My Dream Comin' True!

Ok, you all know how passionate I am about my sketchbook/journaling, right? Well, the biggest reason I teach is to sprinkle around the joy, value and personal rewards available when one chooses to express this way. So when I get this kind of email from a peer artist, with this comment, it makes me jump for joy!

"You've inspired me to start my own journal. I checked out a book from the library on how to keep a sketchbook journal and read a lot of it today. I bought a new small sketchbook 5.5 x 8.5 and experimented with drawing flowers in watercolor pencils ... very fun! It's my first time using watercolor pencils and just a plain ol' pencil is my favorite medium.

Thanks for being an inspiration to me."

The even greater degree of compliment for me, is that Wendy is an accomplished artist and freelance illustrator-graphic artist in her own right. Born and raised on a ranch in Lake County California and acquiring her BA Degree from the Academy of Art University. Her inspiration comes from the psychedelic era of the sixties and art nouveau. She's shown with Lee Conklin, Wes Wilson and Stanley Mouse and has clients like the San Francisco Public Library, AARP Bulletin and several Festival Organizations.

To move an artist like this along to a new endeavor, I'm quite thrilled. Well, it's actually beyond thrilled . . . it's watching my dream come true of stewarding individuals to become more acutely aware of their world, to appreciate who they are and the stories of their lives and just to be more conscious and creative. So, in a more deep way Wendy, I have to say, "My hats off to you for taking on an endeavor that will really uplift humanity by you becoming an even more aware human being!!!"

Journaling, Delicious Journaling . . .

Some of you may have been wondering if I've given up my journal since there's not been mention in weeks of it. But, don't be deluded . . . I'm dedicated to my journal and the time I spend in it. So, finally, after the time away in California, I've caught up my journal.

Mainly, the content is of my days down in the Bay Area. This first double spread of my images finishes up our stay up on the North Fork of the Butte Creek, one of my favorite lil' camping spots. And then, the start of my trip. These erratic and sculptural pepper trees were set in front of me after we'd hung the "Traveling Conversations" show (see the image here of the grid we set up to hang all 69 of our 5x7 inch pieces) and I just wanted some quiet time gazing into a park. Grief, I couldn't leave my paint brush down - those pepper trees were just calling me to paint them.

Wednesday of that week, my dear friend and her hubby had invited me to join them traveling up to San Francisco to see the Impressionist show at the de Young Museum. I was so jazzed . . . not only had I not see the new museum, but I loved the Impressionist period. Having the ear phone tour was invaluable. I learned even more about the period and added two new favorites, Sisley and Degas. The museum was savory too, wide sweeping spans bordered with sunlight and greenery amidst the formality of the museum and signage. But we had a little extra time and decided to hit the Legion of Honor Museum too which had an Impressionist show going. It's focus was more on the print media of the day and some of the etching were incredibly detailed and impressive. In the back seat driving home from the city, I pulled out my pen for a lil' contour drawing. Seemed every time I got a subject I wanted to sketch, they'd drive off out of my view. Guess I need to sketch more quickly!! A full and fun day!

The next pages in my journal are eventful. They cover the Reception of the "Traveling Conversations" show (see previous entry) and also, a very serendipitous meeting. It's been over, oh my, it must be nearly 20 years since I graduated from San Jose State's Graphic Design Program. That was where I last say most of my Illustration Instructors. So, one evening, late, I was heading into Trader Joes to pick up some items . . . when in front of me were two people. A couple, I thought, but as I looked closer, darn if the lady didn't resemble the Head of the Department, Bunny Carter. Now I didn't know her husband, could that be him, I'm thinking? The more I examined him . . . darned if he didn't look an awful lot like Courtney Granner, another instructor I'd had at SJSU. I took a deep breath and inquired, "So, could that be Bunny Carter and Courtney Granner?" They both turn around and, yes, it's them. We catch up a bit and I hear about all the changes in the Art Department.

Then, off we all go with well wishings, etc. WHAT a coincidence, eh? Middle of the Bay Area, me living in Oregon and P-O-O-F, in the parking lot of Trader Joes, a meeting happens.

