Studiology

And So It Came To Be

Two years have passed since I was juried into the McGuffey Art Center, although it seems much longer. I am part of the Associates group, artists that don't occupy a studio in the building but work in their own space at home. Most months we have a theme, which works for me, I like a direction. For the month of September, the theme is "self-portrait". I thought it a bit weird, most self-portraits are created to keep, so my plan was to abstract the art, not make it overly personal. So ta dah, this is what I created and it took a very long time.

Next in the line of recent work I completed a consignment, an octopus coming out of a shoe. The customer recently purchased the whale in a shoe, so this may be a companion piece. Working in spurts, it took 2 months to complete, and I was satisfied.

Lastly came the masks. I might be incapable of not making masks in the fall (it is September). So with some more fun and whimsy came these 3. Delivered to C'Ville Arts today, it's not too early to start thinking about masks!

 I recommend a large wig to accompany them. Each comes with a wall hanger so they can be displayed as a piece of art as well.

What a Difference a Month Makes

August has turned into a very nice month, rain and pleasant temperatures, not the way we often think of the height of summer. My freezer is full of frozen salsa, so much so that the remaining tomatoes had to be canned for lack of space. Sweet potatoes and melons are coming on strong, thank-goodness for changes in the vegetable garden.

The flower beds are also morphing, busting out on all sides. Sunflowers were sown 3 times with the second sowing in flower now. Finch, Cedar waxwings, wrens, and cardinals are frequent visitors/feeders, to the point of scolding me when I visit. In the background the hummingbirds get a bit more brazen, and monarchs are nowhere to be found. 

One of the most frequently visited flowers for hummingbirds and the hummingbird clearwing moth is Salvia 'Summer Jewel'. A reseeding annual, once it's been placed in the garden, it will forever return there (and over there). 

I have it planted with Coleus 'Campfire'.

A few tuberose are flowering, dug from last year and stored in the garage. The first night I caught the fragrance, it was a flood of familiarity, so powerful I had to step back. Nothing has such a wonderful scent and after scent.

The brugmansias or angel trumpets are also going strong, only 2 years old, they are gigantic (6' tall, by 5')! The fragrance is light and different from other night fragrant flowers.

I purchased a new phlox, Phlox paniculata 'David's Lavender', a sport of P. 'David' (which is white). The flower heads are large and full, but the color reminds me of the species. It makes me think it's trying to revert.

Here is the comparison from the wild species growing along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The Maryland senna or Senna marilandica is in full flower. Small nectaries arrive prior to the flowers to lure ants, which arrive in great numbers to protect and serve. 

 

And as luck would have it I stumbled onto this Viceroy caterpillar. Munching away on poplar, which is very common in this area of the Piedmont.

The adult is often mistaken for a monarch, they share the orange coloring to dissuade predation, a color that signifies poison or bad taste. The larvae also mimic bird poop (to avoid being eaten), which a few caterpillars share and are very good imitators. The viceroy butterfly has a much more erratic flight (the first giveaway) and an extra bar of black lines on the lower wings. With so many poplars here, I find them occasionally, whereas I never saw them further north.

A very full and beautiful moon is expected tomorrow night, the Super Blue Moon or Sturgeon Moon. It will be time to sow root crops once it has passed, think beets, carrots, and turnips. The gravitational pull will reverse and encourage root growth. And September is just around the corner. 

 

 

Art Projects

A lot on the table, works in progress and completed pieces for July. A work in progress is coming along and exceeding my expectations. Here are a few photographs:

Another wand was completed, titled "For the Birds, a Wand", the back is actually a bird house front, the rest had fallen apart and rotted. The wand is held in place with the help of magnets.

On the back I added the watercolor eye, peering through. A little surprise.

And lastly was this small piece made with a doorknob plate and small antique box. Simply titled "Knock, Knock".

August will also be busy with some pieces in their beginning phase. One is a self portrait, something new and challenging. 

 

Summer!!!

July has been a month of transitions. With two recent rains at one inch each, the terrible drought is easing up. Perfectly timed for my trip to the Cullowhee Native Plant Conference in North Carolina, an event that is a must for all who love native plants. This year the attendance reached an all-time high of 516 people with many new, young faces. The event actually sold out of fieldtrips and meal tickets in record time, which says a lot about the direction of horticulture. All of the speakers were spectacular as we learned about the need for fire to preserve natural landscapes that are quickly disappearing (Heather Holm), saving grasslands of the Southeast with Dwayne Estes, and possibly my favorite, "Fungal Dynamics" by Tradd Cotter. The fieldtrips onto the Blue Ridge Parkway just intensified the experience with so many specialized habitats found nowhere else in the world with their own plant rarities. 

