Seeking Pemberley: Our Ladies' Elegant Escape

 

Philbrook gardens

In June, I had the joy of taking a much needed trip with my mom and daughter. I called it our Ladies Elegant Escape. The idea was simple but powerful: to step away from the routines of caring for everyone else and simply care for ourselves.

We leaned into every moment, savoring great food without rushing, lingering over pie, laughing freely, and letting ourselves just be. There is something deeply restorative about carving out space for three generations to connect, uninterrupted.

One of the most memorable activities was visiting the beautiful Philbrook Museum of Arts and gardens in Tulsa, OK. This stop fit perfectly with my Heartistry – Pride & Prejudice inspired activities. Walking through the elegant galleries and looking out over the gardens felt like visiting Pemberley itself. It was beautiful and peaceful, with just the right touch of history and charm to make it unforgettable. No photos do justice to any of these paintings but I've put some of my favorites below with details. If you click on the photos, they should be larger. 

Side note: The museum also surprised us with a Samurai exhibition. The intricate armor and striking displays added a dramatic contrast to the soft elegance of the galleries and garden. 

The Shepherdess (Pastourelle)

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

1889

Meadow and Sheep

Rosa Bonheur

1891

"An Angry Sea” by Thomas Moran (1887)

"Judith" 1675 by Simone Pignoni 
Her expression close up was fascinating.

The Prince Who Was Hidden

N. C. Wyeth

1929

My cute coffee cup at the AirB&B. :)

Love her! 

Momma is so beautiful!

Momma with 

Dante and Beatrice window

D'Ascenzo Studios

c. 1927

Female Great Dane by Anna Hyatt Huntington 
One of the first works to enter the Philbrook collection in 1939
People shouldn't, but you can see visitors have pat the pup on the head and 
kissed it's nose a few times.

Eight Bells

Winslow Homer

1887

"Grand Canal at Venice"

"How to be Happy though Single" - 1891; Julia B. Folkard

Madonna and Child with the Young Saint John

Felice Schiavoni

1850
This was more beautiful than I ever imagined. 
I had to go back to view it once more before we left. 

“Three Sisters” (2024) by Muscogee Creek Artist
The Three Sisters is a Native American gardening method where corn, beans, 
and squash are planted together. Each helps the others grow — 
corn supports beans, beans enrich the soil, and squash shades the ground.

(Les Pommes)  The Apples, 1947 - The first Pablo Picasso painting I've seen in person.
I did not like it...at first, but it's grown on me. 

Amphora with Heracles and Dionysus Greek, Circa: 530 BCE !!!

The Death of Cato

Mathieu Ignace Van Brée

1797

This was my favorite painting. 
The delicate silk dress and the subtle details revealed themselves the longer I looked. 
It brought me to tears. A closer photo is below. 

 

The Apparition of the Host to Saint Thomas Aquinas

Francesco de Mura

c. 1735

Gosh! "The Death of Cleopatra" - Caspar Netscher 1673

 

 Bathsheba at Her Toilette 

Jean François de Troy

c. 1750

 

In person, King David's lurking doesn't catch your eye right away 
but it stands out when you view it from the left.

Famous Blue Whale on Route 66

Morning in the Woods

Worthington Whittredge

c. 1868-75

Our Lives in Watercolor: Exploring the Process

Arcadia Round Barn - Oklahoma

In January, as part of my Pride & Prejudice themed activities, I immersed myself into watercolor painting. Like many women during the Regency era, the book character Georgiana Darcy would have likely taken up painting as a graceful hobby, and I wanted to explore this.

To get started, I picked up some hand-held watercolor paints and a sketchbook. The paint set came with a brush that holds water inside so I don't need to carry a cup of water to clean the brush and I learned the tip of wearing a workout sweatband on my wrist so I can clean the brush on it instead of trying to keep up with a rag or paper towel to wipe the brush with between colors.

