Monday, May 31, 2010

Warm Sunshine and Slow Moving Bears


"Forest Light"

A painting from a while ago... it felt like this in the forest today. A mysterious, quiet afternoon - warm sunshine and river breath filtered through hemlock boughs. I gazed into the woods from the garden where the last few days were spent in communion with swallowtails, dragonflies and dirt. Lots of dirt. I moved wheelbarrows full from the compost pile to flower beds and lost track of the world beyond the forest clearing.  


On days like these I sink into a quiet flow, watching and listening to the world just beyond my perception. I turn and see faces in the leaves or in the bark of trees... Root Woman, who guards the entrance to the forest came alive in a moment of light just so.... 
she startled me, in fact, though I pass her every day. 


Anenomies bloom in the moss garden and a mass of purple lupine have scented the clearing with the most amazing perfume. 






Around the corner in the shade, foam flowers mingle with lady's mantle.


In the heat of afternoon, even the ferns seemed a little droopy.


A meander stone nestled into the scotch moss...


In late afternoon I ventured out for a cup of tea 
at a friend's at the end of our road... the view from her house looks
over the foothills to the Berkshires beyond. 

 
I returned just in time to see the the dark bulk of a bear lumbering slowly up the path from the forest. She was heading towards the clearing, where Pasha cat was snoozing near the lupine. When she caught wind of me, her dark, furry-edged silhouette glided quietly through the trees and disappeared into the forest. I'm glad I came when I did, to spare Pasha the fright. After days of being harassed by foxes, who are thankfully back to visiting only at night, Pasha has relaxed. Although he has learned that bears are not a threat, being startled awake by one stepping on his tail would surely be something! Luckily, he never even smelled the bear. I opted to scoop him up and bring him into the house in lieu of snapping a photo with the camera I held in my hand... A happily snoozing Pasha cat is way better than bear photos anyway...




18 comments:

A mermaid in the attic said...

I love the Root Woman. I'm dreaming of a country place, with space and quiet and greenness...I think I'm done with the city.

illustration poetry said...

love your forest light painting.
is the Root Woman for real???

illustration poetry said...

and your cat is adorable, i love cats!!!!

Valerianna said...

hi mermaid - YES! To the country.... quite nourishing... and Green Jacks abound!

lakshita indira - thanks for visiting... and, yes, root woman is for real, well, sort of! She's a sculpture I made on a big old root. You can see a close up shot of her in my April post "Wild Intensity and a happy Pasha cat".... the photo in this post is waaaay better and really gives a sense of her mystery.....

Umā said...

It's truly amazing the way the sun is lighting up root woman — she does indeed look alive!

Every time I stop here the images of your paintings in the sidebar take my breath away.

Valerianna said...

Thanks, m!

Lauren Raine said...

lovely work, and what a lovely home you have in the forest..........Jewell has been an ally, healer, inspiration for me as well. Glad to meet a fellow artist and kindred spirit,

Lauren

Tammie Lee said...

Your art holds a wonderful spirit in the light and shadows. I enjoyed seeing photos of your life, your beauty. And a bear tale as well.

Anonymous said...

:)
Your world is beautiful.

steven said...

you live in a beautiful piece of the world and know how to be available to it. the flowers, root woman, the bear, swirling together into a luxurious mind painting. steven

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

What a wonderful blog you have!
Thanks so much for visiting, and for leading me here!
All the best.

Valerianna said...

Lauren - yes, same to you!

Tammie Lee- thanks for visiting and for your appreciation of my work.

Zuzu - MMMM... yes! Thanks!

Steven - yes, I think its so.... what I have a harder time being available to is the world of concrete and bars and buzz and all that, this world is easy to dream into!

Pamela and Edward - thanks for visiting and thanks for the compliment... I much enjoy your writing, and of course hearing stories of that fuzzy friend of yours!

cheryl said...

I love your work ur connection to your Earth so ...... complete .Your watercolours are simply Inspiring BB

Jo Potter said...

Hi Valerianna,
Your painting of the trees bathed in sunlight are very beautiful. I love the watercolour effect bleeding through the paper.
The cool forest photo is inviting, with root woman!
All of your images are lovely, especially your cat. What a gorgeous ball of fluff! >^.^<

Valerianna said...

Cheryl - Thanks for visiting and for feedback!

Joanne- thanks, and yes, isn't he a gorgeous fluff ball - and cuddly, too!

Pauline said...

Is Pasha a Maine Coon cat?

Valerianna said...

Pauline, Yes! Pasha is mostly Maine Coon.. though a small one for the breed.... most folks comment on how big he is, but for a Coon, he's small. A great breed.... !

Windsongs and Wordhoards said...

I love '...river breath filtered through hemlock boughs...'
Definately captured in your painting! Lovely words and images...