Believe in unplanned twists of fate or testing sagacity? Well, to me, this falls under that serendipity. Hey, follow me, as long as one keeps participating in life fully, pushing envelopes, we can just keep being amazed together. Isn't life fascinating?

IceCream, Jackson Brown & Full Moons

It was just such a magical evening . . . I just had to share it with you dear readers.

Now, if you've known me for any length of time, you know I'm not a big fan of ice cream. Now don't get me wrong, I love ice cream and my husband talks me into it once in awhile. But after I do eat it, I'm not happy with how I feel. So I'm learning to just say "no, thanks". But in the Summer, I have a lil' decadent pleasure in the ice cream world, Dairy Queen cones. So we went tonight for a treat after dinner and I ordered my splurge size, the "Medium"! So we park backward in the DQ lot and usually gaze out over this vacant field where we always catch the antics of some neighbor cat. But tonight, since we've been having at least the "threat" of thunderstorms - the clouds have been fantastic!! And this night we caught ~ just at sunset. So you artists in the audience know where this is going, right? The colors were just stunning, from one moment to another, they changed from fantastic to even more amazing. I'm moaning 'cause I've forgotten the camera. I mean even the green field with drying grass was taking on magical colors. So, finally we leave the scene once the light and the ice cream is gone and head home for our evening walk with Cody, our Golden Retriever.

I've been aching to go up and watch from the "locals free spot" at the Britt Festival especially since August is fast approaching and the music changes to classical. Roland says he's not up for it, and finally I'm just going to do what I gotta DO. I go up past all the cars and the big RV motor homes that our entertainer for the evening has arrived in . . . and sit down to enjoy one of my favorites, Jackson Browne. Some of my memories flood in with the ole' songs and I'm swaying (you can't dance, the ground is uneven and dirt with lil rocks), lovin' the night air. I gobble up most of the set and eventually decide, it's time to head home. Little did I realize that the moon was nearly full, I think beginning to wane, but, there I go, dancing to "Runnin' on Empty" down the streets leading me home on this fine night. Smiles . . .

Introduction to Plein Air Painting ~ A New Duo

One of the heavenly benefits to renting a studio space upstairs at the Ashland Art Center is - that you get to know your peer artists and they furnish a wealth of wisdom and talent.

One such artist is my studio neighbor, Silvia Trujillo. She's kind, sincere, warm and, as our Art Center Executive Director says, "the artists artist"! Silvia Trujillo is a well known artist and art instructor from the Sacramento region of California. She has won numerous awards for her paintings. “To constantly produce paintings that are original and unique” is one of her foremost goals. With Silvia just to my right, day in and day out, a gentle friendship has grown. and she's a devout instructor of, well, pick a media . . . oil, acrylics and even watercolor. Her life totally is painting and graciously, in forming this new duo, she has given me the "watercolor" arena.

She'd suggested we do a class together . . . and we'd tossed around painting on location. We considered a beach venue, too far to drive and consider lodging too. We considered a vineyard venue, THAT we will do for the fall workshop. Well, finally we decided and will be meeting at the lovely Lithia Springs Resort (http://www.ashlandinn.com/hotel-ashland-oregon.php) offering the "Silvia Trujillo and Elaine Frenett Plein Air Painting Workshop"!

We'll offer a two day series, August 14th & 15th, meeting from 8:30am to 12:30pm both days. With a lovely pond, charming sheds, lush flowers, a fountain and mountain backdrops, we'll find a variety of images from which to paint. A couple of years ago I did a sketch in my journal there, isn't it just the cutest building? And here's a plein air piece Silvia did on location there too. There will be a "Sharing or Critique" time when we break for lunch. On the preceding Thursday we will have an optional "Introduction" Hour, 6:30-7:30pm at the Ashland Art Center (http://www.ashlandartcenter.org/pages/main.html), where we'll discuss materials, composition, color and light. Both Silvia (who will work exclusively with Oil and Acrylic students) and I (who will focus on watercolor) will limit the class to 7 students each.

