Sunny Mandala

Rain has returned to southern Ontario and I am yearning for the sunshine that has made only brief appearances so far this spring!
This sunny mandala was created out of that yearning:


created using Sumopaint.com

Source image (St. John's Wort):

Serpent Mandalas

These mandalas are made using Sumopaint.com






The source image is of a beautiful garter snake I met a few summers ago:

Willow Tree Mandalas

I'm still having so much fun using the graphics programs I learned of recently.

Both of these mandalas had the same source image - weeping willow branches glowing in the sun against a blue sky.



I'm so excited at how they turned out!





Source image:

Video of a hawk behind my house

I filmed this short clip yesterday during some snow flurries and posted to Youtube for anyone who would like to take a peek :)  You get to see it take flight at the end  ~.~
Things like this really make my day!  It was wonderful to see.

Hawk In Tree

SNOWtographs and List It Tuesday

For today's List It Tuesday list, I decided to write a few things that I love about snow... since I'm a few days into one of the biggest snowstorms I've seen in my life!

The snow began innocently enough about a week ago and I danced around all excited at the first snow of the year, taking photos like this boring one that I'm now glad I kept for comparison:

First bit of snow

It snowed gently here and there for the first few days and then, within 2-3 days, almost as much snow dumped down on us as fell throughout the entire winter last year!  Snowly moly!  Apparently the reason just one small region can be hit is due to something called The Lake Effect.

Same shed about a week later!

Gracefully shaped snow overhang

I love the way the snow hangs over... seeming to defy gravity

Watch where you walk!

It looked magical last night... I'm looking forward to tonight after another 24 hours of snow!

* * *

I apologise for the big spaces between photos.  They don't exist when I create the post and Blogger won't let me edit them out!

Lovely Autumn Shadows

On sunny mornings lately I have been loving the shadows on my dining room wall. ♥
They are created by the sun shining through dried up flowers outside my patio door window... and also a few butterfly 'window clings' I have on the glass.

I still don't have a camera so these are taken with a video camera that has just one quality setting: 'sure-to-make-you-wish-you-had-a-real-camera!'.  That's not the official name of course... but it should be LOL!

Here's the view looking out the window showing what's creating those shadows (in the background you can see the pink sweet peas that have only succumbed to cold weather in the last couple of days!):

 

I also enjoy these shadows created by brass bells amidst leftover morning glory vines.  I played around a bit in my photo editor to give it an antique look.  Sometimes it doesn't look like shadows on a wall at all to me but rather objects seen through heavy fog:

One of my cats likes to 'help' with the photos  >^..^<

Critters in the Gardens

I am a person who can get over-the-top excited and happy about a bug.
A praying mantis to be precise. (if you're freaked out by mantises, scroll down to the tiny amazing gold beetle instead :)
A few weeks ago I was having a very glum day and sat down on the steps outside.  Something made me look down to my right and I gasped!  A beautiful praying mantis was sitting in a plant less than foot from my leg!
I put down my hand and it crawled on.

Look at those amazing segmented antennae!

I was in heaven and just sat there for ages looking at how incredibly delicate and intricate it's body was.
It never ceases to amaze me that such an effective predator can be so calm and gentle with humans!  I have caught and held mantises (mantii?) since childhood and have never had one show aggression toward me though I have heard it can happen.  The word 'caught' is actually misleading because when I put my hand in front of them, they simply crawl onto it. :-)

tickly little feet :-)

It also kind of amazes me that I can enjoy such a big bug and not get creeped out.
Mantises enjoy crawling up which meant that it wanted to crawl over my face to sit in my hair.  Except for a butterfly, there is no way I would let any other bug that big do such a thing!  And not many small bugs either.