So far I've painted 17 little scenes using different techniques while following artists online. And of course, what thorn in my side keeps coming up? My perfectionism. You see, I planned to keep all my paintings in a book to see how my art develops. I guess somewhere I developed the expectation that each piece would, of course, get better, right? The other day though, I worked on a fairly advanced painting technique. It was of a window with raindrops where someone had drawn a heart in the condensation. At one point near the end of all my work on it, I smudged it. "Ruined!" I thought, "All that work for nothing." I was ready to tear the page completely out. But, when I had such a strong reaction, I started to ask myself why I was so frustrated or felt the need to hide my mistakes. So what if it didn't turn out? It's my art book...I could just start another one on the next page and try again. After all, I had just watched a video of an artist that painted the same scene four different times to develop it how she wanted it. And, isn't that what many of the great artists do? Did I really think that the best works of a master artist was from their first attempt? That's silly! There's nothing wrong with practice. Why was my expectation so high? Well, because I'm always fighting my own perfectionism and being results oriented. What a great lesson watercolor painting is for me!

But not just in art—I'm trying to change my approach in life too. I want to ease up and not view my life as something I must “get right,” but more gently, like an experiment. Creator Malama Life on YouTube shared this idea of looking at your year's activities as an experiment and it's been giving me a fresh perspective. Instead of viewing my goals, art, or daily tasks as successes or failures, I'm focusing on learning what works and what doesn’t—almost like gathering data for future growth. Researchers don’t get upset if an experiment doesn’t work. They take note and try again, maybe in a different way. When I view outcomes in this gentler way, I can use that insight to focus more on the process instead of the result. If you're a perfectionist too, this approach can help take some pressure off, allowing curiosity and growth to be the paint on your brush instead of a perfect outcome.

Lately, I’m learning to embrace imperfections as part of the process—because it’s often in the 'mistakes' that the magic happens. My raindrop painting ended up better than I thought it would because the mistake caused me to try a new technique to salvage it. An experimental artist finds freedom in the process, and I long for that same freedom. What if, instead of striving for perfection, we embraced our lives in watercolor—exploring each brushstroke and enjoying the process instead of focusing on the result? Perhaps it’s time to be gentle on ourselves and find more joy in the journey itself.

Below are a few of my recent art pieces. Enjoy!

Dandelions  - salt technique; didn't work but still cute!

Snowy Day

Chocolate Mug Goodness

Love this mountain scene

Hazy Dayz

Negative Space leaves

Just Flowers

Free Style

Little Chirper

Forest - the artist painted this one 4 different times.

2nd salt technique attempted, didn't work. Ha, but it's pattern inspired me to turn it into this little turtle!

Obscure

A Perfectionist's Lesson

Mountain technique

 

Darcy's Touchstones & My Manifesto

My AI Impressionistic Portrait of Mr. Darcy

This month, I’ve been reflecting on Mr. Darcy, otherwise known as Fitzwilliam Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. Darcy’s journey is one of transformation—he begins reserved and proud but evolves into a man who lets his guard down and takes a risk for love and honor. His character arc reminds me that I've also had to release my "high ideals" about life and my place in it. 

Recently, I dedicated an evening to writing a Darcy Reflections letter. I creatively crafted the page by stamping a title and added flourishes then handwrote highlights of my character changes over the last 20+ years. I've come a long way, baby! My own “prejudices and pride” (whether in thought, actions, or assumptions) have definitely given way to a more open heart and mind.

I also created a personal manifesto to serve as a touchstone for me. (See below) I found this process to be a beautiful one so if you want to write your own manifesto, then check out this post for a guide.

Anyway, I hope you will also spend time reflecting on your own growth and celebrate that. Then perhaps, you'll join me in writing a manifesto of the values you want to guide you and embody. The fact that we can grow and change, I believe, is one of the reasons the author crafted Mr. Darcy's character in this way. Thank you, Jane Austen!