these brightly colored “ladies.” Each one is different, delightful and a feast for the eyes ~ especially for an artist and painter like me. Most of these intricate wood beauties were built in the late 1800s as homes for Port Townsend’s prosperous inhabitants, who at that time, were expecting their town to become the state’s largest seaport. However, as ocean-going vessels became larger and deeper, the harbor was eventually deemed to be too shallow to accommodate the ships which visited the Puget Sound. As a result, Port Townsend was able to retain its cozy appeal.

In addition to the hugely popular Annual Tour of Historic Homes, PT hosts both a Blues and Jazz festival, arts & crafts fairs, and other fun events from May through September. Visit them at www.port townsend.com for a full calendar of summertime events.

Click on my What's New page to see the 8 paintings from this remarkable Pacific Northwest setting.

HOW TO NAVIGATE AROUND MY WEB SITE ~

LINKS ~ It's easy! Use the colored square buttons to the left of each page to move from one page to another ~ or click on any bold red words in the text section (i.e. Biography).

POP-UPS ~ The artwork and each of the paintings featured throughout are linked to a larger pop-up image, so just click right on each painting to see its larger version.

Enjoy your visit!

WELCOME ~ You're here!

WHAT'S NEW ~ Click here to see NEW paintings and other seasonal favorites. This month, I'm featuring eight paintings from my Port Townsend collection.

CALENDAR ~ My three NEW 2009 calendars are almost finished, so look for these in early July. You'll find a short description below of each below. To get a sneak preview of the featured images, visit my Calendar page or click on the titles below.

I began creating my calendars 15 years ago in 1994. How time files! See the overview of these new ones below:

• Wondful White Houses in Washington State ~ Washington State is filled with lovely private residences and landmark buildings. I've "cherry picked" 13 paintings from my Puget Sound and Spokane collections ~ celebrating the communities of Port Townsend, Redmond, Roche Harbor, Snohomish, Spokane and Woodinville ~ all presented with seasonal and holiday themes appropriate to each month. Look for this calendar in early July.
• Celebrating the Eastside (Volume 3) ~ This is my third Eastside edition. It features 13 paintings from my Eastside Collection with artwork from settings in Bellevue, Bridal Trails, Kirkland, Medina, Redmond, Sammamish, Snoqualmie, Woodinville and Yarrow Point.
• The North Side & Downtown Spokane~ Produced especially for the MAC (Spokane, Washington's Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture), this 8th edition features images of Spokane's world famous carousel, the Monroe Street Bridge, St. Aloysious Catholic Church, the Holy Names Academy building, Bing Crosby's childhood home, Bishop White Seminary, Flowerfield at St.George's School, and the old Maxwell-Pettet place, noted as the oldest home on record ever built in Spokane ~ and more.

COLLECTIONS (350+) ~ Painting is my passion ~ for almost 40 years! I've created over 400+ pieces which are divided into three collections. The collection pages feature images of several paintings which revolve with the seasons ~ plus links to pdfs with thumbnails and stories for every piece of artwork within that collection.

• Puget Sound, Washington ~ Historic landmarks, homes, wineries, churches and parks ~ with a few boats thrown in for "spice."
• Spokane, Washington ~ More landmarks, the city's carousel, gazebos, park settings and beautiful homes.
• More Paintings ~ Fun subjects and settings like forest animals, cats, animals, fire trucks, golf courses, trains, holiday paintings plus a special "Golfing Santa" collection for the die-hard duffers in your life.

Click at the bottom of each collection page for a comprehensive list of titles and short descriptions.

COMMISSION ~ If you're like me, your home is your "castle!" Celebrate it with a line drawing (something NEW!) or an acrylic-on-canvas painting you and your family can cherish. You'll find a step-by-step guide to commissioning artwork ~ and frequently, the paintings are included in one of my calendars.

RETAIL ~ Here you'll find a list of retail gift shops, museums, and other locations, such as the MAC (Northwest Museum of Fine Arts) Gift Shop in Spokane and the Roche Harbor Gift Shop at Hotel de Haro, where my cards, prints and gift packets ~ plus their addresses, phone numbers and web sites.

ORDERING ~ If you'd like to order from me directly, this page lists items available for purchase ~ such as prints and cards ~ as well as information on pricing original paintings. You'll find an easy-to-use downloadable form (pdf format) that you can fax or send to me.

BIOGRAPHY ~ This is my "life story" page. Here I share some highlights that have helped me develop as an American Primitive artist ~ from my kindergarten report card all the way up to my 2nd Place Award at the Historical Landmark artwork exhibit at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center (Redmond, Washington) and the article in the December 2007 "425 Magazine." There are also other pdfs of several articles written about me in the local press.

BRIDAL ~ Weddings are wonderful! Visit this page if you are interested in having me create a custom wedding portrait. Many of the paintings shown on this page were used by my clients as covers for wedding invitations that I designed and produced for them. You'll also find a list of collateral items such as R.S.V.Ps, bridal shower announcements, wedding programs and more that I can provide to match the original artwork invitations.

QUESTIONS? PLEASE CONTACT ME AT ~

TELEPHONE: Tel 425.868.9238

E-MAIL: artist@pattisimpsonward.com

WEBSITE: www.pattisimpsonward.com