Rachel Smith Maher ~ Artist and Poet

Yellow Buoy I 14'x16" Black metal frame/white mat $300 As we set up the board, I reached for the brightest Trivial Pursuit game piece.  My opponent commented, "Yellow!  That's a healing color!" That statement pops into my head more often than not when my mind has focused on the color yellow, even though more than a quarter century has passed since we played that game one Sunday afternoon. Sunflower Gold 8"x8" Modern Gallery wood/canvas $115 Golden, lemon, sunshine.    Light, glowing, dawn. Amber, saffron, sand. Crystal, canary, cream. Sunflower, Daffodil, Pansy, Crocus, Black-Eyed Susan, Daylily,  Coreopsis, Tansy, Buttercup. Just thinking about the essence of yellow, and all its alternative names, brings daylight to my soul.    Sunflower Barn  11"x14" Soft Gold metal frame w/mat $175                            ...

"Sunflower Dawn"~~framed with gold metal and white mat,  11"x14" $180 "Sunflower I" ~~ matted, unframed, ready for 11"x14" frame $135 Sunflowers have inspired me lately...as they do every fall.  Attempting to capture the fluidity and flexibility of the petals this year.  Still a work in progress, but my creative spirit is engaged and working!  Going with the flow...reducing expectations...breathing in and out...simple things, but they make the days just a bit easier.  

This time of year, when the skies are mackerel-striped gray, I tend to reflect back on the past 11 months...what I've done, what worked and what didn't, fun times, hard times, and sunny days.  Last June, some artist friends and I travelled to Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens to paint en plein aire.  When we were about to leave, I snapped this shot of the sun glowing behind the petals of the water lily.  Couldn't help but be inspired to paint it! In 2012 I spent more time painting and teaching watercolor painting than ever...had more shows and exhibits than ever, and was able to reach out to more people than ever with my message of Light and Hope.  Being able to paint is so special to me...not necessarily the talent, but the opportunity:  spending time and creative energy to put brush to paper...to be able to impact the viewer...in my case, I hope to bring peace to the heart of the beholder.  As I put my trust in Christ, my Creator...I hope to continue t...

I reaquainted myself with acrylic paints recently and composed this sunflower painting for the fundraiser Wintergreen Arts Center in Presque Isle, Maine, is hosting in a couple weeks. I wanted to capture how the sunflowers I grow keep their "faces" to the light...looking up...seeking the sun...very uplifting. The clear blue sky represents that peacefullness which accompanies a positive attitude. Reminds me to keep on keeping on, chin up, face to the Son.   ~~~This painting is in a private collection in Maine.

Can you feel it? Can you hear it? Spring is in the air! The birds certainly have known it for a few weeks, now, as they have been singing their sweet spring songs in celebration! I have been inspired to paint tulips...lots and lots of tulips! Pink tulips, red tulips, peach tulips, tulips in vases, tulips in the garden. What joy it has brought me as the transition from Winter into Spring takes place. The melting snow reveals the promise of the new season--green grass, sprouting crocuses, velvet soft mosses. Winter into Spring has many moods--solemn clouds give way to glorious sunrises, which yield yet again to rain and even snow. Each day has a gift to share with us, even if it's so dark that we can barely perceive it--and sometimes it is so light that the glare makes us miss the details...but the gift is still there. May our hearts be light as we seek and find the gift in every day! The top two paintings are available, framed in blonde wood 13"x13" frames with a whi...

My mother in law, affectionately know as "Dinah", has a little saying when happening on something delightful: "That'll give you a lift!!" That's what I feel when I see sunflowers--and was immediately inspired by my friend's vase full of fresh sunflowers earlier this fall. Their blooms lean this way and that as they follow the sun. Do you ever find yourself stretching toward the Light? This painting was donated to a fund-raiser to help a special friend in his battle against cancer.  Sadly, he passed away in the summer of 2013.  His creative spirit and warm smile lives on in our hearts.  RIP E.H. 

The temperatures dropped last night. Morning frost is imminent! Our short summer growing season is fading fast. Here is one more tribute to my love of flowers and antique watering cans! The crisp air turns my thoughts to apple-picking, football and casseroles! It transports me into an action mode focused on harvest and preparation for winter winds. I love the autumn season...a time of transition, turning inward to a place of silence like a snow filled sky. I love the multitude of colors shown by the maples and birches and oaks. I hope to put on my jeans and fleece and be out there documenting God's wondrous colors with my paintbrush!   ~~~This original painting is in a private collection in Maine. Giclee prints are available...$60...image size 10"x8".