I have so many photographs that I will just include a few. As usual if you scroll over the photograph, it will reveal the botanical name. We were at high elevations for most of the Blue Ridge Parkway which meant it was cool with a breeze that felt like air conditioning. Some of the plants, trees and perennials are also found in Canada. In fact, this little run of mountains offers refuge for some migratory birds that would usually only be found much further north. We saw and heard juncos and winter wrens, which would normally spend their time in Canada for the summer months.

I first saw this asclepias at Dolly Sods in West Virginia and noted how it grew at the forest edge. I now have it in my garden here where it grows in partial shade, which is unusual for a milkweed.

These are from a vertical bog and a specialized habitat. Water dripped down the rocks continually where you could find sundews by the hundreds as well as a few salamanders. 

Once home I took a few more photographs in my garden. It's only been 2 years, but things are looking good.

Tammy Winters-Schmitt shared some seedlings of annuals which included a range of colors in scabiosa, one of my favorite plants! The butterflies love them too.

And all of this proves that there is no shortage of flowers for summer. 

 

A Romp Through the Garden

We hit 100 degrees the day before we received 1" of rain. With the state of Virginia in a drought, that rain was delightful. The big front meadow looks a bit crispy and how plants have survived, I don't know. The 45 solidago I planted have stayed alive despite that fact that they went in on a rainy day and never saw rain again for over a month (and basically lived in an oven). The wet meadow is supplemented, and the center of activity with pollinators. So here are a few highlights from the gardens:

Of the 50 plugs of filipendula, this single plant was far richer in color. I have isolated it for seed collection.

The birdbath is just over 4' tall. The most frequent visitors are honeybees, wasps, and house finches.

I was hoping to mix a couple of daylilies with echinacea or cone flower, and this one is a winner. From Woodhenge Gardens.

Gloriosa lilies are indeed glorious! I plan on leaving these in the ground to see if they survive the winter. Fine tendrils are used at the tip of each leaf to climb. I've noticed that the tendril will unfurl and curl around something else as the days go by. Fascinating plants.

In due course I will have lots of summer vegetables, the tomato plants have never looked this good! Honeydew melons, watermelons, corn, and zucchini are just around the corner. Despite the current drought situation, days that are long with the occasional temperatures in the 80's are superb!

Some Like it Hot, Some Don't

The lettuce is bolting and the bitterness makes it inedible. But it was a great run, one of the best salad greens stretch ever! Root crops are also finishing, the beets will be the last to open space to plant something else. The best greens came from the All Star Gourmet mix which had butter heads and romaine. Very leafy, it gives a long run with early harvest and a good run in early heat. The first to turn bitter for me were Alboreto baby leaf (clearly labeled for early small leaf harvests), and Lollo (heirloom variety). 

The question comes up a lot, what do you put in the space that cool crops leave as they finish? Sweet potatoes, bush beans, a second crop of corn, or flowers; zinnias, sunflowers, annual scabiosa, even eucalyptus (surprisingly easy from seed). These guys all like it hot, just be ready to water. 

The mini wet meadow is incredible. There has been no appreciable rain for a month, so I have had to supplement. Planted only 2 years ago, I am in awe of how it has matured. I have set a chair next to it for entertainment, always in motion, even the sound is amazing as a constant buzzing.

Sadly, I have only seen 2 monarch butterflies despite the fact that I have plenty for them to eat and nectar on. My very large front meadow is for dry, upland plants and it's oh so dry. I dribble water on new plants and am amazed how they are even alive since many were put in and then the rain stopped.  Certainly not for wussy plants, time will reveal who can take it!

Lastly, I have purchased a pass for Monticello which is only a few minutes' drive from my house. This allows me to go as often as I like. Between the vegetable garden and flower beds around the house, it's a real treat! So here's just a few photographs from my last visit, there will be many more.

Heirloom blue peas.

and my trail cam took a picture of me strolling the gardens in my PJs.

Send rain.

 

 

If the Shoe Fits

In Mary Jane style shoes, I finished an art piece. The shoes were fabric, so there was a bit of uncertainty as to how the paint would cover and hold. After a few coats of gesso, all worked out well, really well. Like so many recent projects, I have a head which is usually something I fabricated from wire, clay and aluminum foil, and the right head guides the direction for scale. The shoes were adorable, but tight in the toe box - as shoe people say. My direction was loose, my thoughts were only on building until it was done and then I would think of a name or theme. In the end she became a young Lady that Lived in a Shoe, Alone. The title hinting to one of the oldest of nursery rhymes about an old lady that lived in a shoe with 12 children (and that had to be a tight fit!). 

