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I can't believe it has been a whole year since I posted anything! Life is such a wild ride... and it's so easy to get bogged down in everyday things. It has been a year of change, but not. Trying to change the direction of my life and my work has proven more than challenging, but I have not yet given up. This short post is a promise to myself to get back out into the sun, take some pictures and do some art and get back to the blog! Will post again ASAP!

Glorious sunny Sunday! So good to get my fingers back into the dirt! My husband made us a cold frame this year and here in a week or two, when all danger of frost is gone, we'll have some decent sized plants to put out. Squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, okra and eggplant. They all look great so far. Only a few flowers out so far... catmint... lilacs. The daffodils are gone, but the iris has lots of blooms.

Today was also the first sunny warm day that I let the squirrel out for a while. I've been hand raising this squirrel cause she lost her mama. I got her about 3 weeks ago and she didn't even have her eyes open. she is now eating cherrios, bananas and soft nuts on her own, but still on formula. Time to start getting her acclimated to the great outdoors! They are so sweet at this age. Unfortunately, in about 2 weeks, she'll be so wild I won't be able to touch her. But that's OK. Squirrels are not meant to be pets, but wild tree creatures! Wishing everyone a wonderful sunny Sunday :)

Birds Fly Home

I am still new to art. I am learning how it happens, but not so much why it happens. Sometimes it is very personal and something that I need to do. the process is therapeutic and healing. Then there are those times when I make something that I just have to make, but I have no idea why. This bird shadow box was one of those projects. I had this old drawer hanging around forever. I could never bring myself to get rid of it for some reason, although I tried several times. Then one day I found these birds at the local hobby store. I just knew they belonged in that drawer. So over the course of about six months, this shadow box came to life. When it was done I was happy with it. I thought it was beautiful, but I knew it wasn't something I wanted to keep. So I sat it on my mantle and made a half hearted attempt to sell it in my etsy store. I couldn't seem to get a picture of it that did it justice though and I just knew it wasn't going to sell.

Yesterday my daughters teacher came to our house to pick her up for an outing. Long story short, she saw the shadow box and fell in love with it. She asked me if I would consider selling it! She said she had the perfect spot for it in her home. This is a very special lady and I was thrilled that this was the person for which this art was intended! I think I now have a little better understanding of how art is supposed to touch people other than the artist. I still get embarrassed when people see my art. It comes from such a personal place. However, this project wasn't for me and I knew that, but I sure didn't understand it... until yesterday. The "Birds and the Beads" have a new home now, the perfect one. I hope that it brings it's new family many blessings and I am so happy that I got to be a part of it.

Obsession with the past...

My Grandmother died when I was eleven. I have the fondest memories of her and today, at the age of 47, miss her as much as I did back then. She was a woman of words. She was a writer and told wonderful stories. My fondest memories of her were when we'd spend the night. Snuggled in the fold out bed with my brothers, she would tell us the most wonderful bedtime stories. And she'd change them every time to make them new and exciting.

When my own mother passed away, I ended up with most of her old pictures. I even have a 3rd grade paper written by her, which I keep tucked away from the light. This group of pictures I put together in a shadow box along with some of her old jewelry and other odds and ends. It sits in my dining room and I look at it every day, however, there are days when I sit and look deep into the box, at the detail, and I feel as close to having a visit with her as is possible. Her name was Ethel, but everyone called her "Tiny", for she was. But when my older brother was born, he called her "Niny" and that's what I've always known her as.

Just Add Color

I painted this still life a few weeks ago. When I started painting 10 or 15 years ago, I started with stuff like this. I've always loved the fact that you can make simple fruit look so dreamy. I followed the familiar color palette to create them. They looked OK and when I looked at them I thought they were good. But something just bothered me. They looked plain. So I decided to add more color. After a little work with some water soluble crayons, they look so much better and more exciting! It makes me think about complacency. We get used to things looking and being a certain way. If we "just add color" to other things ... how much more exciting would our lives be? So I think I will look around and see where I can "add some color".

All Dressed in White

It's cold this morning with snow on the ground. I find myself missing my outside time this morning. I love drinking that first cup of coffee out on the garden bench with the breeze blowing and the birds singing. Yet I love the snow as well and the warmth of the fire inside with the family huddled close. Spring, I know, is just around the corner. And within a few months I'll be sitting on the garden bench with sketchbook in hand admiring the budding trees and plants. Until then, I will revel in the beauty of the yard all dressed in white.

The Birds... A Shadow Box

So I started this shadow box. I am making it out of an old drawer. I am not, as a rule, into birds, however, these touched me somehow. I want to create something that shimmers and sparkles, yet is calming and touching all at once. We'll see where I end up with it.