This and That

The garden is dormant and snow is an inch deep, with more predicted. For a full 4 weeks, if not more, my Galanthus 'Potter's Prelude' has been blooming, withstanding temperatures as low as 20 degrees fahrenheit. So happy am I with its spread, it is even naturalizing a bit. I paid a whopping $40. per bulb and see that they have risen to $59. each, in a modest way I am rich!

Christmas marked the end of my full time work and it was spent with my daughter and grandchildren. Juniper, the little red headed granddaughter was walking with me while we held hands and I explained to her that I needed to go inside and help her mother with the kitchen duties and lickety split, she maneuvered me into the kitchen. Her place is on a stool, high enough to stir, wash dishes, and be helpful. As it turns out, she loves helping in the kitchen.

Yes that's an ice cream scoop stirring the mac and cheese. 

The weather was beautiful and most of the day was spent outside, the way I like it.

Now I have plenty of time for studio work and plenty of time to fix a piece that fell from a wall and broke into 3 pieces. Purchased in 2015 as part of my Saints and Sinner's Show, the recipient asked if I might be able to fix it. I was delighted to get her back, despite the broken parts because it gave me the opportunity to see how far I have come since 2015 and didn't feel challenged when I saw how she had broken. That show was my first of all assemblaged art. I had moved from various forms of photography to 3D and the build part was challenging enough, the paint may have been more. Here is Saint Catherine in 2015:

Here is the repaired piece with a new repaint.

The radiating points are made from skewers, the case is an old clock frame. Saint Catherine was the Patron Saint of intellectuals, schoolchildren, and professions involving wheels, hence the contents. Almost always shown with a palm leaf. Parts of her were missing so some creative clay molding fixed that. 

The most current studio work is large and  complicated, involving various birds. I have been building miniature guinea fowl and have been following our single guinea around the yard to make sure that I get the finer points correct.

There are also new Hot Wheels, which take another kind of creativity to put together, the "think tiny" assemblage artist.

So you see the year ended and began with a little of this and that, as most people's lives do. My blog can take many twists and turns and as I have always said, I bore easily. So the topics will vary, but in looking back, not by too much, depending on the the time of year. A steady ride into the new year with gently curves is best, those unexpected detours can be challenging. Thanks for riding along and I hope your new year is filled with family, friends, gardening, and art - a gentle dose of all.

Comments

[Scott]

Did you know that guinea fowl are endemic to Africa? Just saying...

[Karen]

Why yes, I did and understand that the bone projection or horn on their head is there to help keep heat off their brain.