In Pots

We have had a reprieve from winter weather. The last two days were down right balmy, with temperatures in the 60's. Really! We can see the  sidewalks again & the river is flowing again. It was heavenly. But apparently it was only a tease. Frigid temps are back today & projected for the week.

In light of this, I thought I would add a few more of my 

" in pots" series, in hopes of taking a bit of the chill out of the air.

And to serve as a reminder, that spring really is just around the corner.

 This house had so many lovely pots with an amazing assortment of plants & flowers.

  But, what could be more chic than this simple pot of  ivy elegantly placed before this medieval door with a modern twist.

The colors in this photo are almost garish in comparison.

I especially love the use of this ancient stone trough as a planter. In earlier times it was most probably used to water live stock.

These succulents  are lovely in this stone urn. 

And, here's one I could not resist. This sleepy cat roused himself, just long enough, to look me over, before going back to his nap in his flowerpot.

Last but not least, a bit of nostalgia, chez moi, with the blue pot to go with the shutters.

Thoughts of Spring

Just a few quick drawings....

that conjure up
thoughts of
spring....

"I am weak before the wind; before the sun I faint,

I lose my strength; I am utterly vanquished by a star;

I go to my knees at length

Before the song of the bird; before

The breath of spring or fall I am lost;

Before these miracles I am nothing at all."

-Jewish Prayer

Sun is out, the river is high ; back to the studio with Emily

Last week end was a wash, literally. It rained for what seemed like forty days & forty nights. In fact, it was more like three days & three nights, but that was enough. There were certainly lots of jokes & references to Noah's ark brandished about. We experienced some serious leaks in our domicile but thankfully our ceiling did not completely fall down as I had feared. The Naponset River, on who's banks we live, crested just below the flood line. It had not reached that hight since 1955, when a huricane hit the area.

The sun has come out. Warmer weather has arrived. Bulbs are popping up. And everything is looking wonderful.

As a result of the rain I have not been to the studio for awhile. I have done very little painting this month.

Emily is on school break while her siblings are still in school & her mom is working, so she came over to spend some time with me. After checking out the river we headed off to the studio. She painted a beautiful painting. Unfortunately we forgot to take a photo of the finished product. And she gave me some good tips on what I was working on. We enjoyed our time together & the chance to be back in the studio.

... when the world is puddle-wonderful

This weekend I had every intention of writing a thoughtful post about springtime & art. But we are being hit by a major nor'easter. We are being battered by high winds & rain outside & now my ceiling has sprung multiple leaks on the inside as well. Dodging buckets & sauce pans that are catching the drips, my thoughtful post about spring ...well, I'm just not feeling it. So instead I have downloaded some old pic's of some of the baby quilts I have made over the past few years. They are bright & colorful & add a bit of whimsy to an other wise dreary day. And each one does in fact portray some aspect of springtime: a bulb in full flower, goldfish in ponds, kits flying, all kinds of critters & of course, a big calico sun. Someday I may blog about my conflict between crafts & fine art but today there is no conflict. Today is a crafty, cozy kind of day. Nothing too serious, just hoping that the rain stops soon & the sun comes out. I will wax poetic about spring & it's affects on art some other day.