I'm excited about this new adventure with a new artist friend. Isn't being an artist just the best? Well, perhaps being an enlightened Buddhist monk exceeds that, but I'm closer to being an artist. So, I'll stick with what I'm doing better and strive for the other. Thanks for joining me along this happy life's trek!

"Traveling Conversations" Workshop

Early the next morn around 9am, following the Reception, our trio, Jean Warren, Floy Zittin and myself, gathered at the McClellan Ranch to teach our "Traveling Conversations" Workshop. We'd warned most of the participants that in addition to this whole collaborative process being unpredictable, that they were going to be part of an experiment in teaching. Since the three of us had, as far as we knew, vaguely followed ideas we'd picked up somewhere in the Universe, imparting that process to others was truly going to be new to us too. They were all great sports and very willing.


Once we got the tables arranged so as to be in the shade, Floy began with an introduction to the process we'd following and the sequence of that plan. First we'd work on gathering visuals via sketchbooks or cameras, from around us. We trekked to the creek, back past the native garden and over to the animal area. So with images dancing in our heads . . . we start the first exercise.


This process will replicate the 5 x 7 inch group of sketches we mailed which required individual entries, responding to previous artists individual entries. We took twenty minute intervals to paint and then, pass on your piece to the next artist. They in turn, paint a response to the initial piece . . . then, repeat the process. We laid the 5 x 7 inch pieces all out on the table in sequence with the pieces to which each was responding. It was fascinating to see what triggers or ideas resulted from previous artists pieces (starting of sequence goes from top down to bottom). Sometimes you could visually see the connection,

others were entirely emotional.

After we broke for lunch, we moved onto the collaborative work within one sheet of watercolor. Using an 11 x 15 inch size, everyone started with an image taking up one quarter of the paper. After twenty minutes, we passed the pieces to new owners. We repeated this twice, and on the third "pass" the paper was returned to the original artist and they were given the assignment of attempting to pull the piece to a "successful" completion. When I got my "start" back, I was shaken, "how in the world can I bring this into balance with a focal area and unite all the stray elements?" Mine, shown here went before "critique" receiving the suggestion of adding more green/foliage to bottom right corner and perhaps add more of the "mystery bubbles". But everyone made a dramatic effort and several of the pieces were very good.

Overall, we assessed that most of the artists who participated garnered some sense of response and/or collaborative process. It was like "head-scratching" efforts at the beginning of the Workshop but, by the end of the second exercise, many participants seemed to grasp how to lasso the elements they had been "given" and direct the painting towards success.

What we'd hoped to open up to those in the workshop was, how to take on that "dog" of a painting, with awful elements and numerous problems, and with fresh eyes launch into solving challenges.

For me, it was invigorating actually seeing the process that Jean and Floy and I had been doing for five years, extremely condensed yet bringing about the same learnings and creativity. Who is to say who grew more from this class, the participants or the instructors? I'll never tell :)

The "Traveling Conversations" Reception

Months, actually a year or so, in the planning, but the "Traveling Conversations" Show was a success. For those of you unfamiliar with what this show was about . . . we three friends/artists were separated by family moves. For five years to keep in touch, we have carried on visual conversations, without words, in painting forms. The forms included 5 x 7 inch individual paintings which were responses to the previous entries, several full sheet watercolor pieces where each of us painted, integrating our 6 x 6 comparable space into the design and even one book piece. These "image conversations" between Jean Warren, Floy Zittin and myself went on public display with this show at "Viewpoints Gallery" in Los Altos.

I arrived in San Jose about a week before. I'd met with Floy and we sat on the floor, debating and testing out the grid pattern for hanging the sixty-nine, 5 x 7 pieces to go on one big panel. But once we got the grid measurements figured out, within two hours we had the entire panel up. And we were pretty happy with how it looked. We got the big pieces hung the next day and place our "spin off" 8x8 paintings in the front display window. With previous skill at self-publishing, Floy took to designing an 8 1/2 x 11 book documenting both image and text, which we had added just for the show, of all sixty-nine 5 x 7 pieces. You may sample the beautiful book at: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/traveling-conversations/11398164?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/1 with free shipping for Summer orders. We were all ready for the show.

