I Think I REALLY Like Owls

I've been a bit off  lately.  Off from everything - I'm not painting or gardening or playing piano - I'm not cooking, not meditating - I don't even go out and about anymore.  

I feel like I'm waiting... for what, I don't know.  But I'm tired of it and so I got out the sketch book and did a quick little drawing of a Saw-whet owl.  

Not very exciting I know, but hey - I know I'm not feeling quite right if I'm not doing something creative.  I also know that I just have to do it even if I don't feel like it.  Then it will slowly creep back in - the feeling of wanting to create and then it will become fun again and I'll need to do it again.  Maybe that's what I'm waiting for.

BTW, I really, really, really like owls :)

My Garden Journal

As you can see, it's been quite awhile since I made an entry with a painting in my garden journal.

I write in it several times a week, and sometimes make a sketch or two - but rarely anymore do I add a painting.  Which I think it's about time to do again!

When I lived up north here in the states, I'll always remember visiting with an elderly member of the garden club I was in.  We were sitting in her beautiful blue swing on her big front porch and she was showing me her garden journal.  

Oh - what a lovely, lovely work of art.  She wrote daily, she painted flowers, she painted parts of flowers and plants.  She painted the landscape.  She painted the seasons.  All along with her lovely penmanship and seed packets and pressed leaves and petals.  

I was so inspired.  She was magnificent!  Decades of gardening and her love for it was very apparent.

I haven't talked to her for years now...I hope she's doing well and still able to putter about gardening and painting.  

More of My Weird Art

Yes, it is true - I'm a little on the weird side, but hey...I have finally come to a place where I'm okay with that.  What a nice feeling!

Well, I am always fascinated with peoples behaviors.  I especially love reading quirky things that well-known people have engaged in. (I think my favorite is Nikola Tesla having some eccentricities that are rather fascinating.)  I know that not all things on the Internet should be taken as gospel, and I try to consider the source, so if you find something I've painted that isn't quite true, I would be the first to apologize.  

Anyway, I found this list somewhere of all the clothing that Imelda had to leave behind and it is stunning.  

Now, I'm not trying to rile anybody up or anything.  I posted this in an art group on Facebook and got an ear full of political hate and I'm certainly not trying to make a political statement.  It's more like a Greed statement.  That's all.  Geesh - the world has gotten way too Politically Correct!  

Speaking of PC, if you haven't watched the first episode of South Park's new season, and if you're a mature adult or live in another country, you probably haven't, haha - but, they really do current event satire very well.  They hit the PC nail on the head with their first episode.  Have a look at it and enjoy the laugh.  Because we all need more of that!  

Acrylic on canvas paper.

My Animal Spirit Guide

I drew this coyote a very long time ago.  I've always kept it because I like canines - dogs, wolves, coyotes, fox, etc...not really sure how I feel about jackals - but I've got a special spot for this family of mammals.

Anyway, this is a brief account of how I discovered my animal spirit guide.  Oh, come on now, stop it - I can only imagine what some of you are thinking. Well, I am a little on the woo side but I like to keep an open mind. AND, as to how this happened, I can no longer think that things are merely coincidence.

Last year during meditation, I asked if I had an animal spirit guide and would it reveal itself to me.  The next morning as I was waking up - in that in between state of sleep and waking, I saw in my mind a piece of paper with the word "coyote" hand written on it.  

Hey, I thought "thank you" very much!  I certainly wasn't thinking about anything as I was waking up and it was a complete surprise to get that thought being flashed into my head.

The thing is, that evening when I went out back, I saw a coyote run right across in front of me!  Now, I would say the earlier thought of the word coyote could be nothing, but combined with seeing a  coyote (which we have in the area, but I hadn't seen until now) and having specifically asked, is well, quite amazing to me!  

I've also found that I've collected coyote items over the years without really thinking about it and even have a coyote skull that I'll post a photo below - it's kind of spooky, probably better suited for Halloween, lol!  But I just didn't feel like going to get the skull and taking another pic of it.  It actually drives my dogs nuts, so I keep it in a glass case.

So - there it is - my experience of asking to meet my animal spirit guide and receiving an answer.  Whether you believe in such things or not, I don't know myself, but I am connecting to nature much more these days and enlightening and wonderful things have happened since I started seriously meditating!  

Nonchalance in the Garden

I'm a bit of a nonchalant gardener.  I have messy borders, some things are a bit overgrown, and overall it's a rather raffish looking garden - but I like to think it has a certain roguish charm.  

This is my interpretation of it.  I'd say it's in a slightly abstract sort of way. 

I used watercolors and India Ink on a 5" x 7" multimedia paper.

This photo looks a little dark, I didn't take it in natural lighting and it looks kind of dingy compared to the original....I admit to not having had my tea yet this morning!

Digital Downloads

I've been mulling around with the idea of offering some digital downloads online.  I kind of like the idea of instantly printing out a pretty background for a scrapbook project or maybe as a poster to frame on the wall.  

They'd be cheap and fun and summery.  

Or maybe I could add some words to it to make it more interesting.  I don't know - just messin' around.  It's good to strain the brain every once in awhile with thinking! :)

This is a watercolor and India ink quick little painting on a 5 x 7 multi-media paper.  

I'm slowly adding to my Etsy store at backyardjungle.etsy.com

Many thanks for looking at my art blog!  

Wishing you a day full of lovely visions. 

The Summerhouse

I've titled this small watercolor painting "The Summerhouse".  I am a HUGE anglophile and adore anything English - especially their gardens.  

I'll always remember visiting England and wandering around the glorious gardens of an old estate, turning the corner and seeing a gorgeous little building amongst the flowers.  It was definitely memorable.

This is just a quickie 2.5" x 3.5" painting on heavy watercolor paper, but I plan to add some bigger paintings of English gardens to my Etsy shop in the near future.

"Looking out the Mudroom door" - well, I don't really have a proper mudroom, but I use part of my laundry room as one.  

And I most certainly have mud...especially now in the rainy season.

This is another little ACEO 2.5" x 3.5" (6.35cm x 8.89cm) watercolor on heavy watercolor paper.  

ACEO stands for Artist Cards, Editions and Originals.  They are a popular and very affordable way to collect artwork from various artists.