One year later

The first item on my 2009 list of goals was to begin a blog. My plan was to illustrate and document, with photographs, drawings and watercolours, the natural world that I discover on my daily walks and further afield. I thought I would write a bit, but not too much, letting the images reveal my vision. I have discovered that my life long love of lanes, vacant lots, fields and waysides has endured and grown even stronger. I have discovered that while at times tempted and at times feeling negligent, I really don't want to draw pretty flowers and I won't. But I think weeds and wisps are pretty so I guess I do draw them after all. Just no roses, or azaleas or rhododendrons or......
I find it funny to look through the archives, fifteen posts in the months of January, February and March, ten posts for the next three months, seven in the next two, five in the following three and only one so far this month. LIfe can be art but it can also get in the way of art at times – more life, less art seems to be the rule. I like to think that life and art are one but that is not always the case, at least it isn't for me.
Although this was a year's project I have decided to continue. I have a lot of ideas and am looking forward to the new year. I plan to document and write about more of what I love, not only nature but other things that make me smile.
I have chosen to post the first photograph that I posted last January. I was new to photography then and I can clearly remember the thrill of being able to capture what I was seeing and feeling.
I would like to thank all of you who have found this blog and had a look, and to those who have become followers and have left comments, a special thank you. Susan

Goldstream Park

I visited Goldstream Park this week in search of the bald eagles that arrive each year around this time to feast on dead salmon. Either I was too early or too late, none were to be seen. But I did see a muskrat, two elegant young deer walked silently by and a walk through a cold rocky stream led me to this view. It took my breath away. It's called Niagara Falls which I thought was funny.

The Field

I visited the field again recently, it was just as beautiful and as wet as I had remembered. I think the only way I can get closer is to wear either a wetsuit or hip waders that go up to my shoulders. If I hold the camera above my head I should be ok, it's worth a try.

Brussel Sprouts

I haven't always been fond of sprouts but over the years I have grown to enjoy them, to eat and to draw. This drawing was done life size in graphite and painted with watercolours. I didn't really pile them like this but I thought it was a fun arrangement for their portrait.

Trees and Fences

Searching for examples of tree and fence relationships has become a fun part of my daily walks. The search has led me to new areas of exploration, on foot and creatively. In this example it seems that the chain link fence was originally adapted to the existing tree but over time the tree has grown and happily begun to devour the fence.

Oak Bay Marina Seals

My daily walk often includes a visit to the Oak Bay Marina to watch the resident seals. Resident because they can always be assured of some tasty treats thrown their way. But they have to be 

quick, seagulls have also discovered this spot for a free lunch. 

The Salmon Run

I witnessed an amazing and very emotional sight this week, thousands of pacific salmon swimming upstream to their home pools, to spawn and to die. Photography proved to be difficult, the fish are indistinguishable in the water...however dead salmon on the shore, while a startling image, were much easier to photograph.
Bald eagles will soon descend to feast on the fish carcasses.

Rockland Avenue

Rampant Ivy

Ivy framing the trash cans looks like it might eventually 

completely engulf them. It can be a problem in gardens and 

forests, but down the lane ivy provides a useful purpose.

Free

While out on my daily walk I see a variety of items placed on lawns with a free sign but this was the first time I had seen a home owner try to give away the telephone pole that was in front of their house.
I must return to see if it was taken.

Autumn Patterns

This perfectly random arrangement of fallen leaves and reflections was on the hood of a blue car.

Down the Lane

While my daughter was taking saturday morning swimming lessons I would walk up and down the neighbourhood lanes.  I was new to photography and still trying to understand all the settings. I now have a digital camera and life and art is much much easier. This is one of the photos I took then and have scanned. I like the roughness of it and after many years I am still walking up and down lanes.

Tree and Rock

Rock in Tree

I am always looking for examples of tree and rock arrangements but this was a little bit different. I don't know if the rock was placed there or if it grew up with the tree, but the effect was stunning, and funny.

Vines and Fences

A white fence being devoured by a voracious vine.
The little cut out in the fence is fun, can you find it?

Down the Lane

I am continuing walking down lanes and find myself continually fascinated with the relationships between fences and in this case rocks. It is the simplist of images but what caught my eye was the splatter of white paint on one of the rocks and the shadows.

Landscape with Grasses

For most of my life I have been focussed on detailed studies of nature, but in the past year I have looked up and through the lens of a camera I have begun to look at and to document the bigger picture. I have always found landscapes to be overwhelming, there is just so much visual information that I haven't known how or where to start.
This is a beginning.

