early winter colors

One of my great joys is watching colors change from season to season. Spring with it's bright vibrant swaths of color, Summer is all the variants of green imaginable. Fall, burnished bronze, rust reads, fire colors. Then there is Winter. 

Winter colors are soft, subtle, they whisper in cool voices. You can find the whole rainbow in Winter, unassuming, sometimes missed, but there. Though Fall is my favorite season, Winter is my favorite palette from nature. It always surprises me anew with it's modest beauty.

These colors are a tad bright still for Winter, but they are starting to show signs of retirement and hibernation.

 

 

The sunsets on the other hand are as flambouyant and fiesty as anything.

hibernation

tote i painted this fall

To start I just want to say to those who have commented in previous posts, I have read them and tried to respond, but I don't know what I'm doing wrong, I can't get my responses to post! So please don't think I'm ignoring you, I'm not.

the boy looking cute early this summer - before the 'flea invasion!' and hair cut.

That said...with 'daylight saving time' gone I'm quickly moving into 'hibernation season'. If it's dark, I want to sleep! Anyone else have this problem? I've upped my vitaming 'D'. Maybe sun lamps are next.

Does anyone else think they should just let 'daylight saving time' be year round and call it good? I mean what's the point of getting us use to the dark in the morning, giving us a taste of daylight for maybe 3 weeks and then dumping us back in the dark until March, just before 'daylight saving time' starts again?! It's beyond me. OK, end of whining.

This last weekend I went on a 3 day 'quilting' retreat. This was our 4th year - last year I missed because I didn't want to leave the chickens alone, silly me. I took lots of knitting and will have pictures of what I completed next time. I learned to knit in the 'continental' style and let me say that even though I'm still slow at it, I'm faster ribbing with it than with the 'throwing' method, who would have guessed! 

It was pure bliss to be able to get up, create, eat - no cooking mind you! - play, create, eat, create, eat...you see a pattern here? all weekend... Now, if I could find a job like that I'd be all over it!

This was 730am Saturday morning. It was great! So mysterious and quiet.

This was the sunrise, around 7am, Sunday morning. Quite the turn around, but that's Nebraska! 

 

Of course, this was the face that greeted me when I got home, but Japser did finally cave and give me lots of purrs and kitty kisses once he got passed his snit.

Yeah, I know, he still looks adorable even when he's pissy!

Industry and the love of rust

 

 

 

I just find these very satisfying.

Still here...coming out of stasis

I have been going through a re-evaluation of what I want 'my world' to be, spending a lot of time thinking and napping. I go through these periods ever so often. Generally I exit them refreshed and excited. This time not so much, maybe because I couldn't reach a definitive decision on what direction I want to go.
So, falling back on a childhood (ok, young adult) idol I'm going to take the following view 'Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try'. Yoda is the 'man'. The theory being I'm going to take each day as it comes, no worries about 'what I should be doing', no thoughts about plans I should be making, just living.

Here is inspiration for my new lifestyle:

Do you know of anything more self assured about their life than a cat? Japser is VERY self assured (and darn cute)!

Mutant Coneflowers

I don't know what's up with the coneflowers this year, but they are growing spikey and lime green. Eventually as they are open they get a little purple. The one at the top and center is really interesting, sort of chrysanthemum looking.

Iris

Fern

On the chicken front Fern has finally stopped being broody (7+ weeks!). Iris is a total trooper, she just kept laying eggs the whole time. It's good to see them both out and terrorizing bugs.

working in unison

Texture and Pattern

I really like the sun bleached patterns on the brick

 I live less than 2 blocks from a grain mill and train tracks. Surprisingly, except in winter, I seldom hear the trains. I do however here the blowers on the mill. Some might find this annoying, but it's a constant and soothing sort of sound. The other advantage of the mill is all the wonderful textures and patterns it offers for photography. Here are a few photos from my last 'mill shoot'. (The sky was very bright that day so it looks white in some photos).

The texture in the stucco above the roof is just fascinating to me

brick, wood, glass, cement...lovely

...add in pipes, aluminum, metal walkways, venting and sky, sigh.

I must admit I think this improves the look of the boxcar

...and this one is just fun

This is my favorite part of the whole mill, I love the shape.

It's even higher up than this picture suggests, 'zoom' is wonderful!

better(?) pics of quilt tops

Well, I guess you can see them a little better in these pics. I'll have to find a non-windy sunny day and try again.

Teasel Rue Larson

 8/15/98  - 5/3/12

It never gets any easier.

Keeping Busy

 

This is how I've been spending my evenings for the last couple of months. I hope to have them completed by the end of May. The blue zig-zag is for my man and the other is for me. I never really thought of myself as a 'blue-purple' person, but I really love the color periwinkle.

The girls are rototilling like the good chickens they are and the flowers (Iris and Lilacs) are blooming beautifully. Now that it's Spring I'll be spending more time in the garden. I've built a raised bed and hope to get some heirloom veggies started in it, so that will be keeping me busy in future evenings, but I'll still make time to sew or knit or sculpt - I just don't feel 'whole' otherwise.

Completed Birds and Dad Quilt

Well, I'm doing pretty well I think, 2 projects down in 2 months! WOOHOO!

This is the 2nd official (translates as 'finished') quilt I've made. It's a scrappy quilt I made my Dad. He loves blue, I lean more towards turquoise hence the 'background' color of the blocks. He loved it and the booties I sent with the quilt. You know you've done well when your Dad tells you he was napping under the quilt (with the booties on) within 10 mins after opening the box! Yep, I did a lot of patting myself on the back. :-)

 

Here is the transformation of the Birds that were started in DECEMBER (dang!). I didn't use all of them yet, but some have undergone further transformation and are waiting for me to figure out how to display them to their best advantage.

                                   

The base is a wooden votive candle holder that I transformed into flowers. I used 1/2 a stryofoam ball for each center, cut out and painted paper flower petals and then used some paperclay to ring the 'centers' of the flowers. Although it is mostly acrylic paint that colors the forms I tried my hand at combining mediums on this one, acrylic paint, watercolor pencils, watercolors and paperclay. Now to find new homes for the 2 other birds!

I just have to brag!

 

Fantastic Flight by Denise Baldwin

How lucky can a girl be? 
I have a sister, who is not only loving and giving, but is also so DAMN ARTISTIC!!!!!!!

I just adore her art, but this one really warms my heart.

Completed 'birdhouse' - Home is Where the Heart Is

For 'Old Black Cat' - Thanks for 'Hanging', Here's the next step!

Here are the birdies with some color. They are starting to take on more personality. They will be completed by mid March since they will be in an art show in April.

 

Another WIP is 'Home is where the Heart is' bird house. It's a piece being donated to raise funds for our local nature center so they can continue with their education and outreach to elementary school children.

 

She will be wearing a dress and apron evetually, along with holding a small bird in her hand. Her other arm is glued on now, but I don't have pictures as yet.

I find her a little scary right now, but I know in the end she will be quite 'twee'.