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Here is a little portrait of a new pot of succulents at my house.
I love these guys.
I've been doing some experimenting experimenting, and it seems to be working...
Outside our South Carolina spring is definitely here, everything is covered with a fine sheet of yellow pollen and the temperature is rising. We've signed up for our plot in the community garden again this year, and are slowly starting to plant. The potatoes we put in early are coming up, and there are a lot of them! (squeals of excitement from the kids) I'm hoping the early planting will trick the pests and last years potato bugs will arrive to late...
1 Comments on spring planting, last added: 4/22/2013
The prompt "Urban" made me think of Paris, which reminded me of a story I heard on the radio about french efforts to increase biodiversity in cities. Goat lawn mowers and bees on rooftops, sign me up!
thank you ! I think I should have extended a bit so the got's mouth doesn't seem cut off. I'll work on it some more. I like urban bee hives too, maybe I'm getting used to the country life...
Look at last fall's arugula! Who knew the flowers would be so pretty....and the bunny's favorite food.
I am a gardening newbie with a perennially shady back yard. Just last week we signed up to keep our community garden plot for another year, and I'm excited about all the possibilities! While I love growing my own vegetables, I think my favorite part about having a garden last year was the flowers. A never ending wealth of zinnias, marigolds and volunteer surprises (gladiolas!).
1 Comments on spring bouquet, last added: 3/14/2013
LOL Love these :) I saw another one of your illustrations in my son's Time For Kids magazine the other day. I said, "That's Jannie Ho's work!" I can spot your illos anywhere! :)
Hi Jannie, So much great stuff to catch up on here! I just checked out your daredevil blog. What a great idea. I just love when people share sketches and thought processes. I must confess you've put me to shame a bit with the post about the board book cover ideas. My concept submissions are always so rough that I am a bit embarrassed now. I'll have to lift my game!
Cute! I often have TFK in the classes I teach, so maybe I'll see them. Kids adore this kind of wordplay, don't they? This would be a fun set of flashcards, or a computer word game.
i think one of my favorites is "Can't Wait," Watercolor.
If you change the boys hair to red and put blue eyes on him -- it's Parker. Something he would totally do! I think that's why I love this one the most!
Besides the backyard being full of birds (I can hardly keep my feeders filled) -
- I got this charming package in the mail, winging its lovely way from far away England, from Wiltshire artist, Karen Davis -
She sells these gorgeous, hand painted hearts at her Etsy store. I am tickled pink (or in this case, turquoise?) to have this one!
- And I have *finally* gotten a couple of flats of seeds planted. I've only been trying to get to that all month! I still have a basket of packets of "early spring" seeds that need put into the ground ASAP - as it becomes less early-spring by the day.
But, alas, that will have to wait for a bit. It is now spring break. My daughter is flying off on a school trip to England and Scotland tomorrow, and I was SO not invited to chaperon :-( - so I am winging my own way off to spend a few days with my folks, while my husband also heads out of town on business.
Flying for everyone! Happy spring.
(Maybe it will think about warming up a little by the time I get back).
9 Comments on More Spring-ish signs -, last added: 4/6/2009
So do I! There was a Tara-shaped gap on Monday when I took my other two bloggy friends to the woods. As soon as I get some spare pennies I am going to be treating myself to some of Karens' work too, in fact I had my eye on that one...I take some comfort in it being with you :) Have a nice break, your seeds might be up when you get back (ours are starting to show at last)
Where is she going in Scotland? I love your little birds, very bright :D We only put food on the table once a day, if they eat it all thats it (little piggies :p)
Such nice pressies, and pretty flats of seeds, BF must do same or I will; it is such a spring imperative. And so not invited! probably suspected you would run off with your UK blogger friends. Happy Spring!
wow tara that was a lot in one little post! what a great package... love the heart, i've bookmarked her shop! and boy you are on it with gardening this year. we're still about 10 weeks out from outdoor planting. i'm hoping to start my seedlings in the next 2-3 weeks. sounds like your daughter will have a great trip!
