River Garden Studio

May the beauty of spring adorn her

This school year is winding down.  

Spring surrounds us in soft shades of yellow

 

and blue.

 

This is my contribution to the spring issue of 

Pasticcio Quartz:  Adornments, 

one of the most beautiful issues yet! 

If you would like to see more,

 you can preview or order a copy here.

 

 

The image of my daughter is one I took 

several months ago and cut out.  

She is adorned with magnolia flowers, lace and dragonflies.  

This painting sold at my show that ends tomorrow 

at Paschal Winery in southern Oregon.

 

The pages below were and experiment 

with my printer. 

First I lay the wilting flowers (from my birthday) 

on the screen, 

then I lay an open calligraphy book over them, 

pressed really hard and printed the first image.

and finally I added paint, collaged the butterfly 

and pressed flowers over the print.

 
 

 

A view of our trees and gate leading into our back 

yard.

 

And another view.  We planted everything ourselves, 

and now the trees completely

surround us.   

The middle window is where my studio desk is.

 
 

And my son and I before his senior dinner 

last weekend.  He will be graduating next weekend

and on his way to college in the fall.

 

 

My most special birthday present was 

a new puppy.  

She is named Jasmine, and had such 

a sad story we had to adopt her.  

Our sweet Murphy adores her, 

and isn't so obsessed with guarding the house 

anymore...
 
 

 

 

A blue jay searches for seeds along the garden path...

 

A new collage, (actually a re-do of an old one)

Lots of scraping and layers here.  

The butterfly is a photo of a

framed butterfly that my brother gave me.  

It is called a Common Rose. 

The cut out butterfly in the pressed flowers 

collage above 

is another that I have framed, and is named 

a Dark Bluetiger.

We found them in a small antique store 

in downtown Klamath Falls.

 

Can you see the african stamp hiding 

in the background?  Here is a closer look...

 

take a new look

The view from our house 

to the fields and hills across the river

that are finally turning green.

 

Our daughter visited last weekend 

and left this necklace on a book shelf.

The evening sun was calling me 

to take a new look inside and out.

 

I love the way these pictures turned out, 

the next one blurred 

but filled with memories.

 

I have been looking through this amazing book, 

and remembering 

how much I loved carving into tiles.

 

This is one I made several years ago, 

actually it is four tiles together.  

I have always been inspired by italian designs on pottery.  

These tiles were raku fired. 

 

Taking pictures just for the color...

 

One of our bird feeders, 

the flowering tree is actually down the street.

 

 Always a joy for me to watch...

 

The first buds on the wild plum bushes 

behind our house.  

I remember writing last year about 

spring being so green it made my 

heart ache.

 

You can see the vines of clematis start to 

climb up this little iron table.  

 

A glimpse of a new project

The fun part will be deciding what 

to put in the envalope...

 

And a new collage.  If you click on it you will 

see more of the texture.

 
 

"behind these walls"

    

Run with the sun

Run with the sun

or stand and wait 

Awaken

to the songs 

of spring.

  

I have been wanting to draw primitive horses for a long time.  

Now finally I am.

   

My husband hooked up our fountain out 

in the back courtyard/patio. 

These bathing daffodils 

are still blooming in my garden. 

The sound of water is so enticing.

 

 

When I go outside of my studio and sit it the afternoon sun, this is my veiw facing west.  

The birches are just leafing out.  

The sky is dramatic, 

one minute a dark gray, then white, then so blue.  

At one time while I was soaking in the sun I could feel raindrops.

 

This bench is a mothers day/birthday present that 

I picked up for myself from a local nursery. 

 I have had my eye on it for at least two years.  

I think I found the right spot for it.  

Beside it empty pots wait for plants, 

Dandilions bloom in the grass and bare dirt wait 

for flowers to be planted.  

 

Carnations and mums from a bouquet that my son gave me...

  

and the lavender plant is a gift from my daughter.

 

  

Another journal page.

"First greens."

 

And an egret.  Sometimes graceful, sometimes awkward.

If I were a bird it would be this one.  

I would roost in a tree over the river.  

I painted her on lightweight watercolor paper 

and then cut her our for a collage.

 

 

I have had many questions about this art doll 

and have thought about her all week.

So here goes...

Felice is and earth goddess of spring,

a garden sprite.  

Her face is the moon 

and she holds the earth deep in her heart. 

Her arms encircle the energy of the sun 

(wire wrapped around brown paper towels)

And her legs dance in the breeze.

 

    

Happy Mothers Day...