Next up was a shoe with a whale coming out of it. To really do it right I decided to work with a humpback whale, the largest and most gentle of sea creatures. Their accordion like underside or chin can expand to collect large amounts of sea water which is then filtered through fibrous plates which take the place of teeth. To make it a bit more interesting, a baby humpback was added to ride on the side.

The third of my most recent builds was not a shoe. Maybe one of the weirdest things I have ever created, just a zombie and his pet dog. The title is "Even a Zombie Needs a Pet". 

Of course I do spend some time thinking "who would ever buy this?". Well applications are not too farfetched, the lady in the shoe would be great for a funky hotel lobby and the zombie would be perfect in an animal shelter. Perfect!

New Work

Studio time has been spent making smaller pieces. My quota for weirdness may be rising, it was around 30% before but has escalated, and new work is wonderfully strange. I can't wait to share. This one is finished, only about 8" tall. Built from a plastic dinosaur head and various metal parts. She is available at C'Ville Arts in Charlottsville, Virginia. 

The theme for May at McGuffey Art Center was Myth, so I build this winged lion. His wings are gold leaf, something I haven't worked with in a while. A large piece, about 2 feet tall. An antique clock case is the foundation.

More new pieces coming soon. 

It's Hard to Get Out of the Garden

This glorious day just delivered a short series of rain squalls, just enough to water in the multitude of new plants and seeds just planted. Behind the rain came a clear and coolish day, enough to add an extra layer to be comfortable. Prior to the rain I spent some quality time with my salad greens, harvesting and experimenting with texture and taste. After many years of planting various blends of lettuce and small head types, it has come down to a few favorites that are relatively resistant to heat and turning bitter. Here is a rundown of varieties I've come to like for various reasons, especially how they look when combined into one big salad.

From left to right: Red Butter (also considered bibb lettuce), Alboreto baby leaf, Lollo (an heirloom loose leaf), and All Star Gourmet. The latter is truly outstanding as it produces various leaf types with an early harvest and great taste. 

From left to right: Ruby Red Orach (a spinach substitute), Truchas Romaine (mini heads), and Salanova's Green Incised which is so frizzled, it's beautiful all by itself.

In our climate we have to look at varieties with an early harvest to beat the heat, and all of these do. The Romaine (Truchas) makes mini heads, so it's ready to harvest in as little as 45 days. Spinach that has overwintered is going to flower now, but still tastes good with a nutty flavor. It's feast time for these wonderful salad greens which can be combined with baby carrots, radishes, and nasturtium flowers. 

In the flower gardens there have been many surprises, one of which is this orchid that traveled from my old garden in a clump of hakone grass, overwintered in a pot and then produced this wonderful flower. 

I bought a handful of varieties from Carol Allen many years ago and lost them all, or so I thought. It would be nice if someone would give me a clue as to which variety it might be. I also bought some Clematis viorna at the Cullowhee Plant Conference and they are in flower. The scope of this species is gigantic with lots of variation. It's an adorable little vine that needs to be more popular.

My wet mini meadow is swelling everyday. My forecast for full bloom is early July. Some native perennials were not happy with the moisture and moved to higher ground, like Monarda bradburiana, which is beautiful right now.

A few others that are looking spectacular are Gillenia trifoliata or Bowman's Root (a native) and Epimedium x 'Pink Champagne', which is still going strong!

Finding time for art projects has been difficult, although I have 5 started and 2 recently delivered. I'll leave that for another day. A rainy day. 

 

The Whir of April

A month with 30 days, April was full of changes both in the gardens and with rotating visitors. I learned many things about Charlottsville, Virginia; music scenes, culture, gardens and restaurants.

Monticello is very close and the gentleman that represents Thomas Jefferson is outstanding. I recommend joining him for a chat on the lawn which incorporates questions from the audience. Our days questions included topics from banned books to woman's rights and voting restrictions of the day. He is always in character! As much as he was the highlight of the day, the gardens and house tour make it well worth a visit.

The Paramount Theater offered a documentary about John Singer Sargent, the American painter, best known for his portraits of wealthy socialites. To see his work on the big screen and understand the scale of his work and skill was incredible. If history and art are of interest to you, catch this if it comes your way.

A small private tour of Morven Farm was also part of April. Home to the University of Virginia's Sustainability Lab, it is used for teaching and research. Many of the gardens are set up with boxwood hedges or rooms which are typical of Virginia gardens at the turn of the century.

My own gardens, only in their second spring, made me smile every day. Here are photographs that span all of April.

The only thing lacking was rain and I feel it fitting to complain publicly, that is often the cure. We are abnormally dry as are parts of North Carolina, and I hope that changes soon.

On a positive note, I did find this beautiful orchid on a recent walk. It was a very special moment.