Finally, Friday evening of the Reception came. Floy's generous daughter had spent the day baking scrumptious h'devours and the Mexican Restaurant with whom we shared the back patio had festive Mariachi music in the background. Soon the people poured in, many friends dropped in to visit but consistently it seemed the aspect that most touched the audience was the friendship evident in this project. We actually sold out of our small "Traveling Conversations" book and began taking special orders for more of the books and in addition to individual prints for the 5x7 pieces.

The end of the evening found me weary but wound up. I'd proposed going for 'tea' after we got things all packed up. A little time to unwind and chat on a more personal level released some energy ... I was content to head homeward to my friends home, where I was staying. They had just left for New York that evening and I was comfortable to collapse into quietude. A soft smile came across my face . . . we three artists had done a good job, presented our show of quality in a professional way and felt that in the translation from image to image, our audience had heard our hearts.

Quickly to bed . . . in preparation for our 9:30am "Traveling Coversations" Workshop the following morn at the McClellan Ranch . . . ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz

Romancing of the Hay Rolls

My romance with hay rolls began a long, long time ago. Many years ago I painted this image from the Western Slope of Colorado, near Steamboat Springs, when I visited there. I love the sweeping sky and fields during that time of year, stripped with the alternating harvest textures. So this original actually hangs in a special place right in my home studio.

But my romance continues. Just the other day driving into Medford I was thrilled at this site. In fact, Roland and I took a late evening ride just to photograph them with their long shadows. Yes, I could be planning another painting. But most of all, I enjoy the round shapes. Personally, I don't like square edges on much of anything. I constantly round rooms off by moving furniture at angles to soften the corners. I mean, even my home and Ashland studios have turned furniture to break up those "square angles"! So, it would come as no surprise that these beauties are cherished in my eyes.

Perhaps, with this new viewpoint of hay rolls, you'll find a new amusement in your late summer travels. One can find beauty in the most unusual places . . . keep those eyes open. Cheers!

The Luxury of a Day of Play

I can't remember last time I took off a day, just to go paint and play with a friend. A dear lady, who'd taken several private lessons with me (yes, she was the one to witness the "crime scene" of previous post) and we found we had so much in common ~ we could launch a painting day together. She has a home on the far east side of Medford which affords vast views looking across the valley and she suggested I come there to paint. When she offered the kindness of lunch too, it was an easy "yes, when should I be there?"

I arrived around 9:30 and hiked over to the viewpoint Robin had envisioned for our paint site. On the far left was Roxy Ann Winery, undulating hills and alternating fields of various colors and textures. We got settled and I started off with the sky, leaving whispers of white clouds to accent the distant hills. Robin worked on a closer view of the fields - a heaven of greens.

Morning turned into afternoon and we packed up to head back to her house. She'd prepared a variety of delicious samplings: Zucchini/Tomato Torte, Garbonza Bean/Carrot/Olive Salad (my fav) and then, for dessert, watermelon balls with mint. I was STUFFED (you know I usually have just a yogurt for lunch?) and couldn't move ~ so relished her offer of poking thru several of her favorite journaling & reflection books. I could have stayed longer had her husband not returned home :)

But it reminded me how recharging just taking a day off to simulate and relax your spirit with friends and food can be. I can't recommend it highly enough!!! Thank you, Robin!

Lesson of First, Profit the Next Trip

T'was our first RV "Shake down" trip. We'd planned to go to Lake Lomolo, up near Diamond Lake. We'd camped there last year and felt familiar enough to launch our new vehicle's maiden voyage there. So we drove the windy Highway 62, feeling, rather like driving a "cloud", and found the last available lake side camping site. I'm the one sitting in the driver's seat, dropping the hydraulic leveling system and Roland, on his side in the dirt below my window, when he notices "something" squirting out of an area that looks like the breaks. Oh, SWELL!! The next hour, we're searching the Owner's Manual to try locating where the break fluid reservoir is located ~ ~ finally we find it and it's very full. S-I-G-H!!! Ok, now perhaps we can enjoy ourselves. (But we still don't know what the squirting fluid is?)

