rainy sunday

Became completely, totally absorbed in my painting today, listening to the soft raindrops outside the window. What a feeling and a terrific, productive Sunday! When I was finished with the long painting session I had paint all over my hands, arms, legs, and a glob between my toes! Afterwards was flipping though a neat old book of poetry called the Windflower Home Companion which I am smitten over (it was a dusty thrift shop find) and decided to scan some of the faded pages and made a few raindrop-inspired memory pages. And now the rain has stopped and I can hear Katydids, which are twice as nice. And the air is a chilly, cardigan-wearing kind of cool and damp which makes me daydream about being in Maine or anywhere New England for that matter. We didn’t make it up there this year and I am feeling a little bit of a loss.

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway! There’s still PLENTY of time to enter, as I am doing the drawing at 5:00 Eastern time this Friday!

snail rescue, a true story

Oh to be on a road trip in the middle of the woods, creeping along, carrying your home on your back a very busy snail with somewhere to be! Little did he know he was about to be crushed into a pile of mush by a bicycle!

Plan A: Tried to pick him off of the pavement but that didn’t work, the little guy simple ignored me and kept creeping along (and I was afraid to dismantle him from his home on his back.) This snails got serious suction cup grip!

Plan B: Took a leaf from the side of the trail and placed it in front of him. In the heat of the sun he crawled aboard.

Picked up the leaf.

Placed snail in the soft green moss at the side of the trail and watched as he crawled off, making sure he was headed in the right direction (the lush green woods).

The snail was on his way, oblivious of any human intervention, never pausing once.

Oh, how I wanted to take him home, poke three holes in a mayonnaise jar and place a few blades of grass inside!

Speaking of snails, paint is related to snails because it dries so darn slow! I took the day off and escaped to the seashore today, and missed my chance to photo my creation in the daylight, so I am betting that tomorrow the painting will be dry enough for a scan. Yes, I am hoping!

reverie

Won’t you come with me on a treasure hunt? We can find all sorts of wild and tangled colorful things to inspire! Surround ourselves with the lushness of nature, calico fields, drink bird feather tea (it is yummy!) and bring it all home to create a wild museum of sorts. Giant curios filled with imaginary flowers, twigs and bones.

barn sale at the farm!

My Aunt Diana is having a fabulous barn sale! As always, everything looked like a magazine spread and I was like “are you actually selling this??” as I sorted through the goods.

My mom bought this rug. It has survived three barn sales so it had her name on it!

I bought the most charming box of vintage cotton fabric scraps (and I’m thinking I’l wrap some of my cameo necklaces in bits and pieces for shipping). I’ll be up tonight sorting though it all (along with a bag of wool pieces), studing the tiny calico prints. Oh what am I to do with all this?! I have just the perfect things!

I should of bought these patchy quilt pieces. Barn boots for sale too.

These are the neatest things! They are very old velveteen and handstitched. The backing is made from antique letters written with a quill pen in sepia ink. Amazing!

Inside the barn, looking more like an art gallery. Yes, everything is for sale here (and I did buy some paintings and an art quilt!)

Even the cows wanted to come… and they should attend, it was in their house!

The farm was looking so lovely, lush flowers blooming all around, my aunts art studio (which is on one side of the barn) looking as charming as ever. I left with two boxes of wonderful stuff, and I am dreaming of all things I should of/ could of bought.

a perfect day to feel…

Another morning visiting my favorite spot to ramble along the trails and sit by the pond. The morning weather was perfectly overcast so I was able to stay out until 9:30 am! Usually I plan to be indoors by 7:30 due to the the intolerable heat and humidity. There has been a heat wave here so today I took advantage of the break (still no rain though). This morning the meadow was soft and full of queen anne’s lace.

Other inspiring, meadow-ish things, from above

♥ snippets of vintage lace from my box
♥ queen anne’s lace growing wild in the field and roadside
♥ finding halves of blue bird eggs in the green moss
♥ recent thrifted dishware, sweetly meadow themed with wildflower silouettes and mushrooms!
♥ a fawn at the edge of the field. I heard a rustling of grass and took a peek, to my surprise he was there! So sweet.

Looking forward to raindrops! Being stuck inside from rainshowers instead of heat sounds so soothing right now.

some more sea love

It’s such a hot, humid day I am wishing to live a bit closer to the ocean, satisfying my craving by painting up ships and other summery things in the air conditioning. But I had to share two more things from the other day, the cutest sailor themed bathing suit from the early 1900’s. It even had bloomers in the same material! The suit must of weighed a TON, I can’t imagine what it weighed wet! And, the sweetest ship weathervan on the roof of a seaside Victorian.

Found this ship during a treasure hunt… Its a huge ship necklace!

treasures from a sea cottage…

Stumbled upon a beautiful cottage while visiting the seashore for the day in Ocean Grove, NJ. The house was open to the public for tours, so I went in. Such a collection of pretty victorian things, and the little home with its two-story rocking chair porch had such charm! Small rooms under the eaves in the prettiest muted colors appeared sunfaded, perfect for the seashore. Take a peek at my favorite things, in all my favorite colors…

Hair art, silouettes and just look at the anchor shelf! The earthy brown objects were so pretty against the muted yellow walls.

A table in the living room was littered with old books and shells.

A favorite corner in a tiny bedroom on the second floor.

Desk with old objects that I perused in my imagination (no touching anything in the house)

dream stove

love, love love these prints, in the childrens room.

delicate and dainty silk shoes.

a corner of the parlor is the smallest reminder of the long, cold winters- hand painted wintery lampshade and more hair art.

and I was so busy frolicking about that I didn’t take a photo of the exterior!
I am off to paint for the rest of the day.

wings feather lace

walked home hands cupped holding these treasures! dragonfly wings (and I am betting the body was consumed by a very hungry bird!) and a blue jay feather. Now can I find a cardinal feather? I hope someday soon!

and, I have a new print in my shop.

We Come From a Delicate Place print. The original is watercolor, gouache, acrylic and antique lace.

newish things

Been dreaming of wildflowers and watery spaces, and dreams manifest themselves in very pretty places…

I find myself here often…

AND, I have three new sweet, simple cameo necklaces here

Here is one.

entangled floating flying things

I am so happy to have two of my paintings in the little ‘zine pictured above. I was feeling a bit under the weather last week and when it arrived in the mail it cheered me right up! There are some sweet artists in the mag and I love Julianna’s work on the cover (and juxtaposed with the twine binding it looks so nice!)

It’s absolutely sweltering here! The days when I can do some summer hybernating in my little air conditioned painting room are near… this thrills me to pieces! So I am trying to make the best of the heat by embracing summer early. The day started by eating a pint of the yummiest chilled blackberries. The humid, haze-filled mountain views during my morning commute made me daydream of early morning hikes and runs through the park. Many summer plans, a list is forthcoming!

My large blue hardcover watercolor book has been inspiring lately. It’s main use is for traveling around, sketching and playing with painting ideas but I came up with this finished painting, and a print will be up for sale very soon! The original is on a 13″ x 9″ page in my book and is watercolor and gouache with a piece of old lace.

After covering the paper with watercolor leaves and sticks I remembered these photos, taken early spring in the meadow. Red-windged black birds.

I was thinking about a flock of birds emerging from spaces within, from something woven or tangled or lace-like. I am going to develop this concept further. I think.

In addition to scribbles, snippets have been collecting in my book. On a treasure hunt last week I found a box of pretty paper cuts. Here’s another page….

I am longing for the early morning when I can get up and take my sketchbook in the field to work. There are so many things to draw!