Flowering Cabbage

Trees and Fences

Since I began this blog I have discovered that my creative vision has become clearer. I have been able to view my drawings and photographs more objectively and to identify a variety of interests and directions which hadn't been as clearly defined before. This realization is helpful to focus on what really interests me and to expand and develop those themes. I have written about my love of lanes and looking through my photographs reveals how fascinated I am with the relationship between trees and fences, how fences are designed or adapted to accommodate and existing tree. What I enjoy is the care and consideration of the fence designer and builder and the visual image of these varied arrangements.  

Saturday Mornings

This summer Saturday mornings have become a delightful routine. After breakfast I begin walking to the local market and along the way I find garage sale after garage sale leading me on many detours as I follow each sign. On one recent Saturday the first sale proved to be so successful that I had to return home to leave my treasures before continuing on. A few blocks later more finds and another trip home. Having finally arrived at the market I found one stall which had simply and beautifully displayed their fruit and vegetables in brown paper bags, ready to take home and enjoy.

These are delicious little yellow plums.

Botanical Beach

A day spent at Botanical Beach on Vancouver Island was just as wonderful as I had hoped it would be. Tidepools and sculptured formations have been formed by the sea and wave-tossed boulders wearing away the soft sandstone. It is a magical place.

Garry Oak Meadow

Water

Broom and Ivy

A gardener had left this amazing broom leaning against a hedge. I liked the contrast of stark branches against lush ivy. Now I must admit that this is not exactly as found, I did do some repositioning.
I think that's called artistic license.

A Postcard from the garden... Teasels

Down the Lane

In Bloom-Lavender

Whenever a plant is in bloom it seems to be everywhere I look. This week lavender is enjoying its moment in the sun, fragrant and abuzz with bees. I usually prefer plants pre and post bloom but sometimes it's just good to draw a flower.

The Field

A place I return to again and again. Always wonderful.

Moss Street Market

Every Saturday morning I visit a neighbourhood market and choose a subject for a drawing or painting. This week the onions looked particularly lovely... I thought this one looked stately, no common onion.

Postcards from the garden...Silybum

I am beginning a new series for the summer...Postcards- from the garden, from the field, from my travels, from whatever interests me. The first postcard is one of my favourite plants, Silybum marianum, also known as milk thistle. You have to love a plant called silybum just for its name, but I love the look of it too. It is grown as an herbal remedy for diseases of the liver and gallbladder in Europe although considered an invasive weed in North America and Australia. I have seen it grown as an effective and beautiful natural barrier to protect crops from foraging wildlife. I grow it in a large pot in my garden, the seeds smuggled through the border at great risk.

Postcards from the Garden..... Veronica

The Field

Red Onions

Farmers markets are wonderful places to be and the Pike Place Market in Seattle is one of my favourites. These wonderfully coloured red onions with roots intact were already perfectly arranged for a photograph.

Wayside Plants-Chicory

Wayside plants are some of my favourites. They are sturdy little things, growing and thriving in less than ideal conditions.This is a graphite study of chicory from my sketchbook.

A Bag of Peppers

While on an early morning walk I noticed this large bag of mixed peppers sitting at the entrance to a closed restaurant. They appeared to be waiting for chef to arrive and would be part of the Plat du Jour (It was a French Restaurant ).

Down the Lane

As I have rambled down lanes over the years I have photographed whatever I find of interest. Some of these images are old slides, taken with an slr, which have been scanned and made into what I refer to as blogready. Although, even with modern technology, they still possess a roughness which I like. Twenty years ago I was trying to figure out f-stops, focussing and exposures. Now that I use a digital camera documenting the world that I see is much easier, fun too.

MIllet

When I drew this plant I didn't know what it was. I thought it had a vague corn-like appearance. I liked the form and colour and that was enough reason for me to draw it. Last Saturday, at the local farmers market, I saw the same plant for sale...it's millet.

Trees and Fences

What a Wisp

This wisp is a little bit more of a wisp than I usually draw,
maybe I was just carried away with the wispiness of it all.

Lanes and Alleys

I began to enjoy lanes and alleys when, at the age of seventeen, I moved from the suburbs to a city. Lanes and alleys are honest and straightforward, not much pretention down a lane. Plants which are not deemed worthy of a garden are allowed to grow freely and unhindered in lanes. Vines run wild and engulf walls, fences are often sympathetically built to accomodate existing trees, weeds and garden escapees flourish. Given the choice I will always walk down a lane. You never know what you might find.

Camas

The fields, meadows and waysides on Vancouver Island are coloured a beautiful blue-violet each May with a profusion of Camas, a native plant in western North America. Known as Quamash by the tribes of the Pacific Northwest the bulbs were roasted or boiled to be used as a food source.

Budding Foxgloves

Signs of Spring - Yarrow

Three Dancing Alliums