Saturday, May 30, 2009

Leaden Beauties


A collection of leaden beauties with a hint of green.

Visit some of these amazing artists from Etsy.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Peony


I clipped this beauty right before it stormed.
A good thing as we had such a deluge of rain.
The delicate petals are so fragile.
Most of my peonies are shades of pink.
They are so fragrant and lovely.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Retail Therapy


Everyone needs a little retail therapy now and then.
I do have a penchant for handbags and shoes.
However, if you've been following along, 
you know how much I love natural history.


I found these delightful specimen at a new home and garden shop in town.
A beautiful ruby red stag beetle and a red eyed mantid. 
They are perfectly encased in lucite and simply amazing to look at!


I can't get enough of my new little friends!
They will be a great reference for insect studies.
I had to show them to you!
Aren't they incredible?

Monday, May 25, 2009

Seedlings and Sprouts


Two new watercolor paintings in my series of jars.
Jar of Seedlings. Little Sprouts. A garden in a jar.
I love the stratum of dirt, rocks, and moss.

It reminds me of the book,
The Map That Changed the World by Simon Winchester, 
which tells the story of the birth of modern geology.
Click here to see more of my jars and cloches.
Are you a collector of curiosities and wonders?
What would you collect in a jar?

Friday, May 22, 2009

Modern Nature

Golly Bard + Polarity = Two NEW fabulous lockets!
This locket, called Rustic, features North Country Lamb & Spiral Fence
A whimsical combination that will look fabulous on ewe!

This locket, called Nature, features a Log and Hornet Moths.
Flora and fauna from the woods to take with you wherever you roam!
A modern look for the naturalist. I just adore these new additions.
It has been a wonderful collaboration working with Cat from Polarity!
Click here to view Polarity's Etsy Artist Series of lockets.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Spiraling


I'm back from my trip to New York City!
The National Stationery Show was a success!
While there, I stayed in my sister's apartment.
Her art deco style apartment building was financed by the 
Vanderbilt family at the turn of the 20th century and

The building has the most amazing spiral staircases!
Each day I climbed up to the little tree house apartment on the top floor.
Needless to say, I had my share of exercise and it's great to be back home!
These are pictures of the stairs looking down and looking up. 
Looking over the edge makes me dizzy.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Honey


Meet my sweeter side: The Beehive Press.Add Image

As promised, pictures of my booth at the National Stationery Show!
I had such fun creating the whimsical little paper bees for the back wall.
I hung the stationery samples with miniature wooden clothespins.
It's a little bit of honey "beehive" style.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Tunnel Vision


A little tunnel vision.
Arrived in New York City yesterday!
Took this photo inside the Lincoln Tunnel.
Love the energy of this great city.
Such a contrast to our sleepy hamlet,
which we affectionately refer to as Walnut Grove.
(Little House on the Prairie reference)
Which reminds me of the book Little Stalker.
A hilarious read. Ah, but I digress. 
It's great to be back! 

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Full of It


I feel like that song by The Ditty Bops:
Your Head's Too Big. It grows just like a balloon. 
I'm just a wee bit full of it today! All kidding aside, 
I am so full of gratitude and appreciation 
for two fabulous sisters, Heather and Susan,
who wrote such a charming article about me! 
These two super stylish women know how to live life to the fullest!
Read more about them as as they share their 
amazing designs and gab about Living the Good Life.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Side Show


I thought these images were fitting.
I'm getting ready for the National Stationery Show in New York City.
I'll be exhibiting my sweeter side, The Beehive Press.
This week has been a flurry of preparation and packing.
The curtain will go up on Sunday! I'm very excited.
Stay tuned for pictures from the show floor!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Little Seeds


I keep a small sketch book. I don't use it very often.
I like to turn back the pages every once and a while.
It helps me remember what I was thinking.

These are from a few years ago.
I find little seeds of ideas.
Some developed, some not.


I often make lists of words.
This page reads: hanging curtains, drapery, 
views, window panels, shades, obscured views, 
tented and covered, stage, patterns.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Papaver


My poppies are blooming!
One patch is blooming ahead of the other.
A little army of pods ready to burst.
The petals look like crinkled tissue paper.
So delicate, they only last a few days.
They color is just stunning. 
I had to share them with you.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Palm Beach Shells


As promised, some of my shell collection.
These shells are from Palm Beach, Florida.
The tiny orange ones are my favorite. 
They are hard to spot. You might find one a day.
They are are such a brilliant orange color.
I also love the shells with the plum striped patterns
and the texture of shells covered with barnacles.
I have such fond memories of my trips to Florida.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Shell Collector


Is it too early to be dreaming of summer vacations?
My favorite seaside activity is collecting shells.
I love combing the beach for tiny treasures.
One year, I only collected orange and purple shells.
I'm going to have to show them to you.
Maybe tomorrow.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Brush Collection


Tools of the trade.
All lined up and ready for work!
Mostly watercolor brushes, 
an awl and calligraphy nibs.
My favorite brush is the rigger.
I've trimmed off most of the hairs on one of them
to get an extra fine line.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Sneak Peek



I was invited to submit a picture of my studio to istudio,  
a project started by Etsy jewelry designers, Mod3rnArt.
This is just a sneak peek of my photograph. 
The behind the scenes pictures are so intriguing!


I have a tiny, tragically small, workspace in our cottage.
The truth is, I rarely work in one place.  
I sprawl onto every available surface. 
Including the dining room table.
This fairly neat girl makes a really big mess!
I often think of the painter, Alice Neel,
who worked in her tiny New York apartment.
She always cleaned up for company.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Pretty Green Planet


It has been pouring buckets of rain all weekend.
Everything is vibrant green in our corner of the universe.
I painted several of these fanciful, patterned worlds.
You can see more of them in my shop.
I think these patterns would be delicious on a set of dishes.
Don't you think?

Friday, May 1, 2009

Dogwood


My little Dogwood tree is blooming. It is the Virginia state flower.


I love watching the four petal blossoms unfurl.
I'm seeing some green drawings in my future.
Stay tuned.