It's Finally Here!

I Love Spring. The earth warming, little bits of green popping here and there. New life everywhere you look.

The stream that runs along the Studio has exploded with life. It is just so exciting to watch everything come back to color after the long winter months.

The days have still been a bit chilly with showers on and off - but I always remind myself of the little rhyme we learned as children- "April showers bring May flowers"- A promise of the end of the cold, wet and chilly days and the wonders of warm mornings, sunny skies and brilliant bouquets where ever you look.

So instead of continuing my momentary pout, I bundled up and headed out of doors to see what the day was going to offer.

Beautiful Blues Skies! Now okay- we all know that the brilliance this time of year is mainly due to the coldness in the air- but wait. I'm ignoring that, remember? So instead I'm going with the "My my- it's super warm out here- look at all that sunshine!"

The royal staircase. I love dancing down these stairs. Though you probably can't tell from the photo, the bottom two steps that you see are super sized. Instantly dwarfing whoever steps on them, like Alice. Zooooop. Your small again. Sort of like finding that chair that you can sit on and are still able to swing your legs back and forth. I think that is one thing that I miss being all "grown-up"- being able to swing my legs when I sit down. I could always build a chair, I suppose- but seeing that I am over 5' 10"- that is going to be one big chair!

Look- another heart! I am wondering why I never noticed this before. Sitting atop the grand staircase, you'd think I would have noticed it before. The thing is, about this property, it was truly love at first sight. I drove down the lane and announced quite excitedly to my dad (who had just called me on the cell to find out where I was) "I'm HOME!" It took about three months to seal the deal- and about two more hours to find the "first" heart. They are everywhere. And, much to the chagrin of most people I know - I have added them to my rock collections. Yes. I collect rocks. I'm not sure why. They call to me.."pick me up" "move me here" "I want to go there". It is all quite silly considering the Southern portion of the property- way up the hill- was where the glaciers stopped. Thus, I could pick up 500 rocks every day for the rest of my life, and some 50 years later than that - and still not have touched every rock on this property. Crazy- right! but they are all so beautiful; quartz, sandstone, jasper- in blues and reds and pinks and greens- thousands of little deposits of stones and rocks that shouldn't be here- but are- deposits of history- Just begging to be picked up!

So they get piled here and there, some for function, some just for design. But, don't you dare move them - because I know where every one is.

This one is my favorite. Have you ever seen anything so perfect? Just a little reminder- that love is everywhere and the universe is willing to give us these little hints- if we only look around and listen once in awhile.

This has got to be the coolest stone I have ever found- mainly because of its location! This piece has become my house talisman. Warding off evil spirits and unwanted visitors. Wouldn't you be a bit wary if you were up to no good? lol.

(feel free to click on the photo to enlarge and you will see what I mean) The tree grew right around the stone as if holding it in its long spindly fingers. Quite a tight grip I must say too. I keep checking to see if, as the wood ages and shrinks, it gives up a bit and will let the stone fall out - but so far- it is not budging!

We must be reaching the end of our adventure, and the wind chimes are starting to stir- warning of impending winds. I'm not sure I can put off the urge to get warm much longer :o)

Beltane is around the corner- and the warm winds will be here soon. Time to sow and tend to the garden. I can't wait to see what will grow this year. So much work, yet so worth the effort.

So many things going on- that's the beauty of Spring- perfect chaos - the music of the spheres. Energy everywhere.

I am working on so many project pieces, custom orders and pieces for publication - that I am actually hoping to get some down time in the studio when I can just "create". Silly - I know- but free art is a welcome break from goal art. Creating for the sake of creating- slapping paint here and there. The goal is that if the weather starts to hold- I can open the studio and bring out the encaustics again. (Its a huge no-no to work with encaustics in a closed area) Which will be uber fun! And having that extra time means that I will finally be able to finish the pieces I have slotted for Etsy and Artfire.

Thanks for joining my on my little adventure into Spring! I'm running back to the house for some hot coffee!

The Guardian at the gate will show you out. (Don't worry -he's harmless - just give him a little pet on your way by and you'll have a friend for life.)

Have a great week!