It was a very satisfying harvest

that I had yesterday. The vines are started to yellow and the flowers no longer had the oomph they had had throughout the growing season. Granted it was the last day of summer yesterday and it seemed appropriate to pull the roots that had found a home in the dirt and harvest the hedgehog gourds that had come into the world these last couple of months.

I marveled at the uniqueness of each one as I pulled them from their food source - crazy the strength that was still there holding them to. And so strange in texture - softly bristly, yes, if gently held. But also I couldn't help but notice the feeling was somewhat similar to the encounter of a cactus, where very fine-like needles that, without gloves on,  find their way into the skin and are so very hard to see to then remove.... Thankfully gloves were in hand, on hand, for the harvest to progress. What a delight it was to set them all out to dry! I left a few on the vine as I liked how it looked on my red cart.....

The latest capture

It was the right side I concentrated on during this last painting session. Primarily the red-ish grape-like orbs. I'm very much aware of my desire for depth and it's hard to not use my usual, yet favorite, mix of color to create the darkness of shadow.... I'm not committed to this approach yet, but will see how it feels as the rest of the painting comes to a close. As always, stay tuned  ;)

Internal layers...

I set time aside the other day to play with wax. It had been awhile, unfortunately. But oh! how good it felt to really take some much needed time to re-explore this new medium of mine. All of my senses were awake and I was easily reminded why I had fallen in love with it just under a year ago. Shown is what emerged, the layers that were all a part of the process, from the minutes that had passed....

See, it's all about the process...

I picked up another book (there is nothing like a book to reinforce a line of thought/possibility/idea), "Printmaking + Mixed Media" by Dorit Elisha (you can also visit her blog here). Printmaking was my focus in college and I firmly feel the approach I learned back then with this medium has influenced my creations today in painting with oil and now in wax. In chapter one she easily sums up the reasoning behind my approach: "Perhaps the best part of printmaking is the process-even before you achieve the final print, the journey there is very satisfying. There is an element of discovery, mystery, and surprise, as well as a great award at the end of the process....once you add other artistic media to the mix, it becomes an endless celebration of creative possibilities!"
What fun it all is!

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating

Isn't that the most delightful title ever? It certainly caught my eye and my imagination when I was at the local book store last week. I ended up taking it home with me and have since enjoyed a page or two or three before sleep takes over.

I connect with the story on many levels - one of which is that it reaffirms my belief that there are an infinite amount of unexpected rewards found in closely observing nature. And if that isn't enough to entice you, in and of itself, I absolutely love the descriptive words and the images they draw in my mind (i.e. "....the snail's molluscan anatomy, cryptic defenses, hydraulic locomotion...".

And then each beautiful chapter is headed with a quote (and you know how much I love those!). My favorite thus far is by Sir William Osler, a physician who lived from 1849 to 1919. He said, "Think not of the amount to be accomplished, the difficulties to be overcome, or the end to be attained, but set earnestly at the little task at your elbow, letting that be sufficient for the day." Now isn't that the gentlest way to approach daily life?

(I also found this site, which has a wonderful description about the book and the meaning that can also be found (in addition to my above passions) within the pages....).

Without question, I highly recommend welcoming the sound of a wild snail eating into your world....