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

Signs of Spring - Rosemary

Signs of Spring - A Birds Nest

I discovered this nest in the autumn so technically it is not a sign of spring but the nests I've seen recently are very active places so this will have to do...an empty nest but perhaps last years fledglings are now busily feeding their newly hatched families in a new nest.
I like to think so.

Signs of Spring - Forsythia

Beverly Beach, Oregon

At the risk of turning this into a Travel Blog I am going to continue with my Red Letter Day. The campsite was in a rainforest, a walk to the beach revealed a completely different world of sand and water and rocks and shells guarded by a row of trees.
This is the place that I wanted to be.

Beverly Beach, Oregon

My Red Letter Day continued with the discovery of
sand patterns in a tidal stream leading to the sea.

A Red Letter Day

These are days of special significance for me. They are invariably comprised of being in a place that I love, whether newly discovered or reassuringly familiar. On a recent camping trip to the Oregon coast I experienced such a day.

Signs of Spring

A small drawing from my sketchbook,
the tip of a branch about to burst into leaf.

Oh Well...

sometimes the magic works
...and sometimes it doesn't.

One more Wisp

I took a few hours away from my studio today to do some much needed garden work and I discovered a lovely surprise....
a wisp, japanese anemone seed heads. I stopped gardening and
began to draw. The garden can wait.

Fairfield Artists Studio Tour

I have not forgotten about the flowering artichoke, nor has it been relegated to recycling ( yet ). However, I have been madly matting and frantically framing in preparation for an open studio tour this weekend.
Please have a look here for all the information.

The Flowering Artichoke

I thought it would be fun to document the progression of one of my drawings. I begin with a graphite rendering from life and then add watercolour washes. Watercolour is not the easiest of mediums to work with and for me it is often hit or miss. The misses are shredded in frustration and relegated to the trash, actually to recycling but trash sounds much more dramatic.

Catkins By the Sea

The pussywillows, which I had drawn two weeks
ago, have developed into lovely soft yellow catkins.

The Field

Before sinking any further ( see previous post )
I was able to take a few more photographs.
I love this field and plan to return often although
anglers waders might be wise for my next visit.

Spring Landcape #1

The field was deceptively dry today. I quickly sank up to my
knees and got very wet feet despite wearing rubber boots.
I held my camera high just in case I was to sink further.

Last of the Winter Wisps

Spring Branches

Moss

When I began to explore forests as a child in Quebec I was taught a simple navigational guide "moss always grows on the north side of a tree."  I now live in British Columbia and often walk in circles.

Signs of Spring - Pussy Willows

A Stand of Poplars

The Three Wisps

Two Strawberries

Sunlit Trees

Spring Fever

It's spring fever.
That is what the name of it is.
And when you've got it, you want - oh,
you don't quite know what it is you do want,
but it just fairly makes your heart ache,
you want it so!
Mark Twain


And I've got it.
Susan

A Wispful Couple

Bamboo

a stand of bamboo
engraved and initialed
by lovers

The Vacant Lot

Thistles, teasels and burrs... oh my

Almost Spring Landscape #1

Two more Garlic

Stone Wall with Moss

Down the lane
is where I want to be
In a field
is where I want to be
By the sea
is where I want to be
Lucky me
I am where I want to be

The Vacant Lot

I went walking in the vacant lot today. Not much growing yet but I did find some lovely prickly things (that's a botanical term ). 

A Fine Pair of Wisps

Winter Landscape #7

Garlic

I discovered this garlic at a farmer's market.
From bulb to flower head it measured 3 feet.
My sketchbook is 9" by 12".
Some adjustments had to be made.

The Vacant Lot

I am intrigued by a recently discovered vacant lot.
All that remains, where a house once stood,
are the vestiges of a garden and opportunistic plants.
Throughout the year I will be watching what
emerges and what I discover. Right now there
are a lot of prickly plants which is fun for me.