Just Plain Nuts

We have scenes like this all around our yard - the driveway, cement benches and birdbaths, in baskets, buckets and planters oh my - wherever you turn you see this kind of mayhem. I loved the shadow, the many textures and the warm earthy colors pictured above. It also made me realize that the squirrels have a great time foraging for the winter in our yard. Full of all kinds of nut trees such as hickory, walnut and oak, they can take their pick and provide a happy variety throughout the winter months. The puppies have even taken a liking to them but their favorite for sure is the hickory nut!

Intrigue

This is such an intriguing pod to me. Not only do I not know the plants name (it has delicate little red flowers) but these pods appear in fall each year. They start of this lovely bi-color of green and brown then turn almost burnt sienna and finally a black brown.

This one reminded me of a fairy dress. I know stretch your imagination here and bear with me. Picture the stem part as the tiny waist, add a head and you have a beautifully exotic dress. It would have to be a ballroom adventure in order to pull off this look but I think those charming pixies can do it. Okay, you got me, thinking outside the box again but it is an awfully fun place to visit you know! What did you see?

Singular Sensation

Some Thesaurus words for "cycle" - aeon, age, alternation, chain, circle, course, isochronism, loop, orbit, period, revolutions, ring, rotation, run, sequel, series, succession, wheel.

The sun shining down on this lone rose today made me just love the simplicity of its beauty. The course of its growth is about to end yet it surprised me with this last bloom of enchantment. The juxtaposition of the large flower against the dull dark blue green of its leaves combined with the weedy grasses are a treat for my senses. I can imagine it being done with colored pencil but also as a graphite drawing. Because the light is so strong, it would command attention no matter what medium you choose. Peek around in the garden today, you never know what's hiding there!

Word - Cycle

The word for this week is cycle.

Its noun meaning: a period of time occupied by a series of events that repeat themselves regularly and in the same order; a recurring round of operations or events; one comple occurrence of a piodic rocess; a circular or spiral arrangement; a long period of time.

Its verb meaning: to ride a cycle.

I choose this word because of one season ending as another starts. While walking with the pups today I noticed a couple of roses still going strong and thought about their vibrant color and sheer determination to finish the season with a bang. I couldn't help including the glorious blue sky - beautiful isn't it?

Yellow Bump Gourd

I am very fascinated by the gourds of today. They come in all shapes and sizes, have magnificent colors and the most interesting bumps I have ever seen - it makes me crazy having to choose. I used this one in a colored pencil piece years ago and have fallen in love with them more each year. From the pale butter yellow to the almost glowing sunset orange at the bottom, how can you resist? Add the thin avocado green striping and spatter dots, I can't help but be inspired. As I'm always saying, I look for the ugly in something simple and try to make you love it as much as I do - is it working yet? I can't wait to see what this season offers to my creative spirit.

Fall Reflections

Since the fall season is upon us, I wanted to celebrate by setting up a small little still life. I received this decorative bottle from a friend and just loved the leaf charm hanging from the neck, what a perfect companion for the real leaves from the yard. I tried to pick contrasting colors and something that would give life to the dark amber glass - can you see the bright reflections in it? Exactly what I was looking for! So, what am I going to do with this set up? I have it setting on my little bookcase giving me a warm touch of season to come.

Green Tomato

Since yester-day was officially the first day of fall, I decided to check on my neighbors garden to see what was left. I saw this vibrant green tomato hanging amongst the wilted green surrounded by the tomato cage and couldn't resist the shot. I loved the life of the vegetable compared to the decay of the leaves - a perfect blend of textures. Add the rusted metal and things couldn't have gotten any better to my creative side. Always on the lookout for that little bit of ugly to add interest to my beautiful artwork - this just fits wonderfully!

Calming Effect

I love this shot - the water drop on top of the brown wrapper, the way the white petals look like wings and the pale yellow ruffles resembling a skirt. What's not to like, right? It gives me a calmness because of the composition but also makes me take a moment to look at what I'm seeing. Not your average photo of a daffodil but one I treasure. I like to take photos from all angles just to give myself a new perspective and this one was no different - taken from above, it shows the structure of the flower quite nicely. It helps the realist inside my artistic body make sense of what is actually going on with the plant anatomically speaking. You just never know when and where you will find inspiration so look at things from all sides and angles - surprise yourself!

Tranquility

Some Thesaurus words for "serenity" - calmness, composure, cool, patience, peace, peace of mind, placidity, quietness, quietude, stillness, tranquility.

The blue sky in this photo just gives me the greatest amount of tranquility. I don't know whether it is the bright white of the blossoms against the brilliance blue or if it makes me feel like a small part of the world. It gives you such awareness that you are just a single entity and that there is so much more to appreciate other than what you have. I hope you take the time to enjoy the stillness around you if even for a few seconds!

