Crows Everywhere

This morning I awoke to a calliope of sound coming from our front yard. As I peered out our bedroom window to see what all the ruckus was about, I saw a dozen or so American Crows perched on our sycamore trees. Above the trees a small hawk was being chased by some rather angry crows.

To say the least, the crows were very upset. Over the years I have learned to pay attention whenever I hear crows making a scene, and without question there’s usually something out of the norm happening.

Finally after 20 minutes or so everything returned to normal, and peace & quiet returned to our sleepy little neighborhood.

Communion – Combined Media – 10 X 10 inches

• The common American crow is one of the most intelligent of all birds. It is one of only a few species of bird that has been observed modifying and using tools to obtain food.
• It can communicate warning, threat, taunting, and cheer to other crows by varying the “caw” sound it makes.
• Its cries of warning are specific enough that some animals other than crows are also able to use them as signals of dangerous predators.

The Tibetans believe the crow so sacred that watching their actions can predict an outcome in your life.

The Lenape Indians of Delaware also believed in a Many Colored Crow or Rainbow Crow who selflessly brought fire to all the woodland creatures and he is black from burning himself on the trip.

Many of the Celtic goddesses were linked with the crow or raven; Badb, Macha, Nemain, Nantosuelta, and Tethra.

Old Friends

My paint brushes are like old friends, and I hardly ever retire them. After each painting session I clean them thoroughly, gently shape the hairs back into place, and set them out to dry.

There are some which have lost their elasticity and frayed out from their metal ferrule. These are ideal for dry brush work.

Yesterday our favorite art store had a two-for-one sale on brushes and I replaced a couple of my older brushes with new ones. The brushes I replaced were over 25 years old. They are oldies but goldies, and they still have some life left in them before I move them into the dry brush bucket.

I just love these old brushes!

My Old Friends

Painting Another Heart

I started another heart painting a couple of days ago. This is my third painting with a crystal heart as the main focal point. I can’t help myself, I feel drawn to paint this ancient symbol.

Throughout history, the heart symbol has been considered a religious icon. The ancient Egyptians believed the heart was the center of all consciousness, the center of life itself. For the Christians the heart represents hope, charity, and forgiveness.

For many others the heart was the center of thought, emotion, the soul, the center of one’s very being.

Celtic Heart – Combined Media – 12 X 12 inches

Collecting Owls

I began my love affair with owls many years ago when I was a child. Over the years I have collected, sketched and painted owls.

Recently, my neighbor passed away. She was 101 years old and also happened to be an avid collector of owls. I was pleasantly surprised to find out she was a fellow owl lover.

We will miss you Pauline. Thank you for all those wonderful conversations over the garden fence.

The Owl & The Moon- Pastel- Combined Media – 9 X 12 inches

“The crow wished everything was black, the owl, that every thing was white.” – William Blake

“In the Native American tradition, the owl is the totem for people born during the time of the Popping Trees Moon – the period between November 11th and December 10th. The time of year when owls may be often seen silently hunting at dusk, making use of their keen sight and excellent hearing. The deepening winter time is regarded as the time of coming into wisdom – a time for telling of experiences, storing memories and learning – hence its association with the owl – the bird of wisdom.” – Unknown

We’re Having a Heat Wave!

Can you believe it’s 7 am in the morning and it’s already 84 degrees outside. The weatherman says we can expect triple-digit temperatures today. Our average temperature for this time of the year is 74 degrees.

This morning as I was watering the garden, Mr. Merlin (scrub jay) showed up for breakfast. He is such a character, he actually taps on our kitchen window with his beak when he wants to be fed. As I was finishing up, I saw him frolicking in our water fountain. At least he has found a way to keep cool!

Mr. Merlin in the Garden

Erratic Day

The day was a little erratic, with taking our dog to have his nails trimmed, giving him a bath, and trying to get some painting done.

I did manage to squeeze in a couple of hours of painting. The image below is a cropped portion of the painting I worked on today.

Secrets – Digital Combined Media – 16 X 20 inches

“We dance round in a ring and suppose, while the secret sits in the middle and knows.” – Robert Frost

“If you reveal your secrets to the wind you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees.” – Kahlil Gibran

Monday

The day was beautiful and sunny, but somehow I just couldn’t seem to get started. I felt totally uninspired to do anything constructive.

I made some coffee and decided to try my hand at drawing a cartoon character or something. I had fun playing around with some ideas.

Later, I finally gave up and decided to work in the garden for awhile. This is the image I came up with, but all in all I think it sums the day up pretty well.

More Coffee Please! – Combined Media – 5 X 7 inches

Dragonflies in the Garden

I went out to water the garden this morning, and was greeted by lots of dragonflies in our backyard. It was so magical watching the dragonflies darting here and there. What a wonderful experience!

Later back in my studio I began working on a painting, which is almost finished. There are still a few areas which need work, but it needs to dry before I can continue.

One might ask oneself, “Is a painting ever finished?” This is a question artists have been asking themselves for eons, and it seems as if everybody has an opinion on the subject. Personally, I agree wholeheartedly with Rembrandt, “A painting is finished when the artist says it is finished.”

I also worked on the painting Unity, and started another canvas. I felt inspired to paint a likeness of my aunt Dorothy. All in all it was a pretty busy day.

Aunt Dorothy – Acrylic, Mixed Media- 16 X 20 inches

Unity – Acrylic, Mixed Medium – 16 X 20 inches

Thoughts For The Day

“If modern man would use it, he could find old wisdom in his heart and clear his vision enough to see from start to finish and finish to start, the circle rounding perfectly.” – Tao-te Ching

Garden Roses – Photograph – 8 X 10 inches

Gratitude

Grow.
Remember.
Accept.
Trade.
Invoke.
Treasure.
Understand.
Delight.
Explore. – Unknown

Another Busy Day

Although it has been a busy couple of days, I did manage to work on my painting. I still haven’t decided what to do with the crystal ball.

Maybe tomorrow inspiration will strike, or maybe not. I still have a ways to go before it is finished, which gives me plenty of time to figure it out.

The Awakening – Combined Media on Canvas – 11 X 14 inches

“Whatsoever that be within us that feels, thinks, desires, and animates, is something celestial, divine, and consequently, imperishable.” – Aristotle

“There is a desire deep within the soul which drives man from the seen to the unseen, to philosophy and to the divine.” – Kahlil Gibran