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Old Trails

Posted on December 2, 2008 by heather

2 December 2008

A tip of the hat to Lin whose friend who verified that the gift of yesterday’s feathers came from a Yellow Shafted Flicker. We have a pair of flickers who live in the giant pin oak tree that grows between the studio and the log cabin. I’ll try to catch them at the feeders for a photo op … in the hopes that they are still with us that is.

This morning found Gully and I headed down the icy roads to our old walking trail along the railroad tracks. She and I spent the first decade of her life taking long walks in what was then a neglected series of fields and copses. Here is a look at an early painting from those tracks… Milkweed (Clicking on the image will take you to the Painter’s Notes on my website.)

Last year they began building a monstrous new middle school on what we thought of as our own private pasture. In all the years we walked there I don’t remember seeing three other humans. Now, after months of destruction and earth moving, we returned to find a rolling landscape of mowed grasses, a playground and parking lot at one end, our swampy pathway paved over and most of the wetlands filled in.

I don’t know how this has impacted the wildlife in the area, since we didn’t see any I’m a bit worried. But I have to say that the changes are not all together unwelcome for this older woman and her much older dog.

Today we had to stay off the paved paths as they were ice covered, and since the school children around here got monday off to go hunting…ugh…we were careful to both be covered in safety neon orange… but once we hit the earth it was sweet to walk without having to worry about ground hog holes … and swampy cold water seeping into our boots … and the small wandering creeks are still filled with that cool clear water that Gulliver loves to wade through… and with all the fields mowed we had much more room to run and roll.

I’ll keep my mind and my eyes open to what painting opportunities might be on this new horizon …and enjoy the gentler geriatric friendly tracks before us.

Go out and take your own selves for a walk today,

Morning Treasures…and a mystery.

Posted on December 1, 2008 by heather • 5 Comments

1 December 2008

We have had a couple days of rain here along the little Conewago Creek. And the water is rising.

Gulliver and I were up early and tiptoed out of the cabin and over to the studio for our morning ritual walk to secure the perimeter… when I spotted a streak of yellow in the muddy leaves. Then another, and closer to the fireplace…several more. We followed the trail and came up with 15 or 16 feathers…and it looks like a near miss because these were the only parts to be found.

It was about this same time last year when I first received a gift of feathers from this same bird.

Then, there were two or three and they were beautifully layed out a thin crust of new snow. I didn’t recognize any winter birds with that much brilliant color so I gave one to Zola so we could both investigate which bird had offered them up.

The longest in this batch is 5 1/2 inches and the smallest is a very mish 1 1/2 inches. ( If your monitors are unreliable, the yellow is a true canary yellow and the black is raven.)

And now, it would seem, another … rather stronger… message. This bird is seriously trying to get my attention. So, I am throwing it out there to you all. I eagerly await hearing from you experts…Who is she ?

Meanwhile…back on the easel…I am struggling through the beginnings of a large portrait of the camp on the bluff and am relying on the continuing saga of Russell and Holmes to take my critical self away and free up my right brain to do its thing. We have finished our romp on the Moors and have now opened the door to a stranger…or is he ?

Ah… the mysteries.

Thanksgiving

Posted on November 26, 2008 by heather

26 November 2008

Waved goodbye to J and T and the big dogs after a short but wonderful visit. In exchange for the fresh from market fried sticky buns…( Who knew ?)…they made quick work of the last of the leaf piles and moved the trailer and made the mothers smile.

Now the rest of the holiday can come and go and we can enjoy our log cabin’s fireside and studio’s tidied space and ponder the rest of the things for which we are thankful.

Be safe out there,

Finished

Posted on November 22, 2008 by heather

22 November 2008

As the snow squalled around the studio and the sun tried to set, I reached the tipping point and the furry of the feathers came to rest. Then the final decision to add the muse herself…for Gully…

and it is finished.

Vineyard Vanitas

It will be a few months before this dries, is varnished, and then my wizard of a photographer, John C., shoots the professional images…but I’ll post them here when that day comes.

Gully and I were up early scoping out the snow covered evergreens in the yard for the next painting. And Russell and Holmes are well into their next adventure so as soon as I can warm up these fingers…it’s off to the brushes.

Time now, I think, for some of you to share what’s on your easels this season.

Studio Snow

Posted on November 21, 2008 by heather

21 November 2008

I did manage to get in a few hours of painting last night and this was the view from the easel window at sunset…

With a very little bit to show for the day except the lack of leaves…

Which is a good thing because this is what we woke up to this morning…

And now I get to snuggle into the warm studio, rest the weary bones, and paint the day away…

Aleve

Posted on November 20, 2008 by heather • 1 Comment

20 November 2008

Can

hardly

move

arm

the

keyboard.

Been raking since 8am.

Two piles left to move.

The size of Nebraska.

And one more lawn to mow.

It’s 3 O’Clock.

Here’s what I finished yesterday.

Gonna try

to lift

a paint brush.

After I pop 2 Aleve.

Inching along…

Posted on November 19, 2008 by heather

19 November 2008

Brilliant light raking the hardwood trunks at sunrise this morning. A dusting of snow and the Bernese Mt. Dog is in heaven.

Slow, deliberate tiny strokes make for lots of fun but little noticeable progress…but here’s the pic from yesterday’s 7 hours of painting…

Lay some paint down one day, clean it up the next, move forward to add another feather. Got to build it up the way nature created it in the first place. It takes a whole lot of feathers to keep these big birds in the air.

Speaking of feathers and mother nature and such… today marks the 75th year in flight of my dear Aunt Lorrie !!! One of the strongest, sharpest and most courageous women we know. HB Lo, keep on soaring !

Early to rise…

Posted on November 18, 2008 by heather

18 November 2008

First, make that only human and dog, at the lake for a brisk morning walk. Worth the effort for the peacefully snoring good dog Gulliver by my side.

Back on track yesterday with a good block of time to lay some paint on those feathers. First couple layers are about color and shape, now I can get in there and bring up the contrast and see where the light needs to fall.

Better energy today, from the walk and the beginning of the next book, The Monstrous Regiment of Women. This one, borrowed from the library. is on cassette tape… a dinosaur of an audible device, which has been abused by listeners for years so just about the time I settle in and get focused on the painting…the tape snarls and garbles and I have to climb over the sleeping old dog to reach the machine to coax it along. Worth it ONLY for LRK.

While Herself mows the frosty lawn….

to the easel…

Day off.

Posted on November 17, 2008 by heather

17 November 2008

Not much progress to report as I took most of yesterday off to deep clean the clutter in the log cabin. I would have taken a photo of the seven bags of trash we filled…but that was then and this is now and the sun is out and flurries are predicted for tonight and the easel awaits.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s update.

Meanwhile, a very special happy birthday wish goes out to our neice ABIGAIL !!!! She turns 19 today and we’re so proud of her. Sorry I missed your call last night sweetie…we’ll see you soon. Love, the Ants.