Is there anything as sweet as the fragrance of lilacs? I wish they bloomed all year so I could bask in their aroma at any chosen time. The butterflies are out and a quick sketch is on order before heading to the Augusta Plein Air Art Festival, something I look forward to all year long! I've only a few blooms in grandmother's old fashioned lilacs this year, and they must be immortalized. Painting number 4859 in 4859 days.
Sometimes, all I need is a little traditional pen and ink. The tactile feel of pen against paper as it lays down a line feels like meditation. Drawing brings me completely to the moment, observing every plane and angle. No fancy fountain pens for this one, I return to a favorite Pitt pen, India ink is a good option, that does not smear as I work. Many like microns for this line work, but I prefer the feel of the Pitt pen. In fact, I never use microns though I have many. Life's too short to settle for less. Painting number 4835 in 4835 days.
Chamomile and radish seeds planted and painted! What a beautiful day to spend outside! In addition to these seeds, I also planted 5 or 6 of the new seed varieties I bought from the Experimental Farm Network. They are all perennial vegetables which can be winter sown, and I'm so excited to watch their progress in the coming months. I'm marking everything I plant, because it is so easy to lose track with the sheer volume of gardening that I do! 60's today and maybe snow this weekend, so I'm making hay while the sun shines! Painting number 4794 in 4794 days.
It already feels like spring inside the Family Tree Nursery! What a great place to sketch with friends and 4 generations of my family in attendance - totally fitting for FAMILY Tree Nursery! They are so gracious to welcome us into their lovely space. The pink tulips featured returned home with me, along with special seeds and a couple of herbs. I enjoyed a few lemon balm leaves on my salad today! The ground is soft and I'm already weeding a few of the early henbit for my chickens to enjoy! It sure doesn't feel like February! Painting number 4789 in 4789 days.
This little beauty is critiquing my sketches, and giving me some good feedback! Both of these buff brahmas are sweethearts, the smaller is the official Chicken Guard. If Proggy perceives any danger, she sets off an alarm call, and I go out to check. I've got cameras in the run and the henhouse, and motion sensing lights on the front and back corner of the coop. I've seen a big coyote and large raccoon, and found tracks in the snow of the same, but no predator has gotten through our security. I hope one never does! Painting number 4785 in 4785 days.
After a crazy busy family day, I'm painting the German chamomile growing hydroponically tonight well after dark. Just last month, these plants were bursting forth in a sheltered area near my herb garden. I took two cuttings to try inside, because the blooms on this variety are very large and delicious. They rooted well and this one is already in vigorous bloom! The ferny foliage is also beautiful and tastes delicious in my salads. So, I'm adding this beauty to my nature journal to chronicle it's transition to my indoor garden. Painting number 4766 in 4766 days.
This is my first sketch of these cuties, who just joined our family! Teddy's granddaughter picked them up on the side of the road, along with their brother, and found them homes. It's been almost 12 years since my oldest daughter had to take our two young kittens, because our new lab (Beau) was too rough with them. Those two were also a calico and a yellow tabby. What a coincidence. Already fixed and socialized by her 6 great-grandchildren, they are the perfect additions to our family. I only had time for a sketch tonight, but I hope to commit them to oils one day soon! Painting number 4762 in 4762 days.
First sketch of Lady Belle at sunset in her new pasture and she's such a pretty girl! She comes to us through my dear painting friend, Teddy Jackson. Arriving Sunday afternoon, she is getting used to our family and the new space. She watched me paint her today, as I stood in the middle of the field, without coming closer. As soon as I finished and started walking away, her head popped up and she followed me all the way to the gate. She likes sweet talk, and might have been looking for a treat, but I didn't have one today. I'll have one next time! Painting number 4761 in 4761 days.
I love sketching the delicate beauty of orchids, as their blooms dangle on the stem. These are an annual showstopper, seemingly blooming for months! This has been a day of new beginnings with the addition of our new horse, Lady Belle, and two half grown kittens. Rescued from the side of the road, a yellow tabby and sweet spotted calico have found their way to us - thanks to my dear painting friend, Teddy Jackson. We spent the day outside with family and the animals, still working on Lady Belle's lodging. I will soon be painting these little sweethearts, too! Painting number 4758 in 4758 days.
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I'm planting and painting the newest seeds added to my garden, Shasta Daisies and Red Corn Poppies! With two trips to the garden center this week, more additions are coming!! I don't think I've ever been so garden crazy in JANUARY, but the balmy weather has me catching up on fall tasks and getting ahead on spring ones! What fun it is to plan out the blooms to come! When Tiffany first started kindergarten, I had a large bunch of Shasta Daisies in my front garden. One particularly cold winter did them in and I can't wait for these seeds to flourish! I love poppies, too, but have only had them briefly thrive. I'm hoping the new spot I chose for them will be their forever home by the cellar! Painting number 4757 in 4757 days.
How often do I get to sketch wild turkeys in my sketchbook?!! These sweet birds make their daily journey down and up the mountain, walking right beside the cabin. These were quite young, not nearly as filled out as the big ones. They are very tame here, almost as if they have no predators. I bet I won't see them on the banks of Lake Erie! Painting number 4573 in 4573 days.
What a peaceful and serene view to sketch from near the Overlook Chapel! This is the kind of view one could look at forever, and never tire of. I chose this vintage journal for my pen and ink sketch walk today. Longing for that timeless feel, this page could have been drawn 100 years ago. These mountains are timeless, as the many souls who have stood in this place taking in the beauty. Perhaps they sketched here, or shared a prayer of gratitude, as I do this day. There are so many priceless things in this life, and this moment is one of them. Painting number 4569 in 4569 days.
