Tag Archives: garden

Oct2

Things That Creep In The Night!

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Things That Creep In The Night!

Last night as my husband, Les and I were rounding up the cat for the evening,  With flashlight in hand, we were out back calling his name when…….Les caught sight of something with eyes on the fence.  It didn’t look quite like eyes of a cat, they were eyes he’d never seen before!  And, it wasn’t Kramer!  What was it?  Hard to tell since the branches from our big Mela Lucas were hanging down, leaving us looking through the branches, and leaves from the bushes, and trees. From what we could see, it seemed very large!  The creature froze in the beam of the flash light, leaving us wondering if we were seeing things, or was there really something there!  As we moved around the back yard it never changed position, it didn’t even blink, and didn’t look like it was even watching us, but I  know it was!

Logic told us it wasn’t anything we had seen around here before, like a coyote, or even a racoon.  We get rats, and mice now and then, probably more than we realize, but this was much larger than a rat!  For a moment, we thought it might be an owl because it was so still, and had a kind of barn owl look, but it wasn’t wearing a mask, so we ruled that out!  Besides, even though we couldn’t get a clear look at this mysterious creature, I didn’t see anything that looked like feathers.  That was a clue!  Slowly, we inched closer, and closer, while it sat frozen in time.   We shinned the light on it from all angles, while still keeping our distance.  Finally Les  said to me unequivocally, “I don’t like it, not one little bit!”  He didn’t know what it was,  didn’t want to get any closer, and definitely didn’t want to have anything to do with this wild kingdom stuff!  Well actually, I didn’t want to get too close, but it wasn’t attacking, growling, or hissing so it was hard to believe we were in imminent danger.

After much discussion, we decided it had to be a possum.  The funny thing is, he was probably more afraid of us than we were of him, no wonder he was playing possum!

Sep26

Just Another Journal Cover

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Today I’m working on adding one more journal to my collection. This time it will be a watercolor journal, something that’s easier for me to use since it’s all about mixed media! As I’ve blogged before, a journal isn’t ready to go unless it has some clothes and jewelry on! By this I mean, I […]

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Sep24

The Continuing Saga

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The Continuing Saga

As many of you know, I’ve been working on a weaving with pods I scavenged  from my friend Barbara’s garden.  This has definitely challenged me, since everything I thought I world do, hasn’t worked out quite like planned!  Photos of the project here and there along the way  seem to help just so  I could  see  what it looked  like  from a different perspective,  and how much progress is being made.  When I see a picture of something I’m  working on, it’s like looking at it through someone elses eyes, and many times it becomes much clearer as to what needs to be done.  This has worked favorably  for me in the past, and hopefully it did  again!

Maybe it was the colors chosen, maybe the textiles, maybe even the pesky pods, but it’s been really difficult getting into this project.  It’s a challenge that is much-needed for me  to grow, and I won’t let it go!  What I’ve learned from past projects is this;  it’s usually the colors that aren’t speaking to me!  I’m really a warm color person, and many of my creations are with rusts, yellows, gold, and then I splash some cool color into the project just to give it life, and interest.  This time it’s the opposite, because I’ve used  all cool colors, and they  are having trouble getting their point across.  It’s similar to when the cat sits and Meows at you, and you have no idea what  the “bleep” he could possibly want!

The better part of Saturday was spent playing with textures, colors, yarns, ribbon, foil, and anything else I could think of.  At some point I have to wonder if another artist is needed just to stop the insanity!  After so many layers of really just about everything, finally it started to pull together, and I think, no I know I’m definitely I’m finished!

Have you ever started a project that was a huge challenge, and you almost wished you hadn’t started it?  Did you keep on going!  Or, did you toss in the towel, and decide your time was better spent on something really enjoyable?  There isn’t any right or wrong way to handle this, we each reach our finish lines in our own way!  I personally really dislike it when something I start is getting the better of me, and sometimes, but rarely do I allow it to win!  Those times when I won’t let it go, are the times I sleep less, lay awake more, wake up exhausted, and dig in once again.  This kind of thing could go on for way too long, and it’s every mans guess who will win!

All in all, I did have fun playing with it, but I don’t think I’ll be working  with pods anytime soon!

Sep18

Let’s Talk About That Sharp Left Turn Again!

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Let’s Talk About That Sharp Left Turn Again!

In my post last Thursday, I spoke about how if a project isn’t flowing like I expected, I’d make a Sharp Left Turn, and keep going!     I don’t believe in mistakes, only opportunities to be more creative!     But every once in a while something happens and, the project makes me wonder if it’s worth the effort or the agony…

I’ve worked with these darn pods for over four days now, and after getting more of the green pods, I decided to soak them in water, an attempt to keep them soft! Good idea or not, here’s what happened…..

