April Full Moon - The Full Fish Moon

April 7, 2012

Here we are again with another full moon. I wish we used proper names for our moons- it is far more interesting to call a full moon in April, a "Full Fish Moon' or "Full Sprouting Grass Moon" instead of...well... a full moon in April. It was made more spectacular for it happened during the Lunar Perigee, that is... when the Moon is closest to the Earth during its monthly orbit. So the Wow factor was huge for us here without clouds in the sky.

An evening walk along the beach was of soft pastels

and then, coming down the path...the moon, already a glowing golden lantern in the falling twilight.

We walked home and after supper, lit a fire in the garden...well, in the firepit...not in the garden.

And watched as the moonlight filled all the shadows with silvery light.

We watched Sirius, the Dog-Star, putting on a show of its own with amazing twinkles, flashes and sparkles.

Bumble Bee, Humble Bee

April 2, 2012

The old name for a Bumble Bee was "The Humble Bee" for all its wonderful qualities.

"Me? No, oh no... I thank you for your compliments but I didn't do all this pollinating on my own in early spring in the cold wet rains. I had plenty of help from the other denizens of the forest, I assure you. I wouldn't say no to a little rest here though, if you don't mind holding still for ten minutes."

She says, as she creaks her bees knees and rubs a knot in her back.

It's okay Humble Bee. We know what you do and we salute you.

Summer Garden

March 19, 2012

Summer Garden

16X16 Oil

Ravens and Trees

March 18, 2012

Yesterday, between rain splashes, we built the planter boxes for the raised beds. We were kept entertained by the comings and goings of four ravens. Lots of raven-talk going on with all their fluting, popping and quorking and metallic boinging noises. We wondered what they were saying. They kept flying into our Grand Fir, literally crashing into it, with wings all akimbo, having a good discussion and then flying off to another tree and doing the same thing. (It reminded me of kids canonballing each other in a pool.) There were two sets of ravens and I wonder, now that they are paired up, if they are getting the rules of territory under their belt and deciding which couple was getting what neighbourhood.

And on another note, here is the Grand Fir with stars.

Summerwind

March 12, 2012

Here we go.

Get a rough paper sketch done and then quickly block it in on canvas.

Paint, paint, paint.

As usual it gets to the "frightful" mid-point stage where you have to have confidence that you can pull it off. Too many colours! Too garish! The poppies are chunky smears! Time for a tea break and try not to think of the impending disaster in the studio.

Go back to the studio. Take a peak. Regroup.

Paint, paint, paint.

It starts to come together. You see the end of the tunnel. Voila.

"Sumerwind"

Bee Keeping Workshop

March 10, 2012

Today was a pleasant outing for a 2 hr bee-keeping workshop at Fredrich's Bee Farm. It was actually sunny though chilly.

Theo, the bee-keeper was funny and chatty and stood about in his thin sweater and apron, hefting boxes about and dipping his hands in cold water to wash off the sticky honey while we stood about bundled up in coats and hats and gloves. ( I thought he was about sixty but he then said he had been bee-keeping for sixty years and still felt he was learning. Honey must be good for body and soul!) He said, normally, spring cleaning each box would take him but moments in order to minimize disturbance to the bees, but for us it he would take a bit longer to demonstrate. Fortunately, his bees were as pleasant natured as he was and weren't too grumpy having their homes opened for curious eyes. He does this teaching for free to give back to the community.

March Fire

March 8, 2012

Snowdrops

March 7, 2012

Here is the final painting of the snowdrop sketches. Remember when I started it all way back when I bought the pot at Seedy Saturday? Well..here is the painting. (Funny thing is, I didn't have to buy any snowdrops at all, as some emerged right in front of the doorstep. Nice!)

But good old bumblebees love snowdrops so it is good to have lots of them in the garden to have something for them to feed on in between snow flurries.

Snow Webs

February 26, 2012

Melting snow catches here and there in the crevices of the trees. Spent far too long tilting my head back and forth making the droplets change colours.

In this shady nook, the snow is just beginning to melt. Amazing the strength of these webs.

Weeping Birch

February 19, 2012

In the yard we have a very tall weeping birch of many colours. The graceful weeping branches hang about the trunk like a soft burgandy mist while the trunk itself is clad in delicate shades of greens and blues due to the moss and lichen. The trunk is riddled with holes made by, from what I've seen so far, the Red-bellied Sapsucker, though there may have been others drilling before we moved here and I've yet to see them. The tree is light, airy and delicate and bridges the space between the weight and presence of the enormous Grand Fir to its left and the evergreen-ness of the Douglas Fir to its right.
From its branches I've hung the bird feeders, and the juncos and chickadees posture and tussle along its open limbs. Toward evening, the dimming light illuminates the trunk to a glowing whiteness, before it enfolds all in a slate-blue darkness and finally, the ink of evening. When the stars are out, they are tangled in the topmost net of fine branches until the morning brings the Varied Thrush to sing them free.