It's always about the colour

I know this may come as a surprise to some of you, but I am a little bit obsessed with colour.  Even if I don't get into the studio as much as I'd like during the summer, I'm still excited about the rainbow around me, no matter how (and where) it appears.

The past five weeks or so, I've been reaping the benefits of John's garden and the fruit (domestic and wild) that grows in this wonderful valley.  My days of picking, stemming, boiling and jamming gladden my eyes and heart.

Apricots

 From apricots and

Strawberries

  strawberries.

Bledrazzle

 black currants mixed with raspberries,

Oregon Grape fingers in living colour

to hands stained with Oregon Grapes and then

Boiling Oregon Grapes

made ready for jelly, the kitchen is extraordinarily colourful (including the stove, cupboards and walls).

Razzletoon

Raspberries mixed with saskatoons 

Saskatoon

and saskatoons alone all make for richness in hue galore.

Heritage Tomatoes

John's no slouch in that department either, because he spent hours this morning canning his heritage tomatoes, with more to come in the coming month.  Can you just imagine how these will taste made into a redolent spaghetti sauce?

Oh, and then there are garden peas, beans, zucchini, cucumbers, beets, carrots and blackberries to come, - have I missed any colour in the rainbow?

It's always the colour...

that pulls me in, whether it's in the studio with paints, or in the garden.

I've not been much in the studio lately, with the ArtWalk volunteering and the constant gardening in this lush valley.  That doesn't mean I miss out on my colour fix, though, since strawberries are ripening in John's garden patch.

Freshly picked

 There is something so decadent about fresh strawberries.

Garden Bounty

When they're washed and ready to eat, it's nearly impossible to restrain myself.

Ready for fruit crisp

But I must - they're going into a fruit crisp for dinner tonight, and I.  must.  not. eat.

I can certainly enjoy the colour though.  Hope your day is filled with it (and fresh strawberries, too).  If not, search out your local farmer's market and track some down - it will inspire you.