Jane Eyre. Wuthering Heights. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Each of these books, penned separately by the three Brontë sisters, touched, inspired and even terrified me -- eventually prompting a visit to their former home in Haworth, England, and the birth of my oil painting for others. This painting, Heather on the Moors in Brontë Country, Yorkshire, England, is a tribute to the power and insight of the words penned by Charlotte, Emily and Anne, who lived much of their lives in the Haworth Parsonage in Yorkshire. I painted it for a friend who shares an appreciation of 19th century British literature. (She's actually the one who inadvertently steered me toward painting for others, after she asked if she could buy a different painting I made of Brontë Country -- a shocking surprise). This piece depicts the purple heather flowers, an old farmhouse, a traditional stone wall, and the distant hills and dales. It is nostalgic, simple and serene. I visited this beautiful moor country on a literary pilgrimage with my oldest daughter, then eight, a few years ago. Just arriving in the area gave me goosebumps and nearly brought me to tears. (I'm admittedly a bit sappy!) We toured the Brontë's home in Haworth, walked around the school where the sisters taught, ate a meal in the nearest pub (which was once a morgue!), and most nostalgic: We went for a walk amidst the heather on the moors. With my level of personal bliss, one would have thought I had met the authors themselves! "We know that God is everywhere; but certainly we feel His presence most when His works are on the grandest scale spread before us ..." -- Charlotte Brontë in Jane Eyre, chapter XXVIII Here are a few photos we captured from Brontë Country -- if you've read any of the Brontë's books or other literature that talks of the moors, you may particularly appreciate the heather in bloom under an overcast sky: We took home a few souvenirs, including beautifully bound copies of the three mentioned books and an idea to replicate a display of hair locks from each family member. (The bottom left photo is my daughter looking at the Brontë family's hair locks, and the bottom right photo is our family's version hanging in our living room.) Prints and blank folding greeting cards of this painting are available at Etsy.

The tradition of the Long Blue Line is the legacy of all who have faced the challenge and ultimately graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. In this painting, a long blue line stretches along the ground under USAFA from left to right. It is a picture of the long, adrudous journey faced by all who persevered through the great opportunity of the Academy, set at the beautiful foothills of the Rocky Mountains. “Long Blue Line" oil on gallery wrap canvas by Glory Paulson 18” x 24” x 1.25” ©2024 The Long Blue Line began with the first graduating class in 1959 and includes roughly 60,000 graduates, including many great military heroes, businessmen, astronauts, athletes, politicians, and the like. Graduates looking to connect with their roots in the Long Blue Line can visit the United States Air Force Academy Association of Graduates to see how they can plug in with fellow alumni. // Original USAFA artwork and gifts available at https://www.glorypaulsonfineart.com/usafa?Category=Original%2520Paintings #usafa #longblueline #colorado

There’s nothing like a piece of original artwork to commemorate and remember a special place or event, especially the U.S. Air Force Academy. This painting, “Pike’s Peak and the Air Force Academy,” simply highlights the cadet area below a distant Pike’s Peak, turned purple in the distant, cloudy sunset. This painting is on gallery wrap canvas, painted around the edges. It can be framed or not. Whether you are a tourist looking for a classic keepsake or have connections to USAFA, a fine oil painting of the beautiful Rocky Mountains at Colorado Springs is a perfect momento. It's also a perfect gift for a graduate. https://www.glorypaulsonfineart.com/original-oil-paintings “Pike’s Peak and the Air Force Academy" oil on gallery wrap canvas by Glory Paulson 11” x 14” x 1.5” ©2024 #usafa #pikespeak #colorado #coloradosprings

While I have next to no appreciation for little crafts that adults "help" children complete, I adore the creative, messy work that comes from the hands of the little people themselves. This Mother's Day, I want to to pay tribute. I love to decorate with my children's art. One wall in my studio -- above my bright blue velvet couch picked out by my then 5-year-old daughter -- is completely covered in their work. It makes me happy every time I look at it! (And by the way, everything is painstakingly, expertly affixed to the wall with gallery precision using clear scotch tape.) Happy Mother's Day, and may the children (and all of us) be brave enough to try to make the world more beautiful, and have eyes to see the beauty that surrounds us.