I know it's been a long time since I've posted.  My laptop is in the shop for repairs.  I finally pulled out my old one.  It's screen is held together with clips and duct tape, the hinges are broken so it has to be propped just right, vertical lines randomly appear on screen, and it's SLOW.  Despite all of that I had to honor the first snow of the season.  It's late in coming this year but that doesn't diminish the beauty. It's been a slow steady snow and is still coming down.  Happy winter everyone!  Time to embrace it.

Summer is here and my garden is in full swing, giving me plenty of drawing material. All I need now is more time! 

I think the practice is starting to pay off.  I'm very pleased with these.  The nasturium could use a little something.  I'll have to play with it to discover just what it is they want.

In the meantime, get outside and find some flowers to enjoy.

Spring is progressing at a leisurely pace this year. Temperatures staying mild with the occasional 70s.  My yard is  magnificent with the hyacinths, daffodils, grape hyacinth, and serviceberry all opening together.  Tulips are just starting and the apples and crabapples won't be far behind.

The mild weather is giving blossoms plenty of time to unfold and giving me time to capture them.

I have a new showing this March and April at Ancora Coffee on University Avenue. Some photography this time.  I'm still one-handed so a group of friends pitched in and helped me set up. 

Ancora has the best coffee in town,so stop by and grab a cup and check out my photos if you're in town.

Time sure does fly!  I'm still getting used to it being 2016 and January is already ending.  I always thought I was unaffected by Daylight Savings time and never found New Years much of a holiday, but I'm starting to reconsider. Looking over my work this month and then looking back at last January I've noticed January is a bit of a mess.  Back to lots of sketches and drawings that jump from subject to subject.

So, here is what I've come up with this new year. 

I'm still drawing magnolia branches.  I want to do another painting over the holiday and am trying to observe and learn what I can.  I find them beautiful.  There's something so interesting in the way they branch and zigzag, the bark spotted with green and blue, the soft but sturdy flowers, the red of the new growth.

I hope you enjoy them. I'm sure there'll be more to come.

I don't know what struck me about birds recently.  I think it was the silhoutte on the bare branches.  Then I just played with the idea.  I really like the first two drawings.  The bright blue line of sky in the first and the personalities of the birds in the second.

Winter has caught up to us.  We've had warm weather long into November, so when the snow came this weekend it caught us all off guard. It's unusual to see so much color along side snow, leaves are usually long gone by that time.  This year is different and the contrast is beautiful.

Winter has arrived and to my surprise it put me in a happy mood.

It's  been a little while since my last post.  Somehow after my vacation I've found it hard to move back into my old routine.  That has included my posts. 

The seasons are changing and maybe I can change with them.  I now leave for my morning walk in the dark and watch the sky brighten along the lake.  It's beautiful and a nice slow way to wake up and get ready for the day.  I find I deal with the day much better when I've had my walking time.  The lake has taken on a lot more character as winds have been blowing in cooler weather.  The cool wind whipping waves that break high on the shore spraying water over the sidewalk.  Trees turning red and gold and bright pink sunrises.  Fall is a lovely time of year.  May it be a long one.  I'm very content to wait a long time for winter.

It was nice to get back into the woods this weekend.  I took a long walk and it was clear that the seasons are changing.  Hanging somewhere between summer and fall.  We've had rain and cooler temperatures and some trees are dropping their leaves early.  The result?  Mushrooms!  The woods were full of them.