Word - Serenity

The word of the week is serenity.

Its noun meaning: clear; quiet, calm; tranquil, peaceful, placid.

Serene is the adjective, serenely is its adverb.

I took this picture at a quilt shop in Wisconsin and immediately felt peaceful. I could just imagine drinking my morning coffee (although mine would be Diet Coke) or sketching from this little white weathered chair. Can you picture yourself there? Do you have a special place that gives you peace and quiet? I sure hope so because we all need time to be by our self.

Poke Salat Annie?

We have this poke salat plant growing in several stands of our yard. For one the color is just exceptional and during these dull days of summers end, it is a joyous spot in the gardens. The birds also love to eat the ripe berries. There are times the plant will just be shaking like crazy due to the amount of birds on it. The migrating robins think we planted it just for them - we counted 48 alone in the backyard a couple days ago. So, if you would love this bright red stemmed plant with it's edible berries - just ask the birds to bring it to your yard, I'm sure they will be happy to do it! Where else do you see just vibrancy at the end of the season?

City-fied Tractor

Here's the full photo so you can appreciate the intricateness of all the various parts as a whole. It looks a bit out of place with the commercial properties in the background but it also adds to the ambiance don't you think? I couldn't resist breaking it down, letting you get to know the working parts before showing you the whole thing. It's a piece of the past presented in the future - what are you going to do with it? I would love to include the various parts into backgrounds of interest without making them the star of the show. Picture a daffodil painted on top of the first photo. The various terra cotta colors mixed with the brightness of the flower - perfection in my art journal.

Spokes & Shadows

I wanted to give you a different perspective of the tractor tire so I captured a bit of the chartreuse grass in the photo. I loved the way the spokes go in and out of shadow adding an unexpected interest to my artistic side. The inner bolts around the smaller center circle grabbed attention also because of the varied length of the shadows. How many of us would have made them all the same size? I know I would have. Tucked into the weedy grasses, this tire just screams that it has been there a while but has been well taken care of - love that!

All About the Circles

Some Thesaurus words for "unexpected" - abrupt, accidental, astonishing, chance, fortuitous, impetuous, impulsive, instantaneous, out of the blue, prodigious, staggering, startling, stunning, unanticipated, unforeseen, unlooked-for, unpredicted, wonderful.

As you can see some pretty amazing words. For this photo, I really liked the unlooked-for wording because it was not what I expected to find at all on a tractor seat. I loved the random holes, the wonderful elliptical shape, interesting value changes and the color of the vibrant grass giving the rusted element so much life. So when you see those rusted pieces of machinery in the tall grass, go in for a closer look because you never know what you might discover.

Word - Unexpected

The word for this week is unexpected.

Its adjective meaning: not expected; unforeseen.

I pass this piece of machinery on the way to a local restaurant and the sunlight hitting it in various times of day brought it to my attention unexpectedly. I loved the detail so decided to take a couple pictures. I cropped this one up close and personal so you can get the feel of the rusted textures and the complicated iron work associated with it. Can you guess what it is? I'll tell you more about it tomorrow. Until then, happy guessing!

Strike a Pose

On the way into our little town today I was captivated by this spectacular creature at a stop sign. Luckily I had my camera and it was patient enough to let me take a couple of photos. I didn't dare get out of the car so took the photos from the drivers seat and they turned out pretty darn well. I love the stance of the pose, clear blue sky and majestic feeling the red tailed hawk is giving me - vogue! When nature presents itself like this, take every advantage you can.

200 Posts WOW!

Who would have thought that I could fill 200 posts with "words of art," photos of inspiration and a sprinkling of home decor, artwork and let's not forget those two adorable little puppies?

Thank you for helping me find my way though the world of blogging, I appreciate each and every one of you!! It is really wonderful to know that you check to see what I have been up to and that you actually write if I missed a couple of days (you know who you are!).

So, let's continue on this artistic adventure of discovery, full of limitless possibilities and unabashed creativity - play, explore and create like there is no tomorrow, what are you waiting for?

Amazement

I discovered this tiny treasure in the garden and was totally intrigued by what flower it once was - a stella d'oro lily by the way. I loved the stripped down nature of the pod revealing only the skeletal frame with a couple seeds inside. Something you may have overlooked but it is the promise of next years blossom, wonderment at its finest stage.

Isn't it amazing the way nature works - seed, nurturing, bloom, decay, beauty a second time - seasonal delights for the artist in me for sure! I hope you are seeing the end of the garden season as a great possibility for your senses with each new discovery no matter how great or small.