There's not much going on...

 ...in the studio this week, apart from a very quick play with some mop-up paper towels (glued to some backing paper) in contrast with black paper, specifically for you, Angela.  Will I ever get tired of the pop of explosion when bright colour hits black paper?  I doubt it very much.

And because I hadn't quite had my colour fix for the week, I did a page in the 'black and white' journal.

We were out of town for half a day to celebrate our granddaughter's first birthday.  Judging from the smash cake, I think she had a great day.  I'm not sure that lovely eyelet dress came out of it too well, though. 😜

John planted some sweet peas here in front of the condo for me - they have to be my favourite flower.  Can you smell them from where you are?  The variety is a heritage one, and they're so strong and fragrant I'll bet you can. 

We didn't have to go too far 'out and about' to find this lovely scene - no further than the front deck, in fact.  Peeking through the undergrowth of cedars into John's flower patch was pure delight.  Owen and his mom, Rochelle, were visiting, so I talked her into taking the photo for me as I was too lazy to head into the condo to get my own phone.

This world is filled with amazing amounts of unexpected beauty, isn't it?  May you have found a huge number of them in your own week.

What with one thing and another....

...it's been a rather artless week.  It has been tremendous, nonetheless, given that spring has been peeking out from all sorts of places this last while.

From magnolia blossoms (above) to daffodils and tulips, it's pure delight.

Our walks are filled with orchard glory,

 forsythia punch,

 and Oregon Grape potentiality.  (I may have to make some of that jam this year).

The scent of the trees near knocks one over,

and there is grace and beauty everywhere.

The pansies nod happily

and there are clear signs that others care for our safety.  We are living in a beautiful world, aren't we?

May your area be showing signs of beauty and solidarity as well, while we wait for the end of this pandemic.  In the meantime, tell me how and what you've been doing; I'd love to hear in your comments below.  

With chaos...

...all around me as I clean and purge (we're planning on a spring down-sizing), I've been doing much too little in the studio.  That does not mean, however, that I can't appreciate the out-of-control colour around me as we head towards the end of fall.

Here's what I mean:

The front lawn is carpeted with maple leaves.

The shrubbery in the backyard fairly shouts with riotous colour against the clear blue of the sky.

The mountain ash down the street is laden with berries.

There's glistening gold everywhere I look.

Even the fallen colour carries that POW factor.

Strawflowers are gorgeous at this time of the year.

Sunflowers are at their best as they wave goodbye to summer.

Of course, there's colour on the web when I need a break from all that sorting/organizing/cleaning, etc.  Here are a few of the luscious goodies I found over the past week or so.

Wendy Mamattah

Anita Bloch Ceramics

Debbie Colby

We live in a magical world, don't we?  Everywhere we look there's a feast for the eyes.

I've been searching...

...through my photo files recently in an effort to pare down the hundreds of photos.  It's truly astounding how many floral pieces I've done over the years.

I've collaged them,

drawn them in pencil,

coloured them in chalk pastel,

sculpted them with acrylic medium,

created them from wine and beer bottle caps,

 crafted them from hand-painted papers,

turned them into altered books,

photographed and printed them on dryer sheets before adding them to a painting,

and created entire mountain ranges from them.

I'm fascinated by the number of paintings I've done that incorporate flowers (and I've kept record of some three hundred of them apparently), especially given that I'm so averse to the actual concept of getting my hands dirty in real soil.  I leave that up to my husband, John, who is so fond of gardening he's starts to resemble the dark rich colour of his favourite tomatoes in the summer.  

I suspect that the floral form is an instant connection to my beloved mandalas, the sacred circle.  I hope you'll tell me what your recurring themes are in the comment area below.  What is it that you return to again and again? How does it connect the dots for you in your life?

There is...

,,,an amazing package for seniors here in Creston - the Therapeutic Action Program for Seniors (TAPS).  Enabling seniors to stay in their homes for as long as possible, there are a range of activities and services provided.

Last week, I had an opportunity to engage some of the group  (sixteen or so) in a collage fest, and we had a blast. An inter-generational program, the participants ranged in age from 'nearly seven' to goodness knows what.  We cut and tore strips and circles and outrageous shapes into a garden that could have rivalled Eden, I suspect.

Can you tell this happened on St. Patrick's Day?

 The pieces were outstanding,

and everyone who participated had their own unique take on things.

 I was so impressed with this munchkin and her brother (below).  Naturals!

 We used Gelli prints and National Geographic magazines (heresy, I know),

 and the results were beyond colourful!

 The best part is, we get to do it all again this week...

this time with houses.  We're thinking the results will be Crazy Creston.  

Bodacious blossoms...

...are rife here in the valley at this time of the year, and there's no better place to see the best of them than at the Farmers' Market, where Jean Syroteuk displays blooms cultivated by her and her husband Merv.

Take a stroll

through Jean and Mervs' booth

from a recent market

to see why I appreciate

their work so much.

Whether individually priced  (look at this COLOUR)

or by the whole bouquet,

nothing says Creston summer

like Jean's floral sprays!

What says summer to you in your area?  

How do you get your summer colours on?