So, where have I been for most of 2022?  Certainly not here blogging.  This year’s day to day agenda was anywhere but focused on creating blogging content.  Here’s a recap of key events that claimed my time, energy and attention during the year.

The first quarter of 2022 started out okay with regard to blogging, despite dedicated therapy for a strained rotator cuff.  I also had the honor of being asked to do the floral decor for my friend’s daughter’s October wedding.  I was thrilled and said “yes” without hesitation.

Come April, all hell broke loose.

My beloved kitty, who was twenty-one years and five months old, passed away.  At the same time, I strained a lumbar tendon.  And then I got Covid.  Mind you, this is all happening at the most demanding time of my work season.  The lumbar issue tagged along all summer long.  No matter how much physical therapy and stretching exercises I did, the discomfort would not fully go away.  Physical pain certainly takes a toll on one’s energy and moral.

Thank goodness, mid summer had me holding steady, tending to my clients’ gardens as well as my own.  My stamina wasn’t quite at an optimal 100%, but enough to keep me at task slaying weeds and primping plant material, including those for the wedding.

 

Before I knew it, summer was over, the school buses were back on the roads and the wedding was just weeks away.   And then the wedding was just days away.  And then it was here.  Chaos ensued because the most torrential, out of left field rain storm let loose upon the very grounds of the ceremony that morning.  Amazingly, everyone involved persevered with their preparations and the sun came out just in time for the bride and groom to say “I do”.   Out of respect for the privacy of the bride’s family, I’m just posting a few photos of the work I did for this memorable day.

Halloween came and went, as did Thanksgiving, and the labor intensive tasks of emptying container plantings and cutting back garden beds had again taken a toll on my back.  But like a good girl, I did my stretching exercises every day and popped the occasional anti-inflammatory pill on particularly bad days.

And just when the Christmas season approached, my vehicle was “gifted” diesel and/or bad gasoline from some gas station fill up.  Total nightmare and costly fix.  How could I possibly be in the mood for blogging?  I really just wanted to go hibernate like the bears, but I needed to put up my decorations, go gift shopping and have a game plan for what I was going to bake.  I’m actually quite proud of this “retired” artificial tree I repurposed into a wreath for my barn.  The hornet’s nest is repurposed too – lol.

Alas….. Christmas arrives and my family is together at last.  And all is calm.  And merry.  And bright.

Now, just a few more days to go, and I can bid this year farewell.  I’m pooped.

 

As winter draws closer to an end, a slight apprehension builds within my existence.  It happens every year at this time.  I am just at the peak of artful hibernation, not quite ready to swap my paints for my garden pruners.  But I will need to do so very, very soon.  Will that conflicted feeling fade away?  Absolutely.   The ground will soon become my ground, quite literally, and the flowers, my painting medium.  They will be my muse and object of fixation for the growing season until it all comes full circle again.

But I can somewhat temper this apprehension by taking pause and appreciating the art I managed to make.  I have added to my portfolio, which grows in increments dictated by the seasons.

Come stroll with me in my painterly garden to see what I’ve been growing.

These works are all examples of monotype printing, an art form I began exploring the winter of 2020.  The process is very relaxing, therapeutic and a bit of a gamble.   There’s always a little element of surprise when pulling a print from the plate upon which you paint your subject – the thrill of the reveal!

How do you transition from one season to the next?  I’d love for you to share in the comments section.

My blog has always been void of political topics, social justice agendas or activism of any kind.  I made that choice at the onset.  I stay within the parameters of my art, craft, gardening and an occasional attempt at baking.  However, today I am breaking my own rule, moved by the aligned timing of certain events – the current situation in Ukraine and the beginning of Lent.

Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the first day of Lent in Christian religions.  Most people in the Ukraine are of Christian faith.  But their traditional acknowledgement of this day has had to be thwarted by the current crisis in their country.  How could it not be?  I doubt the Ukrainian people will be taking the time to craft their most beautiful and intricately designed Pysanky eggs this Lenten season.  They’ve either been displaced or are standing ground while fearing for their lives.

To show your support for the Ukrainian people, purchase or make a Pysanky egg and display it in your home as a symbol of your solidarity with them.   Will it cease the conflict?  No.  But there are as many Pysanky designs as there are people; think of it as lighting a candle, and that little egg is your unique flame shining a light of hope, strength, peace and freedom for the people of Ukraine.

I’ve been on a “play with paper” kick lately, deeply immersed in the exploration process.  The avenues are endless, but when your work surface happens to be the kitchen table, small scale projects are key.  The one I’m sharing with you today is postage stamp size – literally!

Aren’t they darling?  No, you can’t use them to send letters, but these little art stamps can adorn and embellish handmade note cards/stationery, art/junk journals and mix media projects.  You will need a sewing machine to make them.  However, if you do not own a sewing machine, a pair of craft scissors with a decorative edge will do.

Use a pencil and ruler to lightly draw a grid on a piece of card stock.  Sew over your lines(without any thread!) using a medium setting stitch length.  Now, decorate one side of your paper.  Anything goes – paint, marker, ink, colored pencil, stencils, etc….  If you’d like, seek out a recipe for making a batch of homemade lick-able stamp glue and brush it onto the blank side of the card stock.  Or, just paste your stamps down with glue.

You’re almost done.  Simply fold back and forth along the perforations and tear the card stock into little postage stamp size masterpieces.  That’s it!  What to do with them is completely up to you – have fun.  They make for darling fodder to pass on to a crafty friend.

I took some more of my practice/experimental art papers to the sewing machine to make a tear-off notepad, perfect for tossing in my purse.

I hope you enjoyed this little project post.  Please let me know in the comments box.  Now, go get creative.