"He has made everything beautiful in its time."

"He has made everything beautiful in its time."  (Ecclesiates 3:11)

Such is encouragement offered, so freely
while we busy over important matters in time,
snagged by the demands of a taskmaster
who frankly has no hold, except in a figment of vapour
 

Eyeing the Cumbrian hills, ears for beckoning calls in Furness Fells
rallying to explore before I could pedal my legs,
startled at the escape of vanishing tides, twice a day, rushing faster than a man can run
over Duddon Sands, fleeing to another world in perfect timing – lashing rain for nothing
 

Driving deluge washed my cheeks – they had this funny saying
“if you can see the Isle of Man, it’s going to rain,
if you can’t? - it’s already raining”, oblivious
to distractions, the sea waters run and, like clockwork, come back again
 

I was hemmed in between mountains and Sea of Ireland
nose to the upstairs windowpane, drenched glass could smell - gazing west -
a little girl was growing up in a distant land, belonging to another shore
a companion in the forming – so Beautiful, what we don’t understand.....

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It is the beginning of November now, and we are rapidly running into the turn of the year! Clocks move next week, one way or the other, I haven't checked which way yet. Autumn colours were not as brilliant as in other years, with leaves dropping off before they had chance to change expectantly. But there were appearances which gave way to some expression.

I seem to have a short memory except for flashbacks to early years, which can be quite vivid in detail, hence the little poem.

It is certainly the season for celebrating changes in colour and what better way to celebrate the gift of sight than to paint! I just don't paint enough. One thing I have been pondering on is the remarkable organ we have in the eye, in fact a pair of eyes giving us the ability to perceive depth – they seem to be well balanced when positioned on the human face. Have you ever thought how well they are generally able to perform? Clearly, the eye has the ability to be optical in both directions, peering out and looking in!

We take it for granted and we assume so much without thinking longingly. When we look out, we have no end of sources for inspiration and wonderment. When someone observes into those same eyes, the soul is not consealed.

It's been a gentle month, relaxing production, which I have loaded onto the "FOR SALE" tab. All three paintings are subjects within my immediate neighbourhood and each one has a story to tell...... 

Detonation of Evening Light, Lost Province, Ashe County, NC

"Come away ......"

"Come away my beloved and be like a gazelle
or like a young stag on the spice laden mountains”

                                                             Song of Solomon

Looking out of the window this morning, a beautiful crisp and sunny day, a couple of degrees above freezing, the leaves are turning. It must be beginning fall? Appalachian Fall to be precise. September quickly passed and three oil paintings completed as I ready for the winter collection. Feel free to check out for a ruthless critique. Now, no ruth!

“Sunrise from Bear Pen” a mere half a mile away from me, if you are a crow. It must be the most beautiful outlook in Ashe County - but don't tell anyone!

“Sunrise over Ashe County” again looking from Bear Pen, but it could be anywhere as I’m just playing around with gentle illuminated motion.

“Shimmering Wilson Creek” I think the highest creek in Virginia. May I say that this hidden place, in Grayson Highlands, VA is very close to me. There were times I would come here for fellowship every day, doing the circuit of a couple of miles with Gracie, my golden retriever. We would run the loop over rocks and boulders, both of us excited at every twist and turn. It was luscious in summer, dripping with colour and shimmering sunlight, animated and awash with motion and dancing shadows formed by gentle cool breezes. The waters crystal clear. Click on the images for further information.

October might offer blazing copper tones and maple-reds, as I look up the hill from the house - let's wait and see! I’m mindful to paint in watercolours again and excited about the prospect of being encouraged to “come away” like a gazelle.

Sunrise over Ashe County, NC

Shimmering Wilson Creek, Grayson Highlands, VA

"I want to be surrounded by colour!"

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky displays His handiwork."  Ps.19

We are fast slipping out of summer months and fall colours will be upon us pretty soon!

After a successful show at the beginning of August, as part of the Ashe County Studio Tour, when many folks kindly blessed my daughter Rosie and myself with visiting us in a remote part of North Carolina, it is time to look ahead. Please note that if you ever desire to come out and visit, you would be most welcome, and if you time it right you can stay on for lunch :-)

For those of you who need to be reminded with regard to my location, just Google "Kosinski Studio" and you can download your tailor-made directions, taking in the sights as you go along.

I can't promise that we will have brilliant weather, especially after three beautiful seasons. It's been pretty damp recently, and the leaves are turning brown rather than what I had hoped for. Still I'm very grateful for all the inspiring perspectives, and luscious green ground cover and late summer blossom, offered by such overlooked displays as Ironweed and Goldenrod gracing the countryside.

I was just reflecting the last couple of days how we are blessed through seeing colour! And yet it's irradiated appearance is strictly determined by the surface quality of anything that we look at. You can't exhaust the wonders of the way light illuminates in life, and make no mistake about it, it's not an accidental blessing. When we see any colour, it's because the surface that we look at holds back and captivates a measure of the spectrum from our eyes – that one simple factor completely affects the palette that we paint from, often subconsciously. Seeing the relationship between colours is another field of interest – yes colours have an impact on each other, in our perception as we look and see. So many very complex relationships going on simultaneously – do we ever have an excuse for not wondering at the sheer beauty around us, other than being too busy.....? I often ponder what little nano-creatures, with compound eyes, are able to see compared to our field of vision. I was once gripped watching two butterflies, fifty feet apart, flying the same trajectory – and wondered how clearly they perceived each other as they dashed around in low orbit.

So it is September 1 – and I have mounted a new selection of prints available, based upon paintings prepared for the last show. These can be viewed by clicking SIGNED PRINTS and you can shave off the price somewhat by using the discount code SALAMI-SLICE which activates after $100 purchase. For those who are looking for signed copies of my ARTBOOK, which I will be narrating on a youtube clip one day, these are currently on special offer at 50% discount if you punch in RETAIL-ME-NOT at the checkout :-)

George Kosinski :-)

PS – for historic pre-stroke collection of paintings, please visit Claire's Online Boutique where you will also see some fine Israeli jewellery – and for another separate collection of watercolours on display at Rebekah Kosinski Gallery

New Paintings

New Paintings from the Carolinas & Grayson Highlands

"Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone" – those words of Jesus echo down the ages and are applicable to many situations where traditional reasoning has become the corpse of 'wisdom', keeping us fastened to the rut. Tradition is such an enemy of truth, of the need to turn and be re-acquainted with fresh life. I've tried to find the right words to define where I am over the last nearly 3 years, since that eventful moment, when part of my brain got scrambled. How do you abbreviate "Post-stroke-makeover-period" and attach it to your artistic rehabilitation? PSMP? Not exactly an endearing 'Blue Period'! Perhaps you have a suggestion?  :-)

After spending many years, with my family, traveling, exploring and sojourning geographically, a new form of exploration has become available and at hand. I've often liked to respond with a little comment, especially when presented with visual wonders, and translated as interpretations into paintings, where any such gift I can only ascribe to my Creator.

Recently, I've been able to enjoy observing the best winter, spring and summer in my seventeen years in generously hospitable quarters in the United States and have found ample opportunity to reflect in details, many things that I previously took for granted. Immobility slows you down to a point where you can explore details within immediate reach. While not being able to handle large sheets of glass for protecting watercolours, I've been able to continue with miniatures and painting oils on canvas, which are so much easier to handle with one hand.

But I have noticed, as slow as life has become, things get done! So I've collected a series of paintings newly produced and have put them together on my website and you can browse through them on https://www.kosinskistudio.com/for-sale/  Feel free to propagate to friends.

George Kosinski

"Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men." Colossians 3:23