These “green” pods that caught my eye last week sat in water, and hardened.     Can you believe it?     Instead of getting pruny like I would if I were left in water for a day and a half, they called my bluff, and started to get tough and dried out feeling.     I have been working with them to see if in an attempt to prevent them from getting the better of me, I could do something with them.     I’m determined to win this game!     It just occurred to me I might just as well use green beans, even the tough, old beans are more flexible than the green pods.   I wonder what the green beans would look like dried, or if they would draw ants?     Would they resist being used in an art project, or would they rise to the occasion, and become elegant, royal looking green beans worthy of an art project such as this?

Finally my thought process was;   if I put the pods on a canvas, cover it with burlap, maybe it would give them the message that they were not going to escape being the object of an art weaving, and maybe it would help me see where I need go with this!     The other day, I purchased three colors of burlap thinking, “Organic.” I bought dark brown, light green, and a wheat colored neutral.     All beautiful, but I had thought the green would be perfect, and it turned out there wasn’t enough contrast!     Remember, “It’s the journey!”    I’m now leaning to the dark brown for contrast.     What do you think?

Originally, I thought of just weaving the pods all alone by themselves, but as I worked with them, I’m  realizeding they needed to be beaten into submission if I wanted to use them at all!     Next, I thought of using wool roving and dry felting them so they would stay in place, but after running the needles through my finger, I’m not so sure! Then maybe using other fabrics such as yarn, or gauze?     I’m going back and forth on this, all the time wondering if it’s worth the effort?    Again it occurred to me that, “It’s the journey!”     I’m thinking this only applies if the journey is going well!     You can see why I’m wondering if it’s worth it!

By nature I rarely let things get the better of me, whether it’s figuring out the use of electronics, creating art, or reading a book that isn’t holding my interest.     I usually finish what I start!     Problems simmer in the back of my mind until around three in the morning, when an idea or solution   awakens me, and  won’t allow me to return to sleep!     This hasn’t happened as yet with the pods, I’m trying to conquer them before they conquer me!

Have any of you worked with pods in this way?     I’m finding them not as easy as I thought originally, these are actually kind of a pain!     But I love pods, and  pick them up regularly! Read the rest of this entry →

Sep13

Spotting A Treasure

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Did you ever see something that triggered your creativity, and you had no idea what you would do with it? That happened to me yesterday afternoon while walking through my friend Barbara’s garden! We were walking through the garden, admiring all the beautiful blooming plants, I was being offered clippings of her succulents when I […]

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Sep6

Look What You CAN Do With Leaves!

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Look What You CAN Do With Leaves!

When I look at the wonder of nature, I am in awe!   Each, and every thing I come across is a treasure to me.  Birds, butterflies, trees (I love trees), flowers, I love them all.  My yard has transitioned from very, very green, and lush to drought tolerant.  Some of it forced, most of it by choice!  I love to look at what others have designed, and implemented into  their landscapes, and  every once in a while, I’ll find someone who has been way too creative for a novice.  It shows that they have put a great deal of thought into how they put together a front yard, or  a design element in the garden.  I see things all the time that remind me to be more open minded and think outside the box!  Funny thing is, I always think I am outside the box, and just about the time Im feeling particularly clever, I’ll see something someone else has thought of, and wonder why I didn’t think of that!

This time I painted leaves!  This is outside the box, right?   It’s  something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and hadn’t tried.  Now, I admit a project like this  needs to be thought through. Most of these kind of projects take a little more time than we realize.  I pressed the leaves over night, painted medium on them to preserve their flexibility, and stenciled, painted, and sprayed with a fixative!  They are a little rough, and as the leaf  project resurfaces again and again, I’m sure that they will look  better each time.  The ideas are endless, with  so many different shaped leaves to work with!  It could be fun to gather unusual leaves, or leaves great for painting, press them, and allow them to wait for just the right moment.  This is coming to you from a person who saves just about everything, just in case!  That’s what I call a “Mixed Media artist,” some would call it hoarder!”    Surely those people aren’t artists?  When I do throw something out, it’s picked up by our local trash company, and hauled away!    Well, that’s when I need it the most.  Always, I needed that, and  wonder why on earth I threw it out?

Todays challenge is to paint, sketch, collage, or anything else you can think of, living from the yard.  Leaves while they aren’t technically living, they were still flexible, and I did  coat them with medium to preserve them!   I chose leaves, but  you may want to use something else!

I continue to encourage all of you to join in as much as you can, post comments, and enjoy my blog.