Hey, you need a school trip over here too! We have a lovely cottage ready and waiting for you. Sadly our garden is not as well organised or advanced as yours - must get seeds sorted soon....
love the birds tara...yeah spring my fav time...my 3rd blogaversary is this week...i will be having a BIG GiVe AwAy...please spread the word and come enter!! blessings, rebecca
How serendipitous - I've just read Andrea Joseph's post about the green moss hat(weaving of my dreams) Have a look, it seems very 'you.' http://andreajoseph24.blogspot.com/
In the midst of February, I start *totally* craving flowers and growing things... It feels like ages since there has been any.
So imagine my delight when I noticed some tiny crocuses (croci?) peeking up out of the ground in the afternoon sunshine.
Now I know that some of you have hoards of snowdrops and oodles of crocuses yourselves, but this is the first this year in my yard. Made me wonder if anything else might be blooming.
I did discover some (hen-pecked) violas,
and some burgundyhellebores just on the brink of opening. *
I love those first flowere, they let you have hope. I'm sure we'll still have a few icy blasts around here. I think that's neat you collect the vintage postcards. We did until one year a bored lab puppy who was tied to a kitchen table to prevent her from doing damage, did exactly that. She pulled a drawer out and chewed the corners off. Then she chewed on the contents. We had a box of vintage and antique cards!
Pretty flowers, I think Spring will come. We are having our proper rains now, but the Farmer's Market has flowers and I bought a Dutch Iris for for $1 yesterday, watching her open up today.
wow, you have spring flowers already! what happened to all of your snow? i've always wanted hellebores, just love them, by fall, i always forget to get some bulbs in. yours are just lovely!
It certainly lifts the spirits to see the first flowers of spring. I just picked some primroses blooming under my hazelnut tree and from my window here I can see my neighbour has a daffodil out :)
There is not much that I like better than chocolate chip cookies...
Well, unless it is homemade soup when it is chilly out - like it is in February. I love soup. I try to have some homemade soup on hand throughout the winter.
The content of this week's concoction was decided by me being terribly lazy and scrounging from what was at hand. The first ingredient being dried 'gourmet mushrooms' (they come in large containers from Costco. About a half dozen of 'gourmet' varieties.) Here they are reconstituted, looking yummy and ready to chop.
Sauteed some crushed garlic and a shallot in butter, then added the mushrooms. Thickened with a bit of flour and then added the juice of a lemon.
I had a pot of very savory home-made chicken stock heating up at the same time.
When it was near boiling I added a couple of well-beaten eggs (generally one uses just the yolk, but I have *lots* of eggs. And don't mind the entire egg included if thoroughly beaten.)
Added the mushrooms and spiked with a bit of red pepper and parsley. SO good.
*
The only thing that can make this better is to eat with crusty bread (in this case, a Artisan's Rosemary Round. MmmmMmmmm....)
*
So many kinds of soups, so few cold, wintry months... Well, maybe I take that back. There are more than enough wintry months, but thank goodness for comfort foods.
11 Comments on Comfort Food -, last added: 2/15/2009
Looks yummy. I think I'll be making soup and cookies this weekend. After Tuesday, I won't be eating solids for awhile. I'm starting a major dental process, yuck! Have a good day!!
Yes, Chris.P, she does have a perfect singing voice, unreal huh! Tara, you should come visit us in Texas, it isn't cold here, but we would sure enjoy a pot of that scrumptious soup!!
Miss V, btw, has had her first egg (fried, over easy) from one of your chickies. She pronounced it very good. I'll have one (scrambled) for brekky tomorrow, I think. Thanks for letting us try some!
Shiny, sunny meadow spot - wishful thinking in gloomy, chilly January weather, when the sunlight is a rarity and grey drizzle, the norm.
But, fret not! Cheer is on the way! In case you have missed the 'Internet phenomenon' that is flamboyant musician Chris Dane Owens with his glittery green guitar and his lavishly cheesy music video, Shine:
If you are now scratching your head in bewilderment (or feel the need to scour your eyeballs), there is help. Hilarious translation of the jump-cut video storyline is provided over on tor.com. Or you can read the 'official' description by the ivory-maned artist here. (which is almost a let down after the first, brilliant explanation).
Shine on, people!
5 Comments on Oh, Shine already!, last added: 1/29/2009
ROFL -- both explanations of the video are awesome!
Gloomy, chilly January...you should come down and visit Texas sometime. :) Today was bright and cheerful with blue, blue skies. No clouds once the fog burned off this morning. Just a bit of ice here and there in those ever dark shaded areas untouched by sun.
