My Neighbor's Garden...

First installment of "Why I Love My Bicycle Commute!"

I took the time one morning to stop and take pictures of one of my neighbors' gardens... What a lovely sight on my way...

I don't know what this yellow flowered bush is...  but it's so cheerful!

This is a Purple Allamanda...

and what a beauty it is,

With it's big soft violet flowers...

A brilliant yellow flowering tree... A False Ponciana? Don't really know... but it makes me smile...

and this beautiful Angels Trumpet tree...

I just love the flowers!

They are this soft shell pink...  See the bee?

Heavenly... don't you think?

Problem...

My menu bar (New Post, Design, etc) that ued to sit at the top right of my blog is gone! Any clues how to get it back?  Thanks!
 

Lunchtime Surprise!

Yesterday morning my hubby called me from the grocery store asking about the pin number of the card he was using... Then he asked if I was in the office... Of course... and would I meet him in the parking lot at lunchtime... Of course... So he calls when he gets to my building...

and gives me this! A pretty little pink rose bush for my desk! He said I had a little desk, so he got me little flowers...

A couple of weeks ago I snapped this picture of our resident squirrel... He's sitting in a little Dahoon Holly tree between the building and the parking lot, eating green berries...  I see him in this tree a lot.

Today I snapped a picture of him relaxing in his favorite place to hang... Chillin' out in the shade on the wall of our little dining patio... Apparently he lives in the eaves of our building and he's very often spotted sprawled out on the wall.

Next post will be full of pictures of why I love my bicycle commute!

Metamorphosis...

My husband came in from the garage the other day and told me to hold my hands out. I did...

He put these in my hands... It's a good thing I'm not squeamish! A shed caterpillar skin and the resulting pupa...  Here's what the pupa looks like up close...

The underside (top) looks almost as if it has a face and on the back (bottom) you can tell where it will split open...

Photo source: www.carolinanature.com

To reveal this! An Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) ... with a wingspan of 5 to 6 inches...

I've been working on an oil painting of a Prairie Warbler on gessoed purple scrapbook paper that looks like old wall paper. I'll post it when I'm done. But I thought I'd post a few of the backgrounds I've been prepping for other oil paintings...

Vintage sheet music adherred to 5" x 7" masonite and coated with with matte gel medium. After a few coats of the gel medium, comes a couple coats of clear gesso and then a final wash of clear gesso with a few drops of turquoise acrylic paint mixed in. Finally before it dries I wipe alot of it off with a paper towel. A singing bird will go on this background.

These vintage illustrated dictionary pages are prepared the same way, but are on 6" x 6" masonite, with the wash being green. I'll be painting Poison Dart Frogs on these.

Metamorphosis in progress... in nature... and in art...

Workspace Additions and New Art Supplies...

Well, I just had to do something with the only boring space at my desk...
didn't I???
I brought a small magnetic whiteboard from home...
It already had a bright green frame....
 

Friday's haiku is written on it... and yes those are button magnets!
 

I used double sided tape to stick the magnets to the buttons.
I think they turned out quite well!
 

 

Also got a colorful lidded water tumbler to fill up at the water fountain...
There's a  charge to fund the water cooler and coffee.
 I don't drink coffee and I use tap water for my tea!
 

 And what is this that Bruce! Of the Thicket! is minding?
 

A new plant... a little craussula (sp?) with pink edged leaves that I brought from home. I doubt the leaves will stay pink without the sun.
But it's pretty (and living) just the same!
 

I'm off today, because the Health Dept was closed due to Tropical Storm Isaac. 
The weather didn't get nearly as bad as we thought it would...
In fact right now is the hardest rain we've gotten and the wind gusts aren't much.
 

 

You can see the clouds, but the Italian Cypresses across the street are not bent over. And there have been birds flying around.
 

 

Most of you know that I paint with oils and chalk pastels and that I've not had good success with acrylics. That might be because I was using craft acrylic paints.
Well I got a 40% off Michaels coupon and bought some cheap artist acrylic paints to experiment with! They were just over $6 with the coupon!
 

 

There are 2 tiny tubes of each color in the bucket...
but I have acrylic matte gel medium to stretch it if I need it.
 

So I put my sewing projects away and got my brushes, palette knives and hard boards out and am going to start playing! I've always been so caught up in the details, that I've always painted realism.
I want to paint more freely... with more expressionism and flair...
Maybe some whimsy... I'm going to try! 
 

 

I've also started re-reading one of my favorite books.
It inspired a poem the first time I read it. I'll post it soon...
 I have to find the file or re-type it in a post.
This time, I'm hoping it will inspire some paintigs!