I get household details set up, the beautiful dahlia's from Mary's garden that she brought over as we were leaving, get in their vase, place mats on table etc. and it's starting to feel like home. We take a walk down the shore watching Cody romp in the shallow beach in front of the show covered mountain backdrop. Later in the evening we manage to bake our first pizza in our lil' oven, well, it did burn a tad. The smoke set off the smoke alarm and freaked Cody out (as he loves peace and undisturbed quiet). I'm getting used to which switches need to be on for the water to work and where to crawl under the bed to see what our water level is (especially because we are "dry" camping). Sleeping in our comfy bed is relaxing and refreshing.


It's a chilly wake up, but with Roland's positive encouragement, even in the foggy rain, we head out to visit waterfalls! Our first stop is at Whitehorse Falls, a low, but thunderous cascade. Next we drive to Toketee Falls with it's near half mile hike thru lovely redwood forest with lush, white dogwood trees blossoming in front of rich evergreen shadows. This tiered waterfall has two layers (top drops 40 feet, the second 80 feet), both set back among basalt columns with lovely turquoise blue pools below. The most breathtaking waterfall was our third and last to see, Watson Falls. Not only do you get an enchanting hike into the forest, with numerous wild flower faces peering silently up at you, but one of the tallest 272 foot falls can be seen from a bridge right in the middle of the creek! By the second waterfall, the sun had burst out, sprinkling sun spots everywhere in the green surroundings ~ lovely day! We watch an evening movie after dinner and curl up early as the night's chill creeps over us.

This morning breaks with a 48 degree temperature and I'm turning on the heat to do my yoga and meditation! Breakfast finds things a bit warmer, but I notice the lights seem dim, don't they? Middle of dish washing, the CO2 alarm goes off!! This is like the last straw for Cody and he's outside in no time, standing over by the car, wanting to go home. Roland notices the lights too and starts a search to find out why the batteries are not recharging themselves. Roland has trouble starting the generator and finally, in a unanimous vote, Cody especially, we agree, heading home is the best thing to do before we can't get home. I drive the car behind the RV, and instruct Roland to JUMP if anything should go wrong en route! So we return home, tail between our legs.

Next RV endeavor, we've gotten several things repaired and ourselves more informed :) We choose a nearby campsite on Road #37 at the North Fork of the Butte Creek. Green, shady lil spot and just as I'm putting down the levelers again, I notice some kind of liquid on the sheet he's lying on under the RV. Grief, it's still leaking . . . ok . . . we opt to just stay crooked. I've been crooked before, I can live with this! We settle in and actually get to relax.

In the morning, we're attempting to set records here, it's 37 degrees outside! After a leisurely breakfast, watching the chipmunks hop from rock to rock, we don our day packs and head out for the meandering trail along Butte Creek. From this end of the creek we come up to the back of Fish Creek and at the crest of the dam we see this invigorating view. Mt. McLoughlin reflects in the quiet waters and two fishermen carve thru the mirror stillness. This is the kind of camping I'd been envisioning :)

We stayed another relaxing day, leaving the next day. I'm looking at alot of my little "cling-y" patterns that I want to keep doing even in the RV and am learning to let go of them, exercise flexibility. So I'm seeing this whole direction with the RV and the possible move to Mexico, as a huge learning experience for me. I certainly has freed up my attitude and I'm growing too, along the way. So, I encourage you all, to remain open. Just to see what magical gift the Universe may have in store for you! Happy trails . . .

Britt Festival Opening Festivities

Yes, this day finally felt like Spring is actually approaching for real. Our small art group, "Art Presence", created to present more professional quality art and artists in Jacksonville, was thrilled to be part of this event. In concert with and celebrating the opening night of the Britt Festival (http://www.brittfest.org/) Jacksonville closed off both the north and south parts of 3rd Street adjacent to the main street. One side was for the artists and the other side, for wine pouring and music.