I'm a sucker for color, and when I saw this quiz on Tart's Tales blog I wanted to play along.
(and when you get the results, they come with lovely bands of applicable color. Don't know why they refuse to show up here. pout. So, you get a very simple, silly spot illustration for today).
Your rainbow is intensely shadedblue, white, and green.
What is says about you: You are a contemplative person. You feel strong ties to nature and your mood changes with its cycles. Those around you admire your fresh outlook and vitality. You share hobbies with friends and like trying to fit into their routines.
This probably would be my favorite color family. Don't know about me 'trying to fit into my friends' routines' though... (or having much of a fresh outlook if it comes to that).
well, I picked it up from Paula (drawing a fine line), but I think she'd been here. I, apparently, am intensely shaded violet, making me a creative person. In that case, why can't I draw!
I tried this too. It said mine was shaded white!. I never seem to get anything exciting on these quizzes. I'm always the dependable person even when I try to pick opposite on these things! Oh well, it doesn't say much for the creative side of me though does it!
I always enjoy these little quizzes, and tell Mac they're highly scientific if they're complimentary and that they're a load of rubbish if not, lol! I'll be trying this one Sandi
Fun! Here are the results I got: "Your rainbow is intensely shaded red, indigo, and white."
My comment: looks weird, but ok.
"What is says about you: You are a contemplative person. You appreciate energetic people. You get bored easily and want friends who will keep up with you. Friends count on you for being honest and insightful."
"Your rainbow is strongly shaded gray and blue.What is says about you: You are an elegant person. You appreciate friends who get along with one another. You depend on modern technology and may feel uncomfortable without it. You share hobbies with friends and like trying to fit into their routines."
Saw an armful of robins in the front yard today. First gathering I've seen of them this year. That's supposed to mean spring is on its way, isn't it? Yet, we have snow and below freezing temperatures once again.
The chickens can't quite figure out what to make of it all. Their water freezes in their container - much to their bewilderment. They are bored silly and are trying to dig themselves out of their coop, so I do try to let them out for bit. But with weather like this, they find that the dirt is frozen pretty solid, so fruitless to scratch at, and every thing green and therefore potentially edible in the yard is covered with chilly white snow. Curses! Foiled. Indignities most fowl!
There needs to be a better word for a collection of robins. A portent of robins? A premonition? A precursor? A presentiment? Anything that makes it feel like spring will come again! Soon please!
(For a lovely list of collective nouns for birds - from which robin is conspicuously absent - see here).
11 Comments on Birds in winter -, last added: 1/29/2009
I like your robin painting. Robins are very small and brown with red chest here in England, we have a couple that live in a bush close to our kitchen window. P.x
Oh I wish I'd see a few robins! I did watch some bunnies play today. They ran and jumped at each other. The went in circles and just had a dandy time chasing each other. I just had to smile.
I love your robin! We've been hearing them too... and the daylight is getting noticeably longer... but alas we're in the middle of a snowstorm again...
The post-project-lurgy continues relatively unabated. All I seem to want to do is sleep. Wish it was making more of a difference.
So as to not feel completely like a slug, I am spending a few hours sitting in the studio, keeping up with email and sorting through notebooks and old issues of Artist's Magazine and Realms of Fantasy, etc... Lots of backlogged filing.
Feeling some blog-neglect-related guilt as well, it occurs to me that I have about eleventy-hundred spot illustrations that have been published and I have no real venue to ever use them for again. So, if there is any interest, I may attempt posting a-spot-a-day or some thing until I have depleted my vast spot store.
So, what do you think? Any interest? (I'll check back later. Bed is calling).
No day is so bad it can't be fixed with a nap. ~Carrie Snow
15 Comments on "..to sleep, perchance to dream?...", last added: 1/27/2009
Well if they all involve girls with cute stuffed ponies you could write Hidden city games and see if they would want some sorta secondary publishing rights.
Resting, sorting through things, those are the perfect activities for this time while Mercury is retrograde! I posted a bit about this on my website http://www.rebeccabush.com/Site/events/events.html Next week things will pick up a bit. :)
These are very sweet! I'm glad you have shared them! :) Large projects do have a way of wearing us down...it's good that you're sleeping~ the next one will be tapping on your door soon! :) Wishing you a wonderful week! Michelle
What is a spot illustration? Love to see anything you do so bring them on.