Where I Spend My Days...

For the past 20 some odd years (with the exception of about 6 months in the corner of a library) I've had fairly spacious workspaces. Whether they were offices (with windows, no less!), flairly large cubicles (the last 10 years with a wndow!) or a desk among others in a large open room... I've made them my own... made them all reflect who I am...

So I started a new job a couple weeks ago and my workspace consists of a beige "Cubicle." Cubicle? No... this is a desk with particians! Don't get me worng I'm not complaining... I like it very much... It MAKES me stay organized... no room for clutter!

This is my entire workspace... including a pinkish chair... It ain't all beige no more! The white basket under the desk is my bike basket, with my striped totebag in it, and the cardboard box under the drawers is for paper recycling...  Making use of every available space! You might notice I'm not using my keyboard tray. I have to keep my chair so high (and my monitor so low) otherwise I have to keep my held tilted back, to be able to look through my bifocals, which makes my neck hurt. I'm going to have it taken out.

This was before I got...

my new mousepad! It makes me smile!

Here is my desk top... on my desktop!

The little black mesh drawer set holds colorful supplies...

and provides a perch for Bruce! Of the Thicket! who holds my grateful heart... and a cute little planter (my Hobbit Jade Tree cutting isn't doing very well. I was hoping I could root it).

Between my phone and computer monitor is my IMAGINE mug, on the mug quilt I made when I first got my sewing machine... and a little crock holding my beaded teaball. The tea tins (Rose Garden Black and Jasmine Green) are in the top drawer with tissues, lotion, eating utensils, etc.

One the "back wall" as spacious as it is... I have a mesh file, my Food Safety Manager Certification card (the only credential I have that is remotely associated with the program I'm wokring in). Above the card is a photo (mounted on scrapbook paper and framed) of my grandkids, Austin and Ansley, taken by my talented daughter. She has a photography business... Brookshire Studios Photography-Design.



Next is a post card (mounted on scrapbook paper) of a watercolor by Colette Copeland of A Bird in the Hand. It's called "Hot Climate." She sent it to me among a few others for being so faithful to her blog.

Last is a prized print (also mounted on scrapbook paper) of a mixed media painting by Juliette Crane. It's titled Grace...

I really love my little workspace... It's very me and such a happy little place! It, my bike ride to and from work and the people I work with make going to work a joy!

The Unbroken Circle...

Many women have come and gone from my circle... Some have been relatives, some friends, some aquaintances. I cherish them all... They've all been strong, they've all had courage, they've all had grace, beauty and intelligence. Many have battled for their lives... One has just begun the fight... These are for her...

 

 

Six (a healing number) clay beads strung on pink ribbon...

 

 

Pink represents love of one's self.
Clay comes from the earth and symbolizes strength...

Prayers are lifted to the heavens on bird's wings...

Prayer beads for a beautiful, smart, wonderful woman...

May she be strong, have courage and keep knowing and hope in her heart...

Meet Ruby Belle!

I start a new job Monday! Working as a clerk for the County Health Dept. in the Nutrition Division. I'll certainly learn how to eat better than I do. My hubby has been really pushing me to get some exercise and new job is only 2 miles from home...

So... meet Ruby Belle, my new (used) transporation to and from work! She doesn't have a bell... but I just might have to get one. I will need a rear-view mirror, because I'll be riding on roads with no sidewalks, but only a few hundred feet on a through street. I took a nice after supper ride tonight... Boy am I gonna be sore for a while!

Tuesday Tea...

Having my second cup of China Black this morning from one of my travel cups... The first cup was on the way to taking hubby to work. The second, I'm having while getting ready to go have my fingerprints taken for a background check. If I pass the check, I will be offered a job with my County's health department in the Nutrition Division. I have no idea why they need my fingerprints. The last job I had I dealth with regional and state water supplies... I would think that that position would be more of a threat than that which I am going for... But mine is not to wonder...

I finished this book last night. A good read for the art lover... Historically based novel about Berthe Morisot and Edourd Manet... A story of their love affair and the beginnings of Impressionism. Happy Tea everyone!

Please visit Kimmie to see what everyone else is up to today...

Playing with Butterflies...

Isn't it funny how you can go through supplies and find things you forgot about?

Like small grapevine wreaths you got on sale after last years holidays?

Or butterflies made from feathers stashed in a shoe box?

Hmmmm....Ding! Ding! Ding!

I got the placement just right...

and got out the glue...



Love the colors...  brilliant teal...

 

pale yellow and green... and hot pink...

coral and curly-qs...

Raffia to hang them of course... dark pink will do...

I think I'll have to hang one in my cube of my NEW JOB!