As summer spreads her warmth around our home in Oregon the gardens come to life. The river down the hill from us changes color with the light. Green then blue then slate black. Clouds come and go. Thoughts come and go.
Movement is everywhere, in the grass and the trees, in the flowers as they open. The white pelicans that bring their magic bring me joy as they spread their wings and float over my head in a ribbon of white.
Summer has brought the swallowtails as well,(dozens of them), in all their glory, as they swoop and flitter in their yellowness here and there. They are everywhere.
And I move through the garden, digging and pulling, wiping the sweat off my forehead, knowing I have time now. Time to slow down, time to breathe, time to imagine. Time to be inspired.
I bask in summer's embrace.
After a hard, three year transition from a middle school art teacher to a 2nd grade teacher in the public schools I have decided to take an early retirement. I am honest when I say I just didn't fit anymore. Education in our area has gotten so impersonal and to me it seems that it has lost it's joyfulness.
So this is a time of conflicting emotions, sad then happy, disappointed then elated. Pensive then inspired.
And then there is my Art,
it's call to me is even stronger,
and my muse says:
"just look at what you can do now"
"flow with me"
"share your passion"
"i will make your path more clear"
and I am transformed...
Notes about these photographs...
The swallowtail photo is one that my husband took.
The art is from the two sample books I am making for my workshops.
Front and backs are shown, still in progress.
I am photographing my work as I go.
I call them my 'tree spirit books.'
Both are bi-fold triptychs.
I still have to figure out how I will attach the metal pieces.
Students will make their own...
Read more about the workshop in Camano Island here.
and be sure to stop by here
and read about the beautiful setting here
Sunday for my still life
on The Altered Page.
