Artist at Work

Work in Progress
photo taken by Kevin

I love my art teacher. Today, when I presented my latest effort to her, she took one look at it and said the background looked like mud. Actually, it was my thought exactly! I so appreciate having an instructor who isn't afraid to say exactly what she thinks and steer me in a better direction. Previously, I took a couple of art classes and the instructors gave me nothing but praise for what were often lack luster paintings, and, even though they were very sweet encouraging ladies, there was no way to learn or improve without receiving the much needed constructive criticism.

I've always worked well under the direction of a critical eye, a mentor who wants me to produce the best finished product I can. Some years back, when I illustrated a series of rare plants for the Natural Heritage Society, I worked under the direction of the chapter's botanist, a brilliant woman whose scope of knowledge about native plants was phenomenal. She couldn't draw, but she could clearly tell me how to improve my drawings from an expert's point of view. I loved working with her and even though she sent me back to the drawing board many a time, when she finally said, "You got it , looks great!," I felt such a sense of accomplishment.

Once again, I'm very fortunate to have a brilliant mentor...this time an accomplished professional artist and dear friend who truly enjoys sharing her talents and encouraging her students to develop their own style and strive to create their best work. It's such a pleasure to paint. The "work" feels more like play.

New Watercolor

This is my latest watercolor painting. I may still add some finishing touches, darkening some of the lattice openings and brightening some of the flowers, but it's pretty much completed. These delicate blue flowering plants are perennials that grow in my rock garden. Their leaves look very much like mint, but I can't remember what these plants actually are ~ I just enjoy them every summer!

Shades of Dawn

Sunrise through the trees

I awoke before the sun today and enjoyed the magical moments of its golden glow as it slowly rose out of the pastel clouds and up over the valley in the eastern sky. What a time to reflect on life and be thankful for its blessings! I stepped outside the cabin to breathe in the cool mountain air and feel life course through my very being. The birds sweetly welcomed the new day with their joyous songs.

Beech trees all aglow

The morning light makes everything gleam. The brittle beech leaves, retained by the trees throughout the winter months, shimmered in the sun light. Even though the landscape is still stark, the sun cast a decorative glow on everything. Before the sun was fully up, the sky was a soft, dusky shade of periwinkle blue.

Blue skies and puffy white clouds

The sky turned a brilliant turquoise hue within minutes after the sun rose. Today is the kind of day that brings back childhood memories of laying on your back, gazing up at the cottony, white clouds above and finding all sorts of fun shapes among them.

~ A beautiful, care free, sunny sky day.

Our Forest Friends

Visiting Trio

Even though we live in a rather isolated area and our cabin is surrounded not by other dwellings, but by trees, we are not alone. The woods are full of white tailed deer. The forested land around the cabin supports a whole herd. We live amongst more than a dozen deer. Today, as the deer were milling around the cabin I was able to take some photographs from inside. They moved about undisturbed by my presence, as I snapped away.

The herd on the steep slopes

After many successive years of browsing, there is very little forest understory left, and, until springtime, very little greenery for the deer to feed on. Last year's bumper crop of acorns have tided them over. They forage through the leaf cover for the nuts and made it through the lean winter months still looking healthy and well fed.

Sipping at the pond

Now that the days have warmed enough to melt the ice cover over the pond, the deer appear regularly before the sun goes down to quench their thirst. The young doe above took a long, leisurely drink of the cool pond water before rejoining the herd to forage for supper.

"Little Buddy"

We see the deer herd so often that we have come to recognize individuals among the bunch. We named the tiniest member "Little Buddy," a very cute little guy who must have been a fawn from a second litter last year.

"Limpy"

This final photograph pictures a most inspirational member of the herd. Due to some sort of mishap, this deer moves about with a limp, hopping about on three legs, holding the injured leg up as she goes. We've been amazed at how well she gets by. She's usually quite a distance behind the herd and is always making an effort to catch up. We first spotted her last summer and worried she might not make it through the harsh winter. Not only did she make it through; she's thriving! She's such a pretty deer, and, as you can see from Limpy's photograph she's very healthy despite her handicap.

As the sun lowers in the western sky, the deer retreat to their forest "fort" behind downed logs and branches to bed down for a peaceful slumber.