Theda Bara is thinking purple thoughts with her kitty companion.
I adore lavender. I love the way it smells, the way it looks, I even love the way it cooks.
Shastas and lavenders, summer beauty
Lavender-lemon shortbread, lavender iced tea and lavender ice cream are all mahvelous dahling. Of course, if you go at it with a heavy hand you might as well nosh on a cake of soap taste-wise. It’s about balance, like all the best things in life. 
I love painting lavender and photographing lavender. My bucket list contains another visit to France, when the lavender is blooming in Grasse, but until I make it back I’m lucky to live in Washington State.
- Purple Scent Lavender farm on a cool cloudy day.
Sequim is the lavender capital up here in Washington with its own festival in July. This year with our crappy weather the lavender didn’t cooperate and bloom in time so I’ll be going up after we get a few sunny days to wallow in purple smells and sights.
Meanwhile, I discovered a gorgeous little farm much closer to home this past weekend. Purple Scent Lavender Farm is breathtaking! It’s in Bremerton with an amazing view of Dyes Inlet, who could ask for more? Lavender And a water view.
Suzanne Powers, owner of farm and boutique is delightful and knows her stuff. I wound up buying two Royal Velvet lavenders to replace the ones that got destroyed last winter and I can’t wait to see them in their full glory.
They served lovely lavender ice cream and even a very French seafood lunch. Sadly, after being on an MG rally in the Mini all day we missed that gorgeous meal.
Royal Velvet ready to plant
I did get to meet adorable scrappy Zoe and managed to get a few pictures of that happy bundle of energy. I had to paint her, I love doing dog pieces and this one is perfect!
Zoe on the farm
Miss Zoe is done on recycled wood, I have gone green and almost all of my work is based on repurposed materials. The loft is full of blank canvases but wood seems to inspire me more than canvas does. The piece is around 18X24″ ( I have to measure it to frame it, what was I thinking?) and will retail for around $275.00 after framing.
Zoe is in good company, here’s a painting, on seflf-framing canvas, of a lavender farm cat who charmed me last year.
- Lavender Farm Cat
The next ‘painting’ here is big, it’s in a beautiful frame under glass. The piece is oil pastel is on Canson Paper, I knew I had to paint it when I saw this lonely little chair in this huge purple field.
I took the photographs I worked from for this piece on the last trip I took with Terry on our bikes just before his accident. It’s hard to believe that was five years ago now, and its nice to know he’s fine and riding again.
Chair in the lavender field
Except for Zoe, who is too new to be there yet, my work including exact sizes and prices can be found at www.runningrabbitstudio.com.
I’m off to plant my lavender and if you would like to visit Purple Scent Farm in Bremerton here is a link to their website which includes directions and hours, I highly recommend it for a relaxing afternoon.
http://www.purplescentlavender.com/farm.html