Tuesday, March 1, 2011

A Spiral Gift that Gifts

"Mystery Trees"

I've so enjoyed traveling around the world reading the many offerings of the Moveable Feast. I just checked in to The Drawing Board where Terri is frequently updating the
 list of "artisan bloggers" who are participating in the conversation. I feel a deepening within this web community, and I hope that conversations will sprout up again when 
the next inspiration seed is planted! 

 I feel more woven into the web of late. In part maybe because I'm reaching that year mark of blogging, I am finding my niche, so to speak, and have journeyed around 
enough to have found my touchstones of inspiration. One such place is Jude's world
 over at Spirit Cloth. I've been enriched in many ways over there, at first a voyeur, reading the fascinating ongoing conversations about stitch and cloth and dyeing and patterns - and so much more- and eventually joining in. When I sent Jude 
a spiral drawing for her birthday last week, she posted it without saying much about
 what it was. The conversation that resulted was a treasure for me. I visited the 
comments often, reading the responses to the drawing, the wonderings, the what ifs, 
the imaginings, the ahhh, I recognize this, and the final reveal when someone pointed
 out (especially to me!) that the "thank you" underneath the drawing was a link to me here. That spiral gift has gifted me back tenfold! To read a bit, go here
Thank YOU Jude!

"Rose Dawn"

My last few paintings are rosy colored, inspired by some stunning dawn skies. 
I might have missed one particularly breathtaking sky had Pasha cat not come to 
curl under my chin one morning. I opened my eyes long enough to see a brilliant 
pink sky and to bring it back into dreaming with me. 

"Morning"

Slowly, the size of the paper grows larger as I find my familiar strides within the 
process again. Spirals and meanders are being replaced by distant mountains and 
misty skies on the wall. I'm posting these, though the color seems much more intense against the green of my blog page. It will take me time to see which ones are 
successful. These few are much too new for me to know yet. 
(click on them to make them larger and get a more accurate color sense)




A melting, flowing, snowing, icing, hailing and everything else including thunder
 and lightening weather pattern has added some excitement to the days. 

I really could skate on this!

I traveled to teach yesterday on frozen roads, grateful for my Swedish studded 
snow tires gripping the ice, and my neighbor/plow guy's father who came 
back with his little front end loader to move snow away from the studio.  


I'm still finding winter beautiful, though the grumbling from many around
 here is getting very loud. 




Visiting me most mornings these days is a gang of turkeys. I've discovered they 
can also be called a rafter, or a gobble - the colloquial name for turkey gang. 
One evening, as the sun was setting, they all flew in short bursts into 
nearby trees, settling themselves on the branches to roost for the night.  




They travel off in a gobble-train, silently bobbing their way through deep snow, disappearing one by one into the forest. I catch glimpses of them as they go, 
dark shadows following the leader, the wise old one knowing I am watching, 
though I do not make a sound.  


23 comments:

steven said...

hi valerianna . . . the river scene caught me by happy surprise. open water at this time of year catches me and sends the first shivers of breakup through my own wintered body. the idea of flow of any sort is so exciting. your artwork is so subtle and then also it too points to a flow that is emerging for you. enjoy the journey! steven

Medieval Muse said...

Wow, these are most beautiful photos. Something about the river reminds me of Bruegel's The Hunters.

Your paintings are so serene and calming, like half-waking from a glorious dream.

Velma Bolyard said...

i think our north countries are related! icy streams and turkeys, too.

Penny Berens said...

Oh my goodness, look at all those turkeys! We don't see them up here.

Windsongs and Wordhoards said...

The Dawn paintings are radiant, they really glow with that quiet unfolding solitude of quickening light...
And the landscape is still looking dramatic in its stark winter beauty, though I guess Spring would be most welcome soon! That's a long time to be snowed in!

Ruthie Redden said...

Hi, i have so enjoyed the flow of conversations as it ebbs around the globe, amazing & i too felt the deepening, waht a wonderful thing! Clever PAsha to wake you to catch the sunrise, your paintings have captured the colour perfectly. I am hoping to see sunrises like that again soon when we move in a few weeks! This wee house has no view & i have missed them so. Take care on that treacherous ice x x ps i see exactly waht you meant about the misty picture x x

Lynn said...

Beautiful. I can almost smell the crisp sunrise air. And, how fabulous is your "gobble-train"!

Valerianna said...

steven - thanks, I too was a bit shocked to see that the waters were flowing. Though I must say, I feel the undercurrent.

Valerianna said...

Medeival Muse - I love that Bruegel painting, I had a book of his - an art for children's book, and that was one of my favorites. Also, I love the description of the paintings, "like half waking from a glorious dream".... I think I'm trying to surround myself with that dream all the time.... maybe that's why I paint. Maybe if I paint them enough I can walk through into that dream-world....

