Little Hummer

 

Featured image: Little Hummer

Yea! First Hummer at the feeder today!

Stillness

 

Featured image: Yellow Finch III

The finch's yellow 

song 

touches the 

stillness.

Masked by a grey sky 

  metamorphosis 

of the sun happens.

Enjoying the clouds

 

Featured image: A Cloud in the Sky

Just a minute ago I looked up

Toward the sky, puffy clouds

Slowly meandering across the 

Gray blue and white sky. I wonder

I listen. Eyes closed, I travel

Happily to a different place

With blue white sky and 

Puffy clouds. When I open

My eyes, puffy clouds have

Moved on to be shared with

Another, Minutes spend 

Enjoying the clouds.

Change

 

Featured image: Wonderful Flying Machine

Is it too late to change? Am I working towards that dream I thought I was called to do? But what I am doing is not what I imagined or dreamed. I am wondering, is it too late to change direction?  It is hard, change is, I know. 

But I do change – and I make myself vulnerable by putting my new work out there. I have the attitude that change is good, but hard, but imagination is fun and exciting. All the large competition pieces I have been working on this winter are different from other works I have done.  Change is scary. As I work, I think to myself is it worth even entering a competition with this one?  When artists change, they have no one to go to, to talk to about the new pieces. For me, if it gets into a competition, I say to myself well I guess it wasn’t that bad.

The thing about being an artist is it's about being intuitive, and listening to what the creative activity wants me to do. It is really what makes a work unique and original I believe. So I guess I am changing constantly – and I know I am always working towards that dream I think I was called to do.  At the moment, it isn’t what I imagined or dreamed but I get up, show up and have never, never given up. So I guess the answer to my question is – it is never to late to change, and imagine, imagine about this new day and what it is going to bring to you.

Geese

 

Featured image: Goose

Darn it, darn it! Those geese are back on my little island.  Well, it isn’t mine, but I like to think of it is mine, as many of my neighbors on this side of the lake also think it is their little island, or some call it Powder Puff. 

The geese came last year – and now they are back.  This used to be a loon’s nest and I saw them earlier, but they must have gone somewhere else. 

Anyway, the geese are there building a nest, making the little island full of slippery poop. The mom sits on the nest and once in a while the dad helps and sits.  Then, about a month later, we watch as the goslings are in the water swimming behind their parents. Cute? Yes, but darn it - they are on my little island.

Approaching Storm Accepted into Exhibition

 

Featured image: Watching the Storm Approach

I am truly honored to share that my work, "Approaching Storm," has been accepted into the prestigious Society of Watercolor Artists International Juried Exhibition. It is a privilege to have Juror Carrie Waller AWS, NWS select my piece for inclusion in the 2024 exhibition. This year's event saw a record number of entries, making the acceptance even more meaningful as only 55 pieces were chosen for display.

Bird Bath

 

Featured image: Coffee With a Little Yellow Bird At The Bird Bath

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a yellow bird land on the edge of the cobalt blue bird bath. It pecks at the water, looks over at me and asks, I imagine, “Actually, well, what are you going to do about it?”

Then more birds came and did the same thing.  I tried to ignore them and finish my morning coffee. There were  about 15 birds there at the bird bath, now desperately trying to get some water.  Peck, peck, pecking at the hard ice in the bath.  Man, do I feel the pressure or what!

It's the feeling you  get when you give in to the begging, and you tell your daughter she can go to the grocery store with you.  Guilt.  It takes twice as long to go grocery shopping with her. She puts things in the basket that she likes and I put them back telling her that they aren’t good for her, not enough nutrition. Then, as we are waiting in line to check out, she meanders over to the “catch me” things. McDonalds learned from this behavior quickly. They started making happy meals and putting little toys in the very special box the lunch comes in. As an aside, I started eating happy meals lately. There isn’t so much food there, and there are apple slices, so McDonalds listened to moms and dads too. 

Anyway, back at the checkout lane when she thinks I am not looking at her, she slowly drops a little toy - that tiny little doll with long hair and glitter and a pink dress.  I look at her sternly. “Put it back,”  I say. Head down, droopy eyes, shoulders sagging, “ Please mom, I will….”

Back to the birds, guess who wins, hint it isn’t me.  I get up, get the hose, turn on hot water to the ice in the bird bath, and refill the bird bath with warm water.  Such a soft touch I am, everyone knows it, even the birds.