I'm in love!

A couple of weeks ago I picked up my Tiny Little Houses from the Northfield Arts Guild. Before I departed I stopped into their Main Gallery and feel in love immediately with drawings completed in graphite by a local Northfield artist. 

Inner World by Mary Rose Gondeck

I was drawn to the so very intricate detail and beautiful organic forms, all in subtle and varying shades of warm grey. In some ways they reminded me of my own detailed oil paintings - full of creatures and stories waiting to be heard. They were indeed a world of their own. One I would absolutely love to visit and explore, wondering and wandering my way through....  I can almost imagine stepping into it all, but will need to instead be content with exploring these two-dimensional creations with my eyes only.

Summer's Inspirations

Okay, where or where has the time gone? I am finding myself in the middle of July already! There's been soooo much to post and I just couldn't bring myself to take the time to do so until now (instead I have been luxuriously! away from the computer and choosing to instead be out in the midst of it all). So to catch you up to speed, here are just a few of the inspirations (in their texture, color, or form) I've seen in my garden this last month and a half: 

Crazy cool roots!

This garden season (for me) is all about defining (which can also be interpreted as pulling growing things (weeds or flowers, it doesn't matter) and scrapping/composting those that no longer fit into the picture of it all for a given area. I have had to harden my heart, so to speak, to be able to pull the plug on these living, growing green things that I love! But it's all about balance and finding the negative space, the space in between plants can be just as beautiful). And so I was tackling an area that had grown out of control when I gave a pull and a yank and I came up with this handful. The violet appearance above earth certainly didn't reflect what I found connected below.

What in the world?

My husband's son, Art, came across this one day as he was visiting me in the garden. This flat, grey, with lots of long hairs caterpillar was on a rock wall under a bridge in our backyard. It's something I would imagine seeing in a far away place, someplace exotic, instead of central Minnesota. I guess it just goes to show you don't need to travel far to witness such natural wonders. They exist all around us if we just take the time to see.....

Caught

One morning I lifted a pot on the back deck to move it slightly when I spotted 2 tree frogs nestled together underneath. By the time I returned with my camera to capture the romantic spooning they had put space in between themselves. I think they don't seem very happy by the disturbance....

Lovely veins

It almost sounds like something a nurse would say as she is about to poke you with a needle..... This is from an ornamental oregano plant, new to my garden this year. The color and minute detail is incredible! Check out the flower:

Underside/Backside of flower

Frontside of flower

I hope you are enjoying this season as much as I! I look forward to sharing with you what else I have been up to. Stay tuned  :)

Unexpected eye-candy

My grandparents were avid birders and I, at a young age, connected birding with the retired and/or the elderly! Oh dear, I now stand corrected!
As I don't consider myself elderly and I certainly haven't retired, I have, over the recent years, found unexpected inspiration in these fine feathered friends outside of my studio and home windows. The layering of feathers and the miniature texture and details throughout their little bodies... are all so inspiring to me. Not to mention they exhibit such personalities!

The picture above is one my husband took on our recent trip to Ecuador. I absolutely love his eye! and find his work (in addition to the subject matter) very inspiring....

Miniature crazy detail!

This is a small gourd that we purchased in Quito, Ecuador, with a story wood-burned in. I fell in love with the miniature detail throughout it's three-dimensional being. It's quite crazy when you look closely at it -- as the imagery flows perfectly together from one turn to the next. I can't imagine how it is done with a wood-burning tool.....