Velma- I'm sitting in the Atlanta ariport on my way to Florida. Can't believe it! If my parents didn't just move there, I wouldn't be going. I'm NOT a hot climate person. Lovely turkeys roosting in the trees this morning early when I left, an the barred owl flew by too, Sometimes its hard to leave RavenWood, though I know that a difference in perspective is a good thing....

Penny - Interesting, I thought they were all over North Am. They have had a real come back in New England, they are everywhere in great gangs. Well, at least in the rural areas, and especially at RavenWood and environs.

Valerianna said...

Swan Artworks - Thanks for the feedback on the dawn paintings, it really does take me a while to see them. I'm glad they seem to be communicating dawn. Spring will be here surely soon, though I imagine with all this snow I'll have glaciers and mountains for a long time yet!

ruthie - Oooo, moving to a new place! Sounds fun, well, after the packing and unpacking and settling... all that! I hope your new view provides you with wonderful sunrises. Mine are seen through all kinds of thin and thick tree silhouettes. No grand views, but still quite beautiful.

Lynn - the gobble-train seems to be making my yard one of its "hub' destinations, or maybe its become THE destination. I find them roosting in trees in the morning and settling in to them in the evening. Never had such a turkey time here before!

eimear brennan said...

Hi there, I keep finding my way back to your blog without realising! so i thought i would just say hello. every time i find your page I feel such a lovely sense of peace...I look forward to reading more from your blog. thank you, eimear

stephanie dosen said...

oh!
i am gasping at your new lovely pink misting dusky shining soft clouding candy cotton skies. they are a new day. a soft sky day.
they are a lullaby sky day. a cradle sky day.
and yet i still havent found the right words ♥

happy anniversary of blogging!
i am so thankful for the spiral spirit that
you weave into your words and pictures.
any passerby can feel it,
and upon later reflection,
can feel it again!!... oh the meditations!
its a gift i thank you for sharing, yet again :)
caw caw hoot hoot fluff fluff swoosh ♥

illustration poetry said...

love the mystery trees...
I can see a heart, shaped out of leaves, look to the heavens, top left hand corner.

barbara said...

Wow, amazing and magical art and life!

Jo Potter said...

Valerianna, this is an illuminating post... Artists are connecting on so many levels on blogger and facebook. It is very inspiring and a wonderful time at the moment!
Your morning paintings and photos are wonderful too. The snow does make the sky look a rose pink sometimes. I see you still have plenty of the white stuff around.
Thank you for your lovely words at my place. I know exactly what you mean about those heavy tailor scissors. We had a pair as well and I could hardly pick them up when I was little. ;-)

All the best and give Pasha a big hug from me!

Acornmoon said...

I agree with Steven, there is something very energizing about these images.

Reading Tea Leaves said...

Valeriana, I see that you are still enveloped by mother winter over there. I can't imagine being amongst snow for so long (we complain if we have it for a week!)

Your photo of the icy river is stunning and I love your pink-hued pictures.

Your experiences with the Moveable Feast says so much about the world of blogging. There is something, and everything, for everyone. Wonderful!

Jeanne
x

PS I enjoyed my 'walk through the woods' with you and dear Pasha.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Such gorgeous images.
You live in Fairyland.

Tammie Lee said...

I love seeing turkeys, they are such characters.
and I love your rosy skies.... do be careful on the spring ice, as will I. Our skies are pouring rain, snow is melting and heavy - ice will form. I also am still enjoying this snowy world. Spring will be welcome when it arrives.

Valerianna said...

eimear- interesting to keep finding yourself here, like a magical spiral path. Thanks for saying hi!

faerie finder - oooo, thanks for such an enthusiastic comment! I'm glad these stay around so I can look back on this one and revel in it, what fun.

Sympathy - how about that turkey train!

barbara - thanks! I think the forest makes my life magical. Its the icing on the cake! And after that, there are the bills to pay...

Joanne - Thanks.... yes, tonight driving home, amazing pink skies. Now I can;t decide whether those paintings above are more morning or evening, maybe both?

acornmoon - interesting to contemplate that. I wonder, just what makes an image energizing? Any thoughts?

Cottage Garden - As of March 13 when I write this we STILL have snow, but it is finally melting away. Though, many ice mountains encircle the driveway, they won't go away for a very long time I imagine! Interesting that the icy river photo has been such a winner. Always fascinating what speaks to people.

Pamela - Sometimes I see the faeries, though, most people don't believe me.

Tammie Lee - Melting, melting, which means MUD! This morning the tires were sunk down in front. I parked in a different spot for tonight in case the mud froze and then I would be quite stuck!

Vilt og vakkert said...

Heisann!

Your blog is exciting, I feel like home ;:OD)

rivergardenstudio said...

Your path through the snow, the winding river, the turkeys... your paintings and desk, all make such a beautiful life. Filled with wonder and lessons from nature. I have not meant to be away for so long! roxanne

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