Anonymous said, on 1/27/2009 12:48:00 AM
Hi.. saw you on twitter through Cathy's stuff (my cousin) . I need a good artist who might be willing to 'donate' a fairy work for my front cover children's book called 'The wandering fairy.' The book will be discussed on my Feb 7 show at blogtalkradio.com.com/miss-x. Just go to blogtalkradio.com and enter miss x or 'wacky world of..' the show page will come up. It is heard at 11 pm eastern time every saturday night. I found that a got a terrible migraine headache off and on for into 4 days now! From too much sleep.. I just kept sleeping because my eyes kept closing! Can still be lethargic after two days of 10-12 hrs sleep.
Sorry to hear of your miseries, Tara, but this might help: http://starlightjourney.blogspot.com/2009/01/four-paintings-and-feeding-birds.html I hope the link works!
I love these illustrations and am looking forward to seeing more!
I am glad you are getting more sleep now, but if you still feel not energized, I would recommand a brisk long walk in the morning. Does wonders to me. I feel so much more ready to conquer the world when I have spent some time outdoors.
Very gentle and lovely illustrations, I'm really looking forward to seeing more of them! Also, I envy you for your courage at catching up with e-mail/filing.
Is there a way to follow this blog? All I see is the RSS feed. I'd prefer updates in my blogger inbox.
I'm feeling very sluggish so far this year, too. Sleep is my friend (when I'm not dealing with insomnia!) And creativity is not really flowing yet. Maybe we need some warm, fresh air!
The girl all snug in bed is so lovely...gives me a happy homey feeling inside :)
I love gift boxes and lovely wrappings. When I was younger I was the designated family gift-wrapper. I suspect that it was more because the rest were far too lazy to do it than any particularly excellent skills on my part, but I loved the whole wrapping process ... Apparently I also drove the family nuts as I would also takes AGES to unwrap my own gifts. Didn't want to spoil the gorgeous papers so I'd take the sticky tape (sellotape to some of you out there) off slooooowly and precisely. heh.
I'm still flooded by too many things to do at the moment! What with getting everything ready for the new home (a never-ending process it seems) and an exciting new project which I'm working on with strict deadlines ... I've been ignoring my daily drawings, online stores and visits to the artists on the net :( So I decided to take some time off today and post a quick drawing I did yesterday, AND pop over to some of your sites for inspiration. See you there!!
Let me explain. I'm taking a color pencil drawing class. It's really geered to beginners and here I have 17 years experience making some form of art since college. The teacher is a great artist, just very realistic. I, on the other hand, am a whimsical nut. He said my style was very "graphic." My mind immediately went to the subject of naked people. I guess I'm very commercial. Anyway, it IS hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Problem is the teacher has his style and ways of drawing, and I of course, after many years, have my own style. I also don't like to do realistic. Realistic and perfect and just like the picture was way back during custom portrait days. Now I'm more into expression. It's frustrating. I just want to let loose and explore color. The teacher said I was a "free spirit." I've always been such a good girl and rules-oriented so I had to laugh. We will see it this is a good idea for me or not to continue.
Above are my cute little color pencil spots. Yeah, I guess I am very graphic.
2 Comments on Color Pencil class, last added: 6/20/2007
I love working with color pencil. Who knows, if you continue with the class, you might pick up some new techniques that suit your style. One of my favorite techniques is to go over color with the white pencil, and then go over it again with the color. It gives it depth.
Monica said, on 6/20/2007 5:21:00 AM
I took a color pencil class a few years back too, and the instructor was also more into realistic stuff. I enjoyed it, but I also prefer a more whimsical style, a sketchy feel to most of my artwork. You can do that with colored pencil as well, but so far I prefer ink and watercolor or pencil and watercolor. You asked if I had a preference...Funny, I like them both, but I think I prefer the ink and watercolor slightly more, I just love the contrast between the dark ink and the washes, the nice flow of the ink line.
Hope all is going well with the move, and that Emma Lou and Lilibeth are getting more and more comfortable in their new home. :-)
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On my drive home from the school yesterday, it was overcast, grey and drizzly. One stretch of the road is lined with bare, big-leaf maples.
lovely, so enjoying your enthusiasm for the plants and the spring growth (including yours!)