At the tail end of winter and a great art book

 This was the front yard last May. Just to offer some hope.

 Same place this morning. Just imagine you're a short legged

mini doxey facing this for about 2 weeks. Brave dog.

 I've worked on these spring scenes while stuck inside.

It's been a nice break from oils.

This book is opening my mind to shape, color, texture and form. Of all the

books I've read this winter this has been most helpful to me. The author

hasn't offered a 'do this then do that' type of teaching. Reading

 about her process changed how I  look at subjects.

Rare sight-Virginia Rail

Yesterday morning I made a bird seed and suet run before the snow.

As the snow began this visitor, I believe he's a Virginia Rail, fed heavily on suet.

You can see how big he is compared to the suet block!

My first sighting of this bird. Huge feet...had a hard

time hanging on while he fed.

Unfreezing

Right here at the edge of winter it's about 25 degrees midday. The sun shines a bit longer each
evening but no extra warmth. Still, something is up.

I hear bird songs I haven't heard since fall. This morning I noticed the robins
hopping, listening, hopping, dancing on the frosty grass.  A new rhythm, another animal's
sense of life under the earth.

Even in this wind and cold something else is up. 

Our home is surrounded by trees and birds and animals. Here the mini seasons and
the subtle shifts show themselves if we pay attention.

This Earth continues under the sun and moon and we can witness, feel and love it.
There is Big Life visible every day and I'm part of it, dependent on it, in love with it.

Recently an old friend who's offered a life working
to save a specific part of our planet expressed despair.
Our earth may not make it another 100 years and we're a big part of the reason.

My advice to this friend was to read a book that has saved my sanity more than once.
Joanna Macy's ­World as Lover, World as Self.

I took my own advice and read it again.  It's good medicine for anyone concerned about or in pain for
our planet. It's a powerful tool to stay engaged when despair seems the only logical perspective.
Stay warm!

Under the winter cold

 The first seed catalog came in the mail. Although this has been the coldest

winter here I can remember, we haven't had any snow yet (knock wood).

 I'm trying to loosen up and see color and pattern rather than

insist on realistic images. Lighter and simpler.

 These were fun to draw and tint.Especially now that

the world is so black, white and grey.

I signed up for an online class with Daniel Donaldson beginning

in March. Hoping it will help lighten up my drawing and mark making.

Stay warm!

Deer hounds

In 1969 my dad found and rescued a puppy of undetermined breed.

He grew and grew,

and grew some more. We found out we had

a Scottish Deer Hound. My brother named

him Thunderbolt. He was huge but very

gentle, letting our cat ride on his back.

It was fun to paint these deer hounds.

 

It's so cold and bare here. No snow yet. We're in hibernation mode.

Wearing lots of layers and doing inside stuff. 

Underground spring bulbs are dreaming.

Hope you are warm!

Happy 2015...Year of the sheep

The photo above is from a couple of years ago. Our ram, the gentleman Graham, died so we have no
more little lambs for another year or so. But their spirit is one to inspire me to play more and worry less.

These two were born from different ewes but acted like twins, following and chasing

each other. Cousins. They're still here on the little ranchito.

Now they're ewes, still hanging out together. This place is a nice place for a lamb to be born. 

I do miss March and the tiny lambs leaping for joy.

Maybe in 2015, year of the Sheep, we'll travel to the mountains and

bring home another ram. Yes, this may be the year to do that.

Happy, healthy and prosperous 2015 to you!

Commission paintings and a helpful idea for Cretacolor oil crayons

 I was happy to begin the first stages of these sweet dogs on commission.

 

 

 

Drawing, especially on toned paper, has bumped up my skill level a bit.

Drawing daily is a big joy. These two paintings need more work but I'm

happy with what's happening in the first stages.

In Oct and Nov I was working with watercolor washes over ink 

drawings. The hatching was not working and I've moved away from it.

 

Early this month I began using Cretacolor water soluble oil pastels with

a waterbrush and love the smooth, less transparent oil pastels on toned paper.

 

I went back to some old drawings and added cretacolor highlights.

Even with the hatching it builds form more naturally.

 

 Working with it feels somewhere between oils and watercolor.

The only downside is this jumble of choices that slowed me down in

color choices...so...

I cut a small end off each oil crayon, leaving the paper on, then

glued each into this shallow case. This way I can dip into them like pan watercolors.

My new favorite tool.