Rachel Smith Maher ~ Artist and Poet

The oak leaves have transitioned from green to yellow to orange in our yard. Afternoons are brisk as the trees reveal their inner beauty before falling to the ground. Their mission in life is complete, until winter’s chill warms again to bring spring back around. I love getting lost in the mystery and constancy of the seasons. There is something profoundly natural, profoundly grounding to that rhythm. Soups and stews and casseroles find their way onto our table. I am grateful for the seasons, for my family and friends, for the food on my table, for trees and for God who created it all.

Crisp Fall days reveal our trees' true colors of crimson, orange and gold. In this work, they are reflected onto a still body of water evoking a sense of peace during this season of introspection. When we take a moment to look inside ourselves, are OUR true colors revealed? Are there any changes to our "hues" and "values" that could be considered? I believe that True Peace flows when the inner self is congruent to the public self. What do you think? ~~16"x14" $275 framed

There is a rhythm to life. Ups, downs, ins, outs. Watching the waves of the ocean today brought me to ponder the rhythm: The year…its four seasons. The day…its sunrise and sunset. The tides…highs and lows. The moment…breathing in and breathing out. It is our choice to get in step with the rhythm of life. As the distractions take our attention away, we can always choose to come back to the focus of breathing, of waves, of sunrises and sunsets, and of summer making way for cool fall breezes.

Ever been to a place where the light is magical and you just want to savor the moment forever? Last fall we went to one of our favorite places, Upper Dam, between Mooselookmeguntook and Richardson Lakes near Rangeley Maine. It was just before sunset and the sun was dipping toward the horizon off to the right of the river. The glow reflected off the boats, waiting on the shore of the river until moved into the water once again. It was lovely. The moon was about to rise to the south, about to begin its evening of reflecting the sun's light after the great star makes its exit beyond the horizon. Paul Coleman wrote a song about the moon reflecting the sun's light. It talks about his perspective of reflecting the Light. Never am I more at peace than when I am in awe of creation. ~~This painting is in a private collection in Maine

I love antique watering cans. I have one from my childhood that probably came with the farm when my parents purchased it so many, many years ago. I have another that was given to me, and wish I had a few more. But, alas, I am committed to owning only that which is useful and purposeful, and so, until one springs a leak, I will not be purchasing another! I am currently working on another watering can still life...it will have a couple terra cotta pots filled with plants as well. Springtime is upon us. An early one this year. My peas are up about 4 inches...the earliest ever! I enjoy my gardens and can't wait to harvest their bounty in the coming weeks! The creeping phlox is blushing pink and the violets carpet my lawn. The apple trees snow down their petals as the rhubarb pushes from the earth to the sunshine above! ~~This painting is in the artist's personal collection

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