Softly bristly and green

Remember this last late winter I had purchased some seeds from this great seed company? Well, Spring arrived and I planted them expectedly, and due to life it took me longer than intended to get my then-sad-looking seedlings into the ground. At the time, it really didn't look very promising... Well, nature did what it does during summer - lots of rain and warm sun and then, with great excitement, I saw happy bees at the sweet little yellow flowers. And as it is with any fruit, the flower then produced what I had hoped to see ~ hedgehog gourds! in all of their softly bristly and green glory! What a delight they are and how fun they are to feel!! I'm curious to see how they continue to grow as the season comes to an end. Will the softly bristly green remain? We shall see.....

Winged creatures

I'm lately inspired by wings, large or small. From dragonflies to wasps to birds to even the faded almost transparent petals of a lily (though not a wing, the veins throughout resemble such), I soak the details in. This fascination seems to have found an outlet in my latest painting (above). The detail of this work in progress shows what I define as wings. From my book, Dictionary of Symbolism, I find wings typically, symbolically suggest "an elevation of, or improvement upon, the merely corporeal, subject as it is to the earth's gravity".   Personally I see them as veins of life....

The ideal....

From the zucchini chocolate chip cookie recipe to phrases like "....come back for a potholder hug...." -- these visuals of the Kingsolver family's experience have stuck with me after the last page of this memoir was turned.  The idea to nurture ourselves through our choices, creating a lifestyle that supports us on all levels is goal-worthy. Challenging it may be at times, and overwhelming if not taken step by step, day to day balance is where it is at. That's easier said then done though, isn't it?

There are times where I want to live my life more like my painting. When I paint I let go of control, of time; I let the forms and textures guide me. It is here I can get lost and the clock does not matter. Yet I find my hurdle is to be able to break away from keeping house or working or running errands to paint. Why is it so difficult to do what one loves? Thankfully, life is a work in progress. Each day that begins anew gives us another chance. As the last sentence in the book stated, "a nest full of little ding-dongs, and time begins once more."

Oh!

My dear dog, George, found this wonderfully large beetle the other day. Unfortunately, it was down in the basement, so unnatural-like, I moved it back outdoors where hopefully it could proceed through the day much more natural-like as a beetle is meant to.  I need to figure out what kind it is - it had to be close to a quarter's size in diameter.... and the details are amazing! I'm sorry my camera couldn't capture it's unique tiny-ness! Though my mind has and it may eventually come out through the tiny brushes of my paint brush (not the beetle, but the idea of it's details in miniature form).  :)

HKH meets Universal

Liz Plambeck of Universal Pants and I have been sharing our talents with one another. The shirt I'm wearing to the left is representative of one of her wonderful handmade creations. It features on the front a pattern I had created from one of my original oil paintings (see hkhdesigns.com for more information). Creatively made from reclaimed fabrics and hemp/silk this is definitely one-of-a-kind. We plan on having open studio events this fall. Stay tuned....

And the off-white doors beckoned.....

It didn't take me long to start seeing an image in the foundational layers of my process. I'm loving what is emerging! I think it's somewhat Alice in Wonderland (which I've now have seen it 4 times and each time just gets better!) inspired and intestinal influenced....

What treasures await!

The last few weeks my husband I have had fun poking around antique shops and the like. Such finds were found! Above are the latest additions to my already full head of ideas. I'm quite excited by the possibilities..... So, as always, stay tuned! I find the off-white door beckoning.......