Misty Forests, Spiral Giveways, A Spin in the Air

"Golden Mists", watercolor 

The puddles from last month's rains have finally dried up, but our weather has been 

swinging from hot to cold. Last night I lit a fire in the wood stove to take the chill 

out, and awoke to warm sunshine in long, angular rays of forest morning light. 

As most of the garden tasks are finished (the big spring projects, that is..) I finally 

forced myself back into the studio to paint. It took a bit to find myself again... it 

always does after a break but I seem to think I should be able to walk right in, pick 

up a brush and have satisfactory images emerge effortlessly. I leave after the first 

day back knowing for sure that this time I've totally lost it, never will I paint well 

again. I could have easily flowed back into work if I hadn't decided to work on misty 

forest paintings instead of the high ridge views I'd done last. But the forest called 

to me as I had stored much visual inspiration from my wet spring walks. 

"Woodland Mystery", watercolor

"Green Light", watercolor

It seems the mystery behind the red door must be revealed... as several folks 
wondered what was hidden in there. Yes, it is my studio, warm and cozy in 
winter, but not so inviting in warm weather when dragonflies dart by the open 
door and Pasha cat comes in between wanderings to entice me to walk in the 
forest with him. In winter, he cries at the door and comes in for some heat 
and a nap. In summer, he just doesn't know why on earth I am sitting inside 
a dark room with lights on....

Inside, my table is piled with the new work, just untaped from boards. Some are

now listed in my Etsy shop, and some will stay stranded in limbo, not quite making 

the cut. 

My tools - If you've never bought good watercolor & brushes, you might not know 

that the shot below represents probably close to a thousand dollars. Can you believe 

that? I see one recently purchased brush that cost over $60, luckily, I got it half off. 

One advantage of teaching is getting to know the folks at the student art-kit supply 

store who let me know when good things are happening. As my work and technique 

develop, I've learned what brushes will give me a desired effect, so finding this 

large, flat, great quality brush that holds just the right amount of liquid was a find. 

There's nothing more frustrating to me than not having the right tools for the job.

I remember a chalk board in my father's workshop from my childhood that had the 

same thing written on it for years - "NEVER USE CHEAP VARNISH" - or was it brushes, 

I can't quite remember, but I completely agree either way!

As I look around the studio, I see two paintings from years ago that seem related 

to these new pieces - forest layers, dark tree silhouettes and mysterious light. 

Resting quietly on a pile of painted stones are two small spiral drawings.... 

they whispered to me that they want to go live with two of you in appreciation

for all the inspiration, community, wonderful comments and reflections you give. 

Way back in March, just before my trip to Florida, I noticed that I had almost one 

hundred followers. I decided I would do a giveaway, but somehow March went by 

and the milestone one hundredth mark was made and now it is June and there 

are a few short of two hundred of you readers...! So, I say, it really IS time for 

a giveaway!! (not to mention that I have now been the recipient of two 

blog giveaways - one lovely print from Christina at A Mermaid in the Attic and 

just now a cool autumn leaf from Barry over at Rustnstuff) 

So if you would like to participate, please leave a comment on this 

post by Monday and I will announce the winners next week. 

Out in the garden today, the happily grinning frog perched on his stones

 amongst the sweet woodruff and oregano caught my attention. 

 And the Jack-in-the-pulpit:

The little white geranium showed me she is 

not really all white, 

and just around the herb bed, a triplet of Irises. 

Pasha cat can usually be found on his bench for afternoon naps. I spotted 

him while photographing the queen of the garden, the Angelica, 

who is just about to bloom!

On closer inspection of napping cat, I noticed that one eye was surely peeking at me.
After a series of change-of-position circlings and resettling, the angle of one rear paw didn't quite make sense to me.... (I figured out after looking at this photo again 
thatwhat I THOUGHT was a rear paw is a front paw - that makes much more sense)

Later in the evening, when Pasha was tucked inside to meet his pre-dusk curfew, 
I wandered down the road in the last moments of sunlight. The fern glades are 
particularly enchanting right now, fresh green fronds all heading in the same 
direction. 

A lovely flash of sunset hit me straight on when I emerged from the forest. The
neighbor's little barn driveway sparkled with color. 

I was reminded of this strange photo I took of the sky on June 1st. Maybe it

doesn't look strange, but it was a strange sky day. Intense thunderstorms turned 

into deadly tornados that hit not twenty miles south of here. We had hail the size 

of cumquats and high winds. I thought my windshield would break from the hail... 

