Showing Up....

Where on earth have I been? In the studio, making and clip framing lots of images for a juried holiday art show. 

These are a few of my pieces that are in the show, "Big Group, Small Works", which opened last Saturday and runs until January 1, 2020. I'm pretty excited (now that I've recovered) and I really hope some of my work sells. 

One wall of the gallery is going to be filled with 6 x 6  inch works, sort of like an Instagram wall (I don't do Instagram, so I'm not really familiar with that). Another wall will be filled with 4 x 4 inch art. The idea is to have a display of small, affordable pieces of original art, so people can give gifts of art for the holidays. Pretty cool idea, right? 

A Spooky October Project

I'm doing a group themed read/knit along project based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic, The Hound of the Baskervilles. It's been a long time since I read it and I do love Holmes and Watson. 

We read and discuss the book, come up with something that connects our knitting with the theme and have fun sharing the experience. 

For my project, I'm knitting a pair of socks in a beautiful, hand-dyed colorway called "221 B. Baker Street" (and no, I didn't have any idea this read/knit along would be happening when I purchased the yarn - I just loved the color).  It's a fairly simple broken rib stitch pattern that gives a subtle wavy texture to the fabric, which is also nice and stretchy. I'm enjoying both the knitting and the reading so far. 

It's the perfect combination for an eerie Halloween monster project. I mean, what could be spookier than hanging out on the moors with the fabled hound? 

Of course, a warming mug of freshly brewed Earl Grey tea does keep one properly grounded. I wouldn't want to mistake my great, black beastie, Baloo, for anything sinister - he does occasionally go bump in the night!

An Ace in the Hole

Out in the Big Field where Baloo and I walk pretty frequently, there are many interesting creatures for an inquisitive dog to investigate. 

Baloo finds the thirteen-striped ground squirrel particularly fascinating. They sense his approach and make this sort of whistling chirp that sounds almost like it could be some kind of bird, at least until you come to recognize it for what it is - the alarm bell for all the ground squirrels in the area. 

They scramble for their burrows and Baloo would be content to watch a freshly used hole for hours (they apparently smell really good to him - he often sticks his nose right into the opening so that he can get a better sniff). Well, at least content until deciding he must dig it out of its little home for closer scrutiny. We all know how that would end....   So, naturally, I distract him with hopes of more interesting finds to come and we move on down the trail. There's always something new to discover. 

Just a Flicker

Baloo and I spotted this yellow-shafted flicker while out for our morning ramble. 

I have always thought these birds very striking with their spots and bibs and bright feathers under their wings and tails. This fellow is a male. You can tell because he's channeling Hercule Poirot with his dramatic mustaches. Female flickers lack that particular fashion statement, thought they still have the red patch on the back of their heads and the yellow feathers, as well. 

I was trying to get a better picture when he decided to fly off and all I caught was the flickering patch of white feathers on his back that are usually hidden beneath folded wings and the blur of yellow wing feathers as he took to the air. 

Jewels in the Swamp

Also known as spotted touch-me-not, jewelweed is a beautiful gem in wet areas and there's a big patch of it along one of the morning rambles Baloo and I often take.  The bright orange of these delicate flowers in the mass of green foliage is such a lovely contrast. 

It grows about 2-5 feet tall in the same sort of environment as the dreaded stinging nettle and by the time the nettle has grown enough that it can sting the unwary, the jewelweed plants are big enough to soothe the burning sensation. 

The spotted part of the alternate name for this little orchid-like flower (though I just learned it's part of the impatiens family) is pretty clear as to origin, but the touch-me-not part is less obvious. It comes from the tendency of the seed pods to explode when coming in contact with anything. That's a good thing in this case - it means there will be another patch to enjoy next year!

Looking Up

Baloo likes to put his nose to the ground in hopes of finding something interesting (and he often calls my attention to small creatures along the path), while I let my eyes wander higher, where I occasionally find something interesting myself. 

I got to see a great blue heron migrating south along the bay. I tried for a closer picture, but didn't manage to capture one. I still like the bird's silhouette against the clear, blue sky. 

I also enjoy watching the Eastern Kingbirds performing aerial acrobatics to catch flying insects. They perch for a few seconds, spot a tasty morsel and launch after it. I would love to be able to catch one of these in flight - they are amazingly fast and the only way it's likely to happen is by sheer chance!

Finally, from the top of a dead tree, a brown thrasher sang enthusiastic renditions of many different bird songs - a veritable medley of mimicry. 

Sorting...

Guess what I've been working on today? :)

I'll be adding some Speedball cutters to the box I'm sending to Kirbert for modification, too. He'll have quite a few to do, so don't hold your breath for their appearance in the store...