Rachel Smith Maher ~ Artist and Poet

These poppies are from my garden. They're my favorite flowers. Every spring I search for the new growth of green leaves, praying they've made it through the winter. Every year, for over 15 years now, they emerge from the earth as the sun warms the soil. They smell like their color. If a color has an fragrance. Kind of an apricot-citrus-vanilla-peachy-yum scent--watermelonish, really. Some years the flowers come up this lovely salmon color. Other years, they are either darker orange, or a delicate sea-shell pink. I took this photo years ago, and have finally interpreted it in watercolor. I look forward to inhaling their fragrance soon!

This painting was inspired by a birch tree that I see out the back window. Through all seasons, she's out there, though she no longer stands as tall as before. The snow sometimes accumulates along her trunk, yet her limbs reach upward to the sky, to the sun. She receives her nourishment from the warmth and light beaming down from above. In Springtime, her leaves turn green, and her branches stretch and gain strenth. They have adapted to their environment, as most trees do. The birches around her stand alongside...guarding and protecting her from the winds that tend to howl and blow. Do you know a tree that is a metaphor for your life? ~~This painting is in a private collection in Maine

I have had so much fun creating my "Birches" series. This one is "Winter Birches II". Hope you enjoy! More to come!

This painting is of a special place in Maine--Prouts Neck in Scarborough overlooking the sand dunes at Ferry Beach. This winter scene captured my attention a few years ago, and I'm excited to have put brush to paper to interpret the beauty. The pine tree stands as a sentinel over the dunegrass, rejoicing in the solitude that winter on Maine beaches brings. Soon there will be footprints on the sand and children's laughter echoing off the ocean waves. Until then, the tree will witness each wonderous moment.

I've been painting trees...lots of trees. Birches, oaks, pines, apple trees, scrub brush, everything! I've added two examples below. Check them out! I love how the birches reach out from the edge of the woods, and extend their wiry red branches upward. What are they reaching for? I had to capture that image on canvas. It's almost as if they are pushing out from the evergreens, pushing through the shady darkness into the light. We humans are not so different from the trees. We gather up out inner strength to push through the darkness, reaching for the light. Ahh, finding that warm ray of sunshine satisfies the soul.

"Here am I, send me!" And so, I dip my toes into the ocean of possibilities that is blogging. My original watercolors are found in this blog. Enjoy. Soon, I'll offer some for sale. Stay tuned.