I don’t really want gush over my new kitty too much here, but I’ve been spending all of my time with my sweet persian, Maximilian Cream Puff. He has the most beautiful blue eyes and softest fur, I am in love!

The days are so short. Too short. Its completely dark 4:30. I’m having a hard time with the lack of light.

Sun drenched afternoon wildflower fields, late fall.

Very soon I’ll be back from my blogging break.

Hello beautiful crisp days!

We just got back from hiking at the nearby Wick farm. The New England style farmhouse above is from 1750. Despite the clear skies and November sunbeams, the inside of the homestead was so dark and smelled of creosote from ages past. A little fire burned in the kitchen and herbs hung from the ceiling. The surrounding fields were the home to 13,000 soldiers during the Revolutionary War. I can’t wait to go back next weekend!

Thanks so much for all your comments on my windowsill collection and things! I have been busy, computer turned off and out of sight, outside playing in the sun (and will be until it’s too unbearably cold to be outdoors).
Have wonderful weeks, all!

and walking in the dreamy woods…

But first I would like to say that I just put a larger, ORIGINAL drawing (11″ by 14″) of “From Within” in my shop.

It’s a darker version, similar to this one, from a few post’s ago, with the birch trees at night. Yes, I sketched a third one! I wanted to try her without the ribbon around her neck. I am so happy to offer it in my shop (and it is so hard for me to let it go)

I’ve been thinking about wildflowers and all things green and lush (yes, very unfall-like of me). I pulled out one of my favorite found embroideries and hung it on my wall. I’ve been thinking about it ever since I received this package. I took photos of the queen annes lace embroidery and posted them here last year, but I just love it so much, so here’s more!
Beautiful detail.

And knowing that winter will soon be here I have been adorning my windwsill with this and that, summer memories and other things, found.

The sandy bottle was a wash up at the beach. It’s very old! The other, smaller bottle I found in the early spring during a walk through the woods. Did you know that the frost pushes old bottle and other discarded items up out of the ground in the spring?

I have been painting too. This is a piece in the earliest of stages…just the underpainting and I’m sure it will change and morph into something totally different. But the concept will stay the same for the most part. The raw umber scribbles you see in the right hand corner are actually a grove of willow trees with a piano in the middle. I imagined a procession of birds soaring out of it.

The leaves were in their glory over the weekend! They are now falling. To everyone in the northern hemisphere, enjoy the remainder of autumn bliss !

Such lovely textures from the weekend! Felt brooch and autumn tree bark from the beautiful campus of Princeton.

I received my beautiful package from the amazingly talented New Zealand artist tiny happy. Such pretty packaging with a gocco botanical print and delicate green string.

She does such beautiful stitching and sewing and I absolutely love to read her blog. And I love her felt and embroidered brooches! She is such a dear to give us this tutorial on how to make them! When I saw this daisy pin I had to have it… while it’s tempting to try to make one myself I prefer to have the original work straight from the artists hands. Plus, I don’t think mine would come out as pretty.

Another inspiration- the most curious frozen fox, entwined in vines, then set in stone on the exterior of the Princeton University Chapel. As many times as I’ve been by this amazing building from the 1920’s, I’ve never noticed him until now!

Thanks to all for your comments on my newest print! We have been so busy doing autumn things…taking walks and traveling all over the place to see the leaves and revel in the fall light. And now it’s cold here so I think I’d like to stay indoors.

A print from my drawing From Within is now available in the shop.

I just love the frame, which was a lucky discovery in a second hand shop. The gold just glows.

Yesterday I was going through some of my older work and I was inspired by the imagery and textures that I was using. I think I might revisit the idea of the white fox (oops I mean wolf). I just love the texture in this piece, I used imprints of antique lace in the paint. Phantom lace, if you will.

Beautiful color inspiration on a lazy Sunday.

I can’t believe these luscious colors exist, all on one berry bush (and apparently a big black snake thought so too, he was slithering up in the bramble). There was the brightest magenta paired with baby blues, in berry form, growing together simultaneously.

Does anyone know what type of berries these are? They were growing amongst rose hips, in a meadow besides a pond.

Version two of my graphite drawing, details first:

I decided to add the levitating crown from the original sketch. I have been inspired by this painting by Albrecht Durer, moths instead of the angels. Originally I was going to have the moths hold up the crown, but then I put them over to the side, as if they were released from her ribboned hand. I had another idea for the treatment of birch trees that I wanted to try. It’s a bit softer. I am still stuck on which one I like more.
Drawing, in entirety:

11″ by 14″ pencil on paper

And yes, I did the whole thing over, again. I was thinking about just drawing the new background of birch trees and digitally putting the girl in the foreground, but I must have original hard copies of my work. It’s one of those obsessive things that I suffer from.

Thanks so much for all your kind comments about my drawing in the previous post! Perhaps I’ll make a painting from her or somehow integrate her into a larger painting.

There will be a print of this drawing in my shop, very soon.

Finally finished, taken from this in my hardcover sketch book and reworked from this sketch, in my watercolor journal.

Little details:

A final drawing, graphite on 11″ by 14″ paper. I changed her so much from the previous sketches, I think. I created a second version as well, which I will post this weekend. I am very happy with her, most happy with her face. It’s been fun documenting my working process here!

And thanks to all your comments of my previous posts about our trip to New Hope. I will answer them all individually very soon! So happy tomorrow’s Friday. Whew!

New art tomorrow! But for now…
Wanderings.

What is it about sitting in a sun-drenched wildflower field, late afternoon, in the fall? The filed was blooming with michaelmas daisies, goldenrod and milkweed pods about to burst.

We took a little trip down the Delaware River to New Hope, PA for the arts festival (and to explore the alleyways and gawk at the stone dwellings). Walked around and looked at the art stalls, went in the bookstore… it’s always been my favorite little river town rich in history with some of the earliest and most significant stone buildings in the United States.
Antique home by the back street canal, wrought iron gates and ivy.

Early 1700’s stone building, in town.

Then we drove up to Frenchtown, NJ for a bit. It was totally appropriate because I just finished reading “Eat Pray Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert and she lives there!

Favorite Victorian in the wee town…

Been pulling out my comfy fall-ish clothing. Yesterday was so windy and cool. The skirt above has been a favorite… I found it a few years ago in a vintage store in Salem, Massachusetts. Every time I put it on it reminds me of one of our many visits there.

and I love how crunchy the leaves have become!

Early yesterday evening I went out to a favorite sitting place, a great big pond in the middle of a pretty meadow. I like to relax there and watch the birds and things, quiet and solitary. The swans came right up to me and I was watching them preen. They make the strangest little sounds, almost like a muffled kazoos.

The pond, above, was so pretty last evening. It’s that strange time right before the leaves turn.

The past few weeks I have been in more of a walk-through-town mood. But I think I am going to start visiting my meadow daily again, to soak up all the autumn goodness, before it’s to chilly to sit on the ground.

I have another new drawing almost complete.

Today we are taking a little trip, following the Delaware down to Frenchtown, then to New Hope…spending time going in bookstores and shops and walking around the town and by the river. The area contains some of my favorite old homes, so I’m sure I’ll take plenty of photos.

Have wonderful weekends, all!

I just thought I would show a preliminary doodle in my beloved hardbound sketchbook, which follows me around everywhere.

I usually take up many pages in my book before it comes together.
Happy fall, all!