Sweet Meadow

Ever wonder what it would be like to live inside a painting? Standing in a museum, letting the quietness clear your head, you stare into an image, and then into brushstrokes. The texture of canvas comes through in places where the paint is thinnest. And suddenly, you feel something indescribable. It’s like an out-of-body experience. It’s called inspiration.

Art can take us places we may never go. It can bring us through time and even to new worlds! It’s possible to visit a place where springtime exists all year long. Suddenly, you can hear fresh stream water trickling over rocks. You can hear birds singing and the breeze carries fragrant perfumes from nearby blossoms.

You start to run through the meadow, the tall grass is cool and soft as it tickles your bare feet and shins. And your hair twirls every which way. This is springtime.

A skilled artist will see something in a new way. Whether it’s a landscape or a can of soup. Artists have the ability to transform their vision into something that viewers can see and feel and experience. This is a gift that they are born with—it can be nurtured in school, but it cannot be taught.

Debra L. Smith has been painting since she was very young. Watercolor is her preferred medium, and while she used to practice realism, she turned to impressionism as a way to bring more self-expression into her work. She was gracious to contribute this piece for our story—as an interpretation of wandering into a watercolor.

The first Impressionists thought to take their work out of the studio and into the fields and pastures. Painting flowers was no longer about setting up a still-life with the perfectly controlled composition, but instead, it became about capturing nature as it existed on its own, and then taking it one step towards whimsy. They called it plein air. Letting things blur a bit, they took in only the essence of what they saw and the effects were dizzying. Suddenly, colors emerged in unexpected places. Shapes became exaggerated and the mark of the artist’s hand became part of the art. The goal was no longer to create a replica of what was seen, but rather an emotional interpretation.

The Sweet Meadow Collection is all about refreshing classic looks in a new way.

Vintage florals are suddenly lighter, more youthful.

Pearls, when used sparingly, can be a perfect dash of shimmer to an otherwise simple ensemble.

Pastel shades with a watercolor blur find their way onto silk scarves and flutter with a movement all their own. These are ways wear springtime, and become part of the art.

About the Artist:

A Signature Member of the Philadelphia Watercolor Society and past President of the Lititz Village Art Association, Debra L. Smith has exhibited her award-winning work in numerous juried shows including the Long’s Park Arts and Crafts Festival (one of the five major juried Arts and Crafts Shows in America). Her paintings are part of the corporate collection of MBNA Bank of America, and private collections throughout the United States and abroad. Debra resides in Lititz, PA with her husband and two children.