Also seen in my garden recently was an amazing tiny beetle that looked like it was made of liquid gold.
Unfortunately, the macro function on my camera didn't work (it has since been taken to the camera graveyard) but I'll include this picture anyway in case anyone can help me identify this shiny little bug:
To be honest I think it is the one that has been chewing huge holes in my morning glory leaves but I don't mind. :-)

UPDATE: I found out that this beetle is the fascinating Golden Tortoise Beetle - it can actually change colour!  So cool :-)

The day before yesterday I was sitting on the steps with my (indoor) cat, giving him some fresh air.  We were lucky enough to see a big grey mouse run around the corner and disappear under the steps below my feet!  In broad daylight.  Very happy cat ;-)

Then yesterday, most wonderful, sitting in the same spot... we saw a HUGE TOAD.  Likely the biggest toad I've seen in my life.  As big as my fist, more than 3" long, about 2 feet away from my feet and not minding our presence one bit. (once again my cat was pretty happy about this)
It was feasting on big flying ants that have been all over the place recently.  Toads are so cute and funny when they eat.
No photos I'm afraid.
A neat toad fact I hadn't known before today: when growing, toads shed their skin!  Every few weeks!  (and they shed it in one piece and eat it... ick).

I get so excited about critters in the garden
:-)

Back From Omega Institute Retreat - Wonderful!!

I had a truly wonderful time last week.
I went on a Rest and Rejuvenation retreat at the Omega Institute in the country near Rhinebeck, New York.
It was beautiful, peaceful and definitely rejuvenating!
My campsite was at the top of a big hill and the entire grounds are hilly so I can't say it was restful but the exercise was good for me.
The food was buffet style, abundant and wonderful - gluten-free options at every meal.

I spent many hours at a table in their cafe or on it's patio drawing and painting.  My favourite drawing was gifted to a woman there who gave me an Eden Energy Medicine session that I could immediately tell had changed my life.  The results have stayed and it's so awesome!  The photo is unfortunately not the best quality but I'll share anyway:

I found myself just being present and, as a result, only took photos on the final day - and not many!  I have a few regrets about the lack of photos but zero regrets about being that present and relaxed.  I didn't worry even once about my cats, gardens or house.  In fact I hardly worried about anything at all (I'm usually a chronic worrier).

Here are a few Omega grounds pictures.  Click on them to see a larger view:

Pathway to library and gardens

Impressive organic cantaloupes!  They were delicious.

Stunning views on the drive there and back along the wonderful Taconic State Parkway

Creating My Own Artist's Retreat... ideas wanted!

I am excited to be camping at The Omega Institute next week for 5 days.

I will be doing what they call an R&R retreat which basically means I make my own retreat.  I can attend daily open classes in yoga, meditation, tai chi and movement.  I can also swim in the lake, use the sauna, library and sanctuary and explore the 195 acre grounds in rural upstate New York.

Not many of the free classes appeal to me so I've decided to create my own "Artist's Retreat".
I will draw myself a schedule (that leaves lots of room for swimming, hiking etc).

I have come up with a few things so far and I would love to add some more!

Who among my readers has ideas or themes for me?

Please don't be shy!   
Leave anything and everything that comes to your mind in the comments section! ☺

 

Themes and ideas I have so far (not in order yet):

watercolour "dots and circles"

art journal/poetry/doodle themes: "inner peace", "dissolve pride, make room for love", "belonging to myself", "enjoying the now", "opening up", "expanding"

sketching/drawing "close up plant details"

watercolour "stripes and lines"

EFT on limiting beliefs about making a living through creating

sketching/drawing "shading practice" (I have zero shading skills)

watercolour "triangles"

Here are the materials I will have with me:

watercolour paints

limited supply of watercolour paper

coloured gel pens

black micron pens of various thickness

limited supply of markers

pencil and eraser

gluestick

scissors

loose blank paper

large art journal

small sketchbook

super tiny sketchbook

I truly will love reading your ideas!  I so much enjoy how other people's minds come up with things that I never would have - often things that are so rich and stretch me beyond my familiar patterns.

Summer Mornings... flowers and walks

Summer has been a time of less sitting in front of the computer.
I begin my mornings instead by visiting my flowers to see what colourful treats have opened anew each day.  Today I have, among other things, Morning Glories in blue, white, 2 shades of purple, pink, fuschia and red (cardinal climbers).  Scarlet and pink sweet peas astound me with their delicious scent.  Zinnias impress me with their long lasting blooms (over a month now!) and various colours of Cosmos satisfy my urge to 'deadhead' and keep blooming prolifically!  My camera is still getting repaired so I have no photos.  These poppy photos are from about a month ago:

'Poppy in waiting' and close up of a poppy petal shortly after it unfurled.

