Studiology

Encaustic Workshop with Leah Macdonald

I just finished an encaustic workshop with Leah Macdonald in Philadelphia, PA and it was very inspirational. If you are unfamiliar with what encaustic means, wax infusion is the term that Leah likes to use and it's exactly that. In fact she hates the term encaustic.  The process is melting wax and either painting it on a board or loose photograph, or pouring it on. Depending on the mix of wax, the dried piece will either stay supple and pliable or crack when bent from the use of hardeners in the wax mix.

Her studio is in the back of her house, her husband works in a space next to hers, restoring motorcycles and building fabulous creatures from metal car and motorcycle pieces. There are a few old Harleys in Leah's studio, I thought they were beautiful contributions.

Linda Carlson insisted that we go to this workshop and I am so glad she did. Here is a photograph of Linda with Leah and myself (I'm the one with the guinea apron).

We were able to work on 4 or more pieces and here are 2 of mine.

This is a print on muslin, attached to a board and then coated in wax and painted with oil paints. 

The rest of the photographs are from her studio, showing the workspace (including a couple motorcycles). If you are interested in taking a workshop with Leah (and I strongly recommend it), here is her website :

http://www.bliss-etc.com/

The entry to Leah's studio, how cool is that!

Inside.

Leah working with oil paints on an encaustic piece.

Some of Leah's work.

I hope to put in at least 1 encaustic piece at the Lorton Featured Artist Show. The reception is August 11th, from 6-9. I am very excited about this show. For you photographers, it will definately be something different. 

http://artists.workhousearts.org/karenrexrode

Longwood Gardens

I visited Longwood Gardens this past weekend and was able to see the light show orchestrated by Bill Munro. In one word "Awesome". If you are photographer, take your tripod and camera and get up there before September 29th. The lights are distributed throughout the gardens and in the conservatory. Of course the best time is after dark and currently it looks wonderful after 9 PM. They close at 11:00 Wednesday to Saturday, which gives you plenty of time to see most of the light displays. If you really hoof it, you may get to them all, but I warn you, they are everywhere.

Everything they  do is so remarkable. Here are a couple of nice plant combinations. The first is Echinacea 'Lemon Meringue with a blue panicum grass, possibly Panicum 'Dallas Blues'.

Since I love gray and white together, I had to photograph this. The combination is the tender perennial Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' with dusty miller and cleome in the back. 

Visit their website for more information and lots of great photographs of the light show.

www.longwoodgardens.org

Crabgrass

Personal wars on weeds are a way of life for the gardener. One year it's fleabane, the next horse nettle. Conquer and eradicate we say, little by little, one square foot at a time. This year one of my personal wars is on crabgrass. The weed that loves 103 degrees, growing in one day from nickel size to dinner plate, oh yes, it's a nasty one. So a little information about crabgrass; it's a warm season annual. The seed needs light to germinate. Its root system is shallow. It can look like a crab. Two hands work best to pull it. The seeds sprout from April to September. It came from Europe.

The botanical name is Digitaria sanguinalis and this is only 1 species of digitaria, there are about 229 more. The digitaria is from Latin, digitus or finger, referring to the way the seed head spreads out like a hand. Its horizontal habit of growth often keeps it lower than your mower blade, allowing it to bloom and produce seed all around its little annual self. We consider it a weed, but since it will grow in the worst heat, farmers (especially in the south) plant it as a summer forage for horses and cattle. Crabgrass hay is considered one of the best, cattle will gain more weight when compared to more traditional forage hays and they often prefer it. In fact the US patent office introduced it as a forage crop in 1849, like so many other forage grasses, few are native.

So how do you eradicate (or attempt to eradicate) crabgrass from your garden and lawn? Hit it where it hurts, there are a few weaknesses in crabgrass, the seed needs light to germinate and it's an annual. The roots are more shallow than standard turf grasses therefore it thrives with regular watering. To take advantage of these Achilles heels, fill holes in your lawn with compost to bury the seed before it sprouts in spring (March). This can also be done in very late fall, after crabgrass has been killed back by freezing temperatures. Sow your preferred turf seed in the compost and allow your lawn to grow a little higher than usual to shade out any sprouting crabgrass. Secondly, water deep and infrequently rather than often and shallow. 

In the garden, pull it out as it appears, do not let it produce seed heads. Also mulching over the ground will keep old seed from germinating. There are plenty of pre-emergents that work, but these are temporary solutions, working for 3 months (at best). The seeds are not killed, rather hampered from sending out a radical or root. The use of pre-emergents becomes a cycle that needs  repeated indefinitely and hampers many good plants from sprouting. No easy solution it seems, the hotter the weather, the more you have to work it. Two hands are better than one and a crabby disposition may help.

The Dreaded Ranavirus is Here.

Today I made an unexpected trip to the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center to drop off a box turtle. The second box turtle I have found on the farm with the dreaded ranavirus, or at least I'm pretty certain that is the case. Now that I have done a little more research, I can warn you about this very serious animal disease.