Its rare for us to have tornados. I've since learned that every twenty years or so 

we get them, but this time they hit several cities and towns and did terrible 

damage and three dead. Thanks to those of you who emailed to find out if I 

was ok. The green-ish afternoon sky suddenly turned this pink-orange color, 

then into lavender-pink. There was definitely a "spin" in the air.....

Spirals, Spirals Anyone?

"Entering/detail" ink drawing

On my list for months was a note to myself... open Etsy shop! So, the past two weeks 

I have been working on that. After a helpful conversation with my parents while in Florida, I found my way around some blocks to getting going. I've listed some spirals, some Nature's Pattern drawings, and a few smaller watercolors. The first few images here are a sampling of what's available. I've added the Etsy Mini feature to the sidebar, down there past the "Gold Afternoon" drawing. The whole thing so far has been a relatively easy process, probably because of my experience with blogger. I had a bit of fun today adding many of your shops and wonderful work to my favorites. I think I'm going to like this!

"Entering"

"Branching Systems"

"Dawn"

A small group gathered for a Spring Equinox fire here at RavenWood. We had to 

clear a bit of snow in the garden and bring the moveable fire pit, but the day turned 

into a sunny, very warm day. Our ritual started with lots of drums rattles and singing, gratitude offerings to the fire, and a long time of silence to sink into the land and

listen. An enthusiastic crowd of chickadees brought song to our quiet time, and a few

far-off ravens reminded me of the dark contained within the light. Something shifted 

in me with the turning of the seasons, and even though we are back to cold and snow 

and icy mornings, a bit more peace has taken root in me. 

Still snowy in the moss garden, but patches of bare, moss bejeweled ground emerge 

at the base of trees and stones warmed from the sun. My constant companions, in 

addition to Pasha cat, is the gang of turkeys. They come daily, and seem less concerned

about my presence, and Pasha runs right by them as they stand, frozen like dark 

stones against the green hemlock boughs. 

I've been wondering about why turkeys have relatively few feathers on their heads. 

They're a bit vulture like. Vultures, however, need that bare head because of the icky

places they regularly put their heads, turkeys though? Scratching around the base of 

the bird feeder isn't that icky... 

Ahhhh, its a few hours later and I'm back to suggest an answer to my own question. I 

was just looking at the turkeys when it occurred to me that they need bare heads for better vision. They do fly for short distances and up into trees at night to sleep, but it 

sure looks like an effort! So since they spend so much time on the ground, they probably

wouldn't fare too well if they had ornamental feathers getting in the way of seeing an approaching predator. That's my thought. Too late at night to research that, but someday. 

      Evidence of turkey journeys around the yard. 

While the turkeys wander about in the snow, Pasha takes his afternoon nap 

in a chair by the wood stove. This is pretty much the scene right now, though in a 

different chair. He seems to have tired himself out watching me load wood into 

the bin, running up and down those trees is truly exhausting!

     The only work I've done recently in the studio was organizing work to list in 

     the shop, but branches and skies have demanded my attention. I wonder at the 

     beautiful colors of late winter evening skies. The few photographs below were 

     taken on a particularly enchanting evening. I could see my grandfather's algae 

     samples in the branching systems and am anxiously awaiting the end of the 

     business list to get back to work. I need large blocks of time and am not one 

     to grab an hour here or there in the studio, but maybe that's something to try. 

The big moon last Saturday night seems an appropriate image

to follow the fading light above. 

A Winter Walk

In the fading light of afternoon, 

we head out for a wander in the forest. 

The first heavy snow fell over the weekend, 

which means I break trail for Pasha.

Up and down the trees he goes.

Wild-eyed and grateful for sharp claws and rough bark, 

and the chance to run trails in the deep wood. 

We pass the tracks of the large, male fisher, 

reminding us of how wild this forest is.  

The tracks are relatively fresh, and I notice

an immediate shift in Pasha - and in myself. 

We are both aware of just how dangerous 

an encounter with the fisher would be for him. 

Life eats life, and so it is. The wild beauty here 

reminds me daily of this. 

Long shadows through a young, wispy hemlock.

I glimpse the house through the 

trees and pretend I've traveled far through  

the enchanted forest. I'm sure that

an old, bent woman will greet me 

at the door - wide eyed 

and crooked toothed -

and tell me she 

has been expecting me.  

Instead of the old woman, we notice 

that the fisher has visited sometime not so long ago. 

He wandered around very close to the house, 

writing beautifully in the snow. Probably he passes 

through a lot, but the snow reveals his travels, 

and the reason that Pasha seems on such high alert today. 

The front stoop dressed up for Yule.

I tuck Pasha safe inside and head out 

to view the sunset.  

Coming home to a warm glow, but still no old woman... 

well, of course, someday the old woman will be me!