The falls along the Cedar Creek Trail are beautiful all along the water, if only I had more time! It's always fun to vacation with family, especially when we all like to explore. This creek is full of painting opportunities, and I am happy to squeeze in a quick sketch while the kids are resting. Painting number 4826 in 4826 days.
This little head of iceberg lettuce is growing from my kitchen scraps. It's so adorable I had to paint it! I've started another and a tiny cabbage, too, just to see if I could coax life from the stumps. I add a little plant food every two weeks, and refresh the water every few days. I'm hoping for roots, but so far they evade me. It's fun to garden inside at night, in the middle of winter! Painting number 4796 in 4796 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.
It's fun to sketch the progress of scallion starts from the kitchen as they grow into plants I can use again and again! I found the little green mason jar starter for green onions with sprouting lids in a kit, and I HAD to try it! It's as easy as saving the bottom inch of a green onion to slip into a well with water, and watch the magic happen! I use a lot of these in cooking, and even grow one in my hydroponic garden. But these, I should be able to transplant outdoors when it is warm enough, for a bountiful harvest that could even be perennial in my zone. We'll see! Maybe, I'll never have to buy them again, and can paint them when they all break out in glorious bloom! Painting number 4786 in 4786 days.
Sketching Betsy on the community nest - all of our hens lay their eggs in one nest each day!! She's one of our sweetest chickens, one of two calico princesses we have. I don't know if all chickens do this, but ours have fun the very beginning. Only three times has an egg missed the family plot. Two were randomly in the henhouse and one in the middle of the run! Both of the times they were in the henhouse, the nest was fill off 7 eggs already. And if one of the hens is still on that nest, they don't mind at all when I reach underneath them to pull each egg out. I'm so happy we started on this chicken adventure. Painting number 4784 in 4784 days.
What a beautiful, sunny day to paint in the snow - in the warmest part of the day, of course! This is one of two pin oaks planted by my grandma when my Uncle Brian signed up to serve his country as a Marine. I like to think the second was planted for my Uncle Clayton when he signed up for the Navy. They are both glorious trees that I have drawn and painted at various times. This land has been in my family for three generations, with now 5 generations spending time here as our family grows. It's hard to describe how I feel here, with some of my earliest memories from this very place. Two of my children were born here, three have married here, and many family members lived, loved and played here, who no longer walk this world. I still hold their memories in my heart, as if it were yesterday. How are the days so fleeting? I hope to have another 50 years to paint all of the paintings I feel right here. Painting number 4773 in 4773 days.
I am painting what I planted in the herb garden today, on the eve of a winter storm! It's been so nice that I even dug out a bucket full of henbit for the chickens to enjoy! Winter sowing the seeds, they will get a good start for next season. We are expecting 4 to 7 inches, with 8 to 12 just south of us. Maybe I'll even be painting snow this weekend! Painting number 4769 in 4769 days.
This sweet Blue laced golden wyandotte is pretty shy, and waits for the other hens to leave my side before approaching. She was very fast as a chick, earning her the name Secretariat, from my son, Michael. She likes being sketched in pen and ink! Very spunky as a chick, she is more reserved and dignified now. Little Phinny is in the foreground, wondering why I'm not sketching her today. Who knew these chicks would grow to be part of the family? Painting number 4745 in 4745 days.
I just had to paint Union Station one more time during this special time of year, and soak up that Christmas magic! Beautiful in all of it's seasons, Christmas holds something special here. The iconic tree and yearly visits with family and friends are joyous, as we remember all those who no longer gather here with us. Each year, I'm compelled to paint this hall, and this year I've chosen ink and watercolor. I nearly brought my acrylics, but I'll save them for next year. I hope you're all enjoying this holiday season as much as I am! Painting number 4739 in 4739 days.
Union Station is perhaps my very favorite place to paint in December! I love painting this iconic tree and decked halls!! Ink and watercolor is the perfect vehicle to drive this painting, in this place. After a few children's choirs dang carols at the tree, the crowd thinned out enough to get a beautiful view. Another memory in the books. Painting number 4736 in 4736 days.
I just couldn't resist painting this cool old truck parked behind Cockrell Mercantile (in my favorite color)! The twisted old catalpa tree on the lawn pulled me right into the scene, begging to be painted, too. With ink and watercolor I captured this scene, adding more ink at the finish. This is a favorite place to paint, and it was fun joining artist friends at the Summit Art Plein Air event! Painting number 4632 in 4632 days.
I don't think I shared this painting, and it already has a new home! I have enjoyed seeing and painting the flurry of monarchs that have arrived. With so many chores to be done in the garden, I really treasure the moments I can actually paint what I've been tending! This painting was briefly on display at Powell Gardens and is number 4630 in 4630 days, and now I'm getting ready for the first Chiefs game of the season!
Today, I am painting sweet Meringue, who is our lighter Calico Princess. She is very well mannered, sweet and docile. She only takes treats when no one else is near, and gentle in the taking. It's only a matter of time before one of the other girls jumps up on my easel! Beans is especially spicy as she checks out my ungloved fingers - looking for a treat! More than once I had to deflect her advances as I painted. I may need to paint outside the run next time! Painting number 4615 in 4615 days.
I just found this painting in my sketch bag of the Wooden Boat Show at the Lakeside Chautauqua! I never framed or displayed it in the wet paint sale. Once in a while I run out of time and simply stash my painting in my bag - fully intending to take care of it when I have a moment. Alas, I completely forgot about this one! Painting number 4605 in 4605 days.