On February 12th of this year, the Washington Post ran an article titled "Fear for the Turtle". I read the article and it certainly put me on alert. The virus showed up in the box turtles saved from the intercounty connector in Montgomery county, Maryland. It's a virus that hits tadpoles and young salamanders, it literally obliterating all of them in the study area of Montgomery County's North Branch Stream Valley Park. Now it's moved to turtles, which are reptiles, not amphibians. Their death is quick, four days or so, and their doesn't seem to be a way to stop it. With the situation already bad for the box turtle (habitat destruction, egg laying age for adults), it's about to get much worse.

About a month ago I noticed a box turtle looking like she was laying eggs in a muddy creek. I thought it odd that her eyes were closed and never opened to my passing or the dog sniffing. Yesterday I noticed my second turtle, also with eyes closed. I made lots of noise and again the dog sniffed, but she never opened her eyes. She too, was in a muddy creek, half buried. When I returned this morning, she was still there, buried a little deeper, and the eyelids were swollen. I made a few phone calls and did some research on the internet, only to pretty much confirm what I already feared. 

 From what I have read and seen, this is typical of the ranavirus. I contacted the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center  and they wanted me to bring the turtle to them . The center is not far off of Route 50, on Tilthammer Mill Road, in Clarke County. It's down a gravel road and is home to many animals in various stages of recuperation. 

They may or may not let me know how things go, I asked to be informed. Turtles inprint on their birth place and will always try to travel back to it when moved. I was told that if she recovers, I will need to take her back to within a mile of where I found her. Although I will say that a friend has a box turtle she rescued and it's lived on her property for years. But I'm not holding out any hope for recovery. Seemingly its never been done before.

I am very thankful the the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center and gave them a donation, something they really need. I mean, they had a houseful of sick and injured wild animals. Here is a link, in case you might ever need them or would like to give a donation.

http://www.blueridgewildlife.org/  

He's Back.

I was up early this morning to seize the day. Walking back and forth to feed the chickens and guineas, I saw wonderful things happening in the garden, so out came the camera for a few quick shots. First off is my miniature garden, built for the lecture at Virginia Tech last summer, titled "The Dark Side". My bulging eyed skeleton is back and looking better than ever... considering. His eyes are 5 millimeter and I always felt that they should have been 3. I also have a shot of some red colored succulent dunce caps (Orostachys iwarenge). Looking just perfect to start this hot day.

  

The raised beds are chock full. The miniature sunflowers are going to be very nice. I am fertilizing my petunias, and a few other things, with "Jack's Classic Petunia Feed"  made by Peters. It's working wonders, I mean really!

The usual favorites are repeated again (blah, blah, blah). How can you not love orange emilia? 

Out of all of my many Nicotiana alata, this one is beautiful with its bits of pink.

I am feeding an army of black swallowtail larvae. They like bronze fennel, even more than I do.

I can feel the heat starting and the oppressive humidity, even before the sun is over the trees. We are in for a few very hot days. Fortunately I think that most people will finally get their electricity back by the end of today. It's been a very rough week for many. Stay cool all, next week will be better. 

Don't forget my lecture at Green Spring on July 14th. Also, as I work feverishly, remember the show in August at The Workhouse at Lorton with the reception on August 11th. I just finished this piece, it's another wood transfer.

Have a wonderful day!

Summer's Here

Our major summer storm left a trail of downed trees and lots of people without electricity. That combined with record heat was NO FUN! I was without electricity for 49 hours and I'm one of the lucky ones. Lots of people around me won't have it until Friday, that's 7 days! Now if you're a gardener, and you live here, you can't water your plants because there's no power for the pump to pull up water from your well. Much less take a shower. It's been a rude July.

I lost a very large cherry tree, it fell on my 30 year old Hovenia dulcis (Oriental Raisin Tree) and a large, expensive urn, all smashed flat. The lilies went down and they're not coming back up. The guineas held on tight as their pine trees whipped, almost to the ground and back. I really don't know how they hung on. Surprisingly, all are accounted for. 

On Saturday, July 14th I will be giving another lecture at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria. This lecture is titled "Smart Gardening", I highlight my favorite native perennials, the ones that make gardening a little easier. This lecture begins at 9:30 with a fee of $18.  if your a member of Green Spring, $20. if you're not. Here is a link for Green Spring:

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring/ed-adult.htm

Saturday, August 11th is my reception at the Workhouse at Lorton. I will be a featured artist for the month of August. The reception runs from 6 to 9 PM. I 'm making wood transfers, prints on metal and a few surprise pieces that are different. The show for August is titled "Curves.  Illustrated is an image about to go on a piece of wood. The make-shift rollers are designed by my husband to make it a smooth transfer. Here is a link for The Workhouse:

http://www.lortonarts.org/events/exhibits/workhouse-artist-association-exhibition

Following closely after is the big show at The Center for the Arts in Manassas. The reception date is Saturday, September 29th, from 4-6 PM. I share the spotlight with Linda Carlson and the show is titled "Surface Translations". Here is a link to the center, followed by a couple of pieces for that show.

http://www.center-for-the-arts.org/

Stay cool, enjoy your 4th of July!