Many days I go for an early walk and marvel at wonderful skies, brave rabbits and the amazing aerial acrobatics of swallows harvesting bugs from the air! Although it was only a few individual swallows, it led me to find this awesome video - how cool would it be to see something like that in person!?!

I love being awake earlier.  When less people are out and about I feel there is more space and I can spread my spirit out.

Morning Glory, Zinnia and Cosmos from previous years:

Under the Shagbark Hickory Tree

A provincial park near me has a wonderful tree that I love to sit under.

It's a huge, mature Shagbark Hickory that takes a while each spring to fill out... but when it does... it's glorious!

Lush, thick leaves tower toward the sky, providing welcome shade on hot summer days.  It has a nice amount of space under it where there are no branches - more than 8 feet of clearance.

I take a chair, blanket, snacks, book and camera and can happily spend a day there.
Some lovely sights within a few feet of my chair:

This is the sunny St. John's/Joan's Wort, the plant that helps keep my mood balanced without side effects since I've become sensitive to pharmaceuticals. It works best for mild to moderate depression but I have found that it does help lessen my severe depression and SAD, especially now that I've discovered some other supplements that help including (but not limited to :) folic acid, selenium, B12, vitamin D and 5HTP.

One of these days I'd love to grow and harvest it myself instead of buying it.

(please consult health care provider before using anything I mention :)

Does anyone know what kind of butterfly that is? 

P.S.

Just for fun... here's a photo of my cat sitting on a box... why not!?  ☺☺☺  He loves boxes and was a bit put out that 'his box' had been turned on it's side so he could no longer do his fancy leap into it.  But he made it work for him this way too ;-)

New Hard Drive... and a minor earthquake!

Sorry to have been incommunicado for a while.  My hard drive died.
I have a new one now and have finally worked out all of the tech issues (I hope!).
Soon I will have my photos back on here and can share some of what I've been up to creatively :-)

My little bit of 'excitement' recently:
I experienced an earthquake yesterday!  Well... just the mild tremors of the aftershock :-)
There was a mild, 5.0 earthquake centered in Quebec and it could be felt up to 500km away.  Yesterday afternoon I suddenly felt the house shaking and things on top of the fridge began to rattle.  In passing I mildly thought, "Maybe it's an earthquake... nah, just a big truck somewhere nearby."  But later found out there had, indeed, been an earthquake.  Not a common occurrence here at all.  I think the last one was over 10 years ago.  Of course this can really only be 'exciting' if no one gets hurt - which no one did from what I could tell.

I'll leave you with a photo from a few summers ago of where I'm daydreaming of being (instead of in the hot, humid, icky weather at home):

Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario, Canada.

Wild, breathtakingly beautiful, freezing cold water even in August (which never, no never, stops me from swimming :).

If you're somewhere hot, what do you do to keep cool?

Finding Beauty In Everyday Things

I try to notice the beautiful in everyday things - pleasing colours, shapes, textures and light.
Here are some pictures of things that have made me smile recently (apologies for the poor photo quality - neither my camera or editing program are great):

Vibrant pollen on Jacob's Ladder stamens - these smell divine!

Variegated yellow corn on the cob dripping with butter looked so wonderful against the blues of this awesome plate my mom made (she's a potter)

Both of the cats fit together on the tiny stool!  Which is more impressive if you know how... erm... wide the cat on the left actually is :-)   The cats love open windows.

I loved the contrast of the purple and green on this spring violet.

Luscious buttercup soaking up the sun.

I couldn't resist another photo of this amazing plate.  It is the most perfect toast plate ever!  I eat some pretty curious food - that's gluten-free toast and sunflower seed 'butter' with stevia sprinkled on top (to make it sweet) and sliced organic banana on the sides.