The day blossomed gorgeous, sunshine and clear blue skies (it was rainy and 40 degrees last week). Our "Art Presence" officers arrived at 9am to tape off the booths and shortly, the artists began arriving. Town was already hopping and by noon the people were swarming our booths, delightful, lively music dancing through the atmosphere ~ ~ and Summer-ready faces ALL smiling.

We artists had debated the event, as to possible sales, but as usual, just being visible and available for personal relations was the real pay off! I had a previous client come by and tell me they were interested in me doing a commission for them. Later in the day, a local business owner, who'd been sampling three of my giclee prints, dropped in to let me know he wanted to purchase two of them!

As the afternoon passed, I took up my journal, to start in a sketch. I nested in a corner of my booth, out of the hot sun, and captured this nicely cropped vantage point. I was most pleased with the brick effect I acquired with use of my favorite wax crayons! What you think?

Once all packed up and delivered back at home, we opted for a quick Boca Burger in town and a weird "Freckled Lemonade" (where one had to fish out the strawberries from one's lemonade).

On our after dinner walk, I was complaining that it was way past time for our local deer to birthing their sweet babies and that I was suffering "fawn with drawl". I swear, not ten feet further we came across our first fawn nestled in deep grass with her mom (of course, I didn't have my camera). But the next morn, out our kitchen window we saw these tiny twins hobbling clumsily across our back yard. OH, they are so adorable!!!

I have to admit that this time of year, ending of Winter and the flurry of Summer, punctuated with the start of the Britt Festivals, is one of my favorite parts of the year. After a couple months of grey rain and a town of quiet (although I love our lil' green wood burning stove that glows warmth and charm into our home), I relish flood of visitors touring through our sweet Historic Town of Jacksonville, the cascading of live music around 3pm when the Britt performance of the evening practices up the hill from us and floral blossoms and green are every where. Does life get any better?

Start of Summers Journal Entry

They say Memorial Day is the "declaration" of Summer start. I'm in total agreement, however, our Oregon weather has disagreed. Up to a few days ago we had rain showers and very cool days. But my lil' family forged ahead, ignoring that silly unpredictable weather and made picnic plans for Sunday May 30th.

I got home from church and we each made an unusual sandwich accompanied by drink and packed off to a nearby park. Oh my, it was packed!! We'd read in the paper that national soccer groups were gathering here for playoffs but didn't GET the impact til we saw the soccer fields speckled with players and attached family, picnic gear and coaches. Luckily, we found a parking place AND an open picnic table. Cody, our lovable Golden Retriever stationed under the picnic table, should there be any food droppings, and us perched gazing ~ ~ we reveled in the cool breeze, the abundance of families playing, chatting together ~ ~ just an overall feeling of joy and freedom. In the background, I heard the Ice Cream Man come along with his sing-songy tunes repeating in the air - there's some childhood memories! My favorite vision was of this little pink-be-decked girl, holding hands with her older brother, both were smiling. After lunch we took a prolonged tour around the perimeter of the park where it was more quiet, savoring just b-e-i-n-g.

For our further initiation into Summer, we completed our meal with our first annual visit to DQ for a soft ice cream cone. One lil' decadence we still enjoy ...

The adjacent journal entry page was an adventure. I was working with a private student, demonstrating Light Molding Paste which was dry, and attempting to squeeze out some liquid Alizarin Crimson Acrylics onto the page. Yep, you guessed it - - the slight clog unclogged all at once -- squirting a pool of blood-like pigment all over my page. I sopped up as much as possible and made an attempt to add lighter value pigments to soften what my student had now named "a crime scene". But nothing helped. It remained a red, ghastly blob on my page. What to do???

My original idea for the page had been "play" so I went in search of anything that could bring back that feeling. I came across a jester I'd painted and using opaque gouache, overlaid this flamboyant fellow and his white spinning pins over my bloody mess. I have to admit, this helped and now, I'm fairly at ease with my disaster.

