Original Oil Landscape of Mountains and Marsh in Spring by Cheryl Ratcliff

"Hoping for Spring"

Oil on Canvas Panel

9"x12"

$120.00

I'm taking a wonderful painting class by Patsey Parson's and this is last week's attempt to assimilate lots of information. One of the big pointers I've gotten is to soften hard edges more.

Original Oil Landscape of High Mountains at Twilight with Wildflowers by Cheryl Ratcliff

"High Mountain Twilight"

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas

18"x24"

$280.00

This is another big painting of an earlier study. The thing about painting is that it sometimes seems that the more you know the harder it becomes. There are so many techniques and principles that are important to the success of a painting, color theory, composition, perspective, brushwork, selective rendering, style. It can be daunting with all these swimming around in your head along with ideas of the perfect picture you want to create. The best paintings happen for me when I do some preliminary planning including all this knowledge that I'm trying to absorb, sketches, color planning, value studies, etc., and then go to my canvas free of ideas of perfection and lose myself in the joy of the colors and ideas and places that made me feel like they were worth trying to capture in the first place. Then it seems that even though there might be plenty to critique in my work, it has more life in it than when I'm too absorbed in not making mistakes. Now if only I can learn to live the rest of my life that way...

"The important thing is this, to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become."

Charles De Bos

Original Oil Still Life of Glass of Water by Cheryl Ratcliff

"Enough"

Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

6"x6"

$35.00

Enough


too easily forgotten
simple

Abundance

more than enough
all around us

Abundance

too easily overlooked
as we grasp so much

our
arms too full
eyes too dazzled
hearts too empty
to understand
simple

Abundance

more than enough
all around us.

Original Winter Landscape Oil Painting of Tree by Lake by Cheryl Ratcliff

"Alone"

Oil on canvas panel

9"x12"

120.00

Leaves

One by one, like leaves from a tree,
All my faiths have forsaken me;
But the stars above my head
Burn in white and delicate red,
And beneath my feet the earth
Brings the sturdy grass to birth.
I who was content to be
But a silken-singing tree,
But a rustle of delight
In the wistful heart of night,
I have lost the leaves that knew
Touch of rain and weight of dew.
Blinded by a leafy crown
I looked neither up nor down—
But the little leaves that die
Have left me room to see the sky;
Now for the first time I know
Stars above and earth below.

Sara Teasdale

Original Oil Still Life of Yellow Onions by Cheryl Ratcliff

"More Onions"

6"x6"

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas

$35.00

A big thank you to to Kelly for featuring my art work on her blog, highstreet market!

Original Oil Still Life of Garlic and Brown Pitcher by Cheryl Ratcliff

"Garlic and Brown Pitcher"

6"x6"

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas

$35.00

Original Oil Landscape of High Mountains and Wildflowers by Cheryl Ratcliff

"Goat Rock Wildflowers"

Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

18"x24"

$280.00

This is a big painting of an earlier study that I did of a favorite camping spot in the Goat Rock area. I haven't painted big in a long time and this felt enormous.

Original Winter Landscape of Sunset Over a Lake by Cheryl Ratcliff

"Coeur d' Alene December"

Oil on canvas panel

9"x12"

Northwest Mountain Landscape Of Olympic Mountains by Cheryl Ratcliff

"Majestic Olympics"

Oil on canvas panel

9"x12"

$120.00

Original Still Life of Books and Candle by Cheryl Ratcliff

"Solitary Pleasure"

Oil on canvas panel

9"x12"

$120.00

"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers." ~Charles W. Eliot

Happy New Year!

Original Oil Landscape of Church by Cheryl Ratcliff

"Refuge"

Oil on Canvas Panel

9"x12"

$120.00

"Faith is not knowledge of what the mystery of the universe is, but the conviction that there is a mystery, and that it is greater than us."
- Rabbi David Wolpe

Original Oil of Christmas Still Life by Cheryl Ratcliff

"Holiday Arrangement"

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas

5"x7"

$35.00

Do you remember me
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you with childhood fantasies

Well I'm all grown-up now
And still need help somehow
I'm not a child
But my heart still can dream

So here's my lifelong wish
My grown-up Christmas list
Not for myself
But for a world in need

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown-up Christmas list

As children we believed
The grandest sight to see
Was something lovely
Wrapped beneath our tree

Well heaven surely knows
That packages and bows
Can never heal a hurting human soul

What is this illusion called
The innocence of youth
Maybe only in our blind belief
Can we ever find the truth

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown- up christmas list

Amy Grant

Still Life Original Oil Painting of Food, Oranges on a Blue Background

"Oranges on Blue"

6"x6"

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas

$35.00

Original Oil Landscape of the Olympic Mountains by Cheryl Ratcliff

"Olympic View"

Oil on canvas panel

9"x12"

$120.00

Origianl Oil Painting of Eggs, bowl, and Milk Bottle on a Red and White Cloth By Cheryl Ratcliff

"Baking Time"

Oil on Canvas Panel

9"x12"

$120.00

Original Oil Still Life of Green Pears by Cheryl Ratcliff

"Pair of Pears"

6"x6"

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas

Sold

Original Oil Still Life of Sugar Bowl and Apples by Cheryl Ratcliff

"Grandma's Sugar Bowl"

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas

6"x6"

$35.00

Original Oil Northwest Landscape of Mountain Sunset by Cheryl Ratcliff

"Wallowa Sunset"

Oil on canvas panel

9"x12"

$120.00

For the beauty of the earth

For the beauty of the sky,
For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies.

Lord of all, to thee we raise,

This our hymn of grateful praise.

Folliot S. Pierpoint

Original Oil Painting of Fountain, Garden, and Girls by Cheryl Ratcilff

"Wishing"

Oil on canvas panel

9"x12"

$120.00

Still Life Original Oil Painting of Yellow Apples by Cheryl Ratcliff

"Golden Apples"

Oil on canvas panel

6"x6"

$35.00