garden
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Thursday, January 14th, 2021
Cedar Waxwings in the Red-Hot Poker flowers, seed heads forming… Hillsboro, OR. 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper.
I’ve seen this only twice, for just one or two mornings during Spring when the Red-Hot Poker flowers are at their peak. This is why I have my camera handy at all times. Wings fluttering, the birds would lose their balance and change positions as the tall stocks bent from their weight, hovering briefly to sip the nectar of the fresh flower buds. Last summer I watched Cedar Waxwings hovering beside branches to eat tree berries, and on another occasion, flying out to catch bugs in mid-air. Some things you only see once, and it feels so special to be in the right place at the right time.
Spring Mix
Monday, June 22nd, 2020
Spring Mix, 16H x 20W inches soft pastels on paper
Fern Song
Tuesday, February 4th, 2020
Fern Song, 12 x 12 inches acrylics on canvas
Honorable Mention, In Full Bloom online exhibition February 7 – March 7, 2020, J. Mane Gallery
Summer Garden Abstract
Monday, January 20th, 2020
Summer Garden Abstract, 14H x 20W inches watercolors on 140 cold pressed. Resist medium was used to create abstract, flowering negative spaces.
Turn tomato cages into festive trees
Saturday, December 7th, 2019
Use tomato cages to create festive trees. Turn upside down – 2 together make a stronger structure. Wrap with lights.
Bachelor’s Buttons
Thursday, June 13th, 2019
Bachelor’s Buttons, 12W X 12H x 1D inches acrylics on canvas. Frame unnecessary.
Double Daisies
Wednesday, June 5th, 2019
Double Daisies, 12 x 12 acrylics on canvas, frame unnecessary. Entry for the Square Foot show in Bismark, ND in August. There is still another month to paint more to choose 2 entries from.
Lilies at Butchart Gardens, BC
Sunday, August 5th, 2018
Lilies at the Butchart Gardens, Victoria BC, 18H x 24W inches graphite on 140 lb cold pressed premium. Detail image:
Decorative vine balls
Monday, July 30th, 2018
Tidying up the garden mid-season, the periwinkle benefit from an aggressive cut-back, so these decorative balls were made with the vines that would otherwise end up in the yard waste bin. These vine balls can be created any size and the larger ones don’t require much more effort than the small. Tomato cages prop up larger balls perfectly if you don’t have hooks. Inexpensive solar lights were removed from the stakes and snuggled into the top of each woven ball where they emit a peaceful glow at night.
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How to create: use fresh periwinkle vines stripped of leaves. Dried vines are difficult to work with, and even soaking does not reconstitute them satisfactorily, so plan to make balls the same day vines are harvested.
Make a loose wreath, wire-wrapped at opposite ends. Pull out 1/4 of the vines from the main section to each side, wrapping centers with wire. You will then have 2 wreaths interlocked. Continue adding and weaving in extra groups of vines in a symmetrical fashion. Keep pulling smaller groups of vines together until the ball is compact, constantly judging and defining the shape.
Like anything made by hand, the first stages are most difficult and may seem like a chaotic mess, but stick with it and you’ll be happy you did.
Tips: 1) 24 gauge florist wire is most finger-friendly 2) the solar lights don’t sufficiently recharge if dropped inside so are placed on top where they still show off shapes nicely in the dark. 3) Virginia Creeper is excellent for this except it irritates the skin, so check into that if experimenting with other materials. 4) don’t use blackberry vines.
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Snapdragons
Sunday, June 17th, 2018
Snapdragons, 14H x 20W inches watercolors on 140 lb cold pressed premium
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