So once again, I want to model for you, well, maybe not the accidental means by which I started this "need for a creative solution" but, at least the process. You can "save" almost anything . . . don't give up . . . let even your life lessons be avenues to see differently. I'd love to hear about some of your "creative solutions" . . . and your feedback.

Portrait Demos

These last few weeks have gifted me with a flutter of private students. I've personally noticed that, since I've been practicing portraits in my journal, they have been becoming better and better.

Here, I'll show you one of my earlier (and painful at that) portraits. You can see the people look pinched, with little attention to color in their faces.

These latter two are recent demos for students. Lil' June, a sweet older woman, is not really finished, but shows some beginning techniques, while the baby, is pretty complete. You can see I usually start with a light wash of Aureolin Yellow, or in the case of the Oriental/African American skin tones, more of a Yellow Ochre. Then, I start to fill in the darker shadow areas with a darker value of usually a mix of Thalo Blue and Brown Madder. This mix can take you to cheery cheek shadows all the way to intense warm blues for behind ears. My cheeks usually are intense, pure pigment of Quin Pink, Perrol Orange or Brown Madder and then toned down with shadows. I always try to remember, I can "take back" a brilliant pigment, but can never bring back to "life" a dull color!

With the baby's background, I found I could help define the chubby cheek. It had gotten a bit bulge-y when I painted it and the background moved in the edge some. I also chose an especially pure blue, hard edge against the cheek orange profile edge to help create a focal area.

So who knows "who" will be my next "suspect" to help me develop more those quick, skilled portrait skills? Volunteers anyone? And I just want to encourage you to "b-e-g-i-n" to try portraits, you don't have to show them to anyone and ~ ~ practice does improve ones skills. Take my word for it!!!

Adventures in Gardening

Next entry, my husband and I have taken a plot in a nearby Organic Community Garden. Our first visit was cleaning out the plot and harvesting the remains from previous years gardens. Pretty lovely harvest, crisp diverse lettuce and parsley(used it in my morning smoothie!). Roland set up the soaker hoses with a timer for convenience.

Next visit, we took one sunny afternoon to get planted all the lil' green kids we'd so far acquired.

We are blessed to have the raised plots, saving our backs from strain. I also learned that some of the locals have a special name for those gardeners using these raised plots. You see there are three, evenly spaced arched bars placed over the gardening plots (probably for bracing taller plants to later in the season) and it took me awhile to understand what this one woman commented, "Oh, the covered wagon gardeners are back again!" I get it, if I placed canvas over the bars, hooked up some horses in the front and wheels to the sides - - it WOULD look like a lil Calistoga Covered Wagon!!!
The garden we had had the last two years at our home didn't fair well - not enough sunshine. So we have a little experience with tomatoes, peppers and basil from previous plantings. But this time, with all the extra space and sunshine we're planting tomatoes, peppers, basil, and also beans, eggplants, butternut squash, onions. We longingly searched for Fava Bean plants ... but may have to use seeds or skip 'em for the year. Around the lil' green 'kids' I've added Marigolds and Coreopsis for bug control (hey, that's what I read).

Our first group "clean up" day was last Sunday ~ a gorgeous sunny, breezy spring day. We met several of our peer gardeners and tidied up "community areas". I was assigned the weeds interspersed with the bouncing California Poppies and Iris. Roland carried off the weeds and other compost that had seeds to a flat, dry and sun scorched area that wouldn't allow the seeds nor plants to survive. Maybe like a plant "hell" ... I don't know. The small group met afterward to update any news. We'd voted "Yes" to allowing a group of recovering women from a nearby facility to have one of our available plots (I'm excited to meet them). Following the meeting, I'd so gotten into pulling weeds, that both Roland and I dug into the pathways around our lil raised beds, hacking and pulling at any weed that resisted us. Quite fun actually!

Isn't digging in the dirt just one of the most gratifying things alive? Must be a carry over from my childhood of some innate need ~ ~ whatever it is, I'm always so gratified after the fact. What can I add? Happy diggin'