The Chase Continues

My muse was spotted in my mother's garden today. She captivated my attention with a sun lit sphere trapped within a copper spiral blowing ever so gently in the wind. Not only did the sparkle draw my inquisitive side nearer but she tricked me into seeing all the wonderfully elaborate garden embellishments upon closer inspection. The light, the shadows, the intricate details - she knew I would be drawn to them. They are who I am as an artist. I wonder where we're going on our journey tomorrow...

What a Do!

Some Thesaurus words for "muse" - be lost in thought, brood, cogitate, consider, contem-plate, feel, meditate, moon, mull over, percolate, ponder, puzzle over, reflect, revolve, ruminate, speculate, think, weigh.

The muse has me playing around the red haired monarda today amongst the butterflies and bumble bees. Not only is this a fantastic flower for the garden it is quite hilarious to look at. I love the way the top flower looks, like it just stuck its stem in an electrical socket and went for a shocking little ride wweeeee. The collar of various hues of red and green look more like that of a clown costume than the leaves of the blossom. And let's not forget that wonderfully loud lime green stem standing strong and tall among all these pranksters. Oh yes, she has been here, to lead me on a funny little journey and remind me to take it easy and enjoy the ride!

Word - Muse

The word for this week is muse.

Its noun meaning: any of the nine sister goddesses of learning and the arts in Greek myth; a source of inspiration.

Its verb meaning: to become absorbed in thought.

Well, I have been chasing my muse for a while now and decided to look for her in the garden amongst the weeds. Ahh the view. All the beautifully rich reds giving them a wondrous texture of velvet. The golden yellows that look to be hand dipped by the sun. The delicate pinks making me want cotton candy and the joys of my childhood. Yes, the garden is a delicious place for inspiration and one I am very grateful to have. Where do you find your muse? Has she been misplaced like mine or did you just forget where to look? Isn't she everywhere really? Anywhere that gets you thinking beyond your everyday thoughts, daydreaming if even just for a second. Yes, I do get lost in the flowers but most of all I appreciate the chance to chase the muse wherever she may lead me. So, don't think, just go. Go! Grab your camera and see what discoveries await. She'll never mislead you, promise!

Study of White

I love the yucca plant in all stages - just waking up from the winter, watching the center flower stalk appear, the first large white blooms and the fantastically shaped seed pods - there is no bad time for me. I thought this photo was a great study of white. Had I asked you to paint a white yucca flower, would you have included the wonderful hues you see here? I love the rich butter cream with the hints of green. Only in the brightest highlight is it really white. Would you have painted it that way? I'm not sure I would have but I know next time it will give me a lot to think about.

Caught

This yellow swallowtail was much more cooperative than yesterdays subject. It took its time posing for me in different positions but I liked this one best. Not only does it show off the great pattern of the swallowtail but also the tips of the flower blossoms. I had to include the extra large leaves just because they add so much dimension to the fabulous milkweed plant. Have I convinced you to plant just one yet? I sure hope so!

Flashes of Color

I chased this butterfly down all week long and really never got a good close up. I did however get some great shots of various angles that were very intriguing to my artistic side. I loved this tilted composition and thought it showed off the graceful wings and the delicate structure of the milkweed blossom. Don't you agree with me on that?

The Buzz

Bumble bees just love this plant because there is an endless supply of pollen. On this particular day there were giant specimens of this insect and truly remarkable to watch. When collecting the pollen, they load up pouches on their legs and arms and carry as much weight as they can back to the hive. I have always been fascinated by these tiny buzzing creatures and use them in decorating throughout the house.

Small Treasure

Some Thesaurus words for "discovery" - analysis, authentication, certification, determination, empiricism, encounter, espial, exploration, exposure, feeling, identification, introduction, learning, origination, sensing, sighting, strike, unearthing.

This little skipper butterfly is enjoying the nectar. Can you discover the proboscis shape extending from the center of the head forming a curved right angle? That is the part that acts as the tongue. It is long and needle like, letting it get into any type of flower to extract the nectar. When not in use, it is curled up and held close to the body.

Word - Discovery

The word this week is discovery.

Its noun meaning: the act or process of discovering; something discovered; the disclosure before a civil trial of pertinent facts or documents.

The photos this week are all about the little treasures I stumbled upon in the wondrous plant of milkweed. Throughout the week you will notice the blooming colors of pale green to a soft pale pink spattered with magenta. Not only is this one of my favorite weeds, I love it in all of its stages - flowers to the pods. If you have a little space, its sweet aroma will fill the area with all kinds of interesting treats for you to discover.

Twins?

Two blooms so close together it looked like a huge iris head from the house so I just had to check it out. I loved that they look connected in the center blurring into one another without separation. Hidden among the red coloration just the tiniest gap of greenery between the flower bases. It gives it such a nice shape that I'm wondering how I will be inspired by it for my artwork. Any ideas?

Ruby Red

Seeing this color in the garden this early in Spring is almost non-existent. That's one of the reasons why we bought this coloration. It changes with the daylight going from a magenta red to a nice deep tomato red when the sun is at its highest. Always interesting to look at. I am so glad it seems to love it here because it is spreading. Can you imagine a whole little patch with 10 or 12 of these beauties blooming? A car stopper for sure!

Iris Intensity

Some Thesaurus words for "intensity" - acuteness, concentration, deepness, depth, emphasis, energy, excess, excitement, ferocity, fierceness, fire, force, magnitude, might, potency, power, sharpness, strength, tension, vigor.

I know, I'm showing off the irises in my yard but I can't help it. We have so many color variations that maybe it will inspire you to add some intrigue to your garden. This one has to be one of my favorites giving me definition for depth, power and ferocity from above. Not only because the top seems squished in size compared to the longer bottom petals but also the almost "not right" color. The top is a wonderful deep dark red violet, the bottom a black violet with the beard being almost and ultramarine blue violet. Doesn't it just capture your attention? The beard is so interesting in itself, I probably have dozens of photos of it. Mother Nature loved her crayons don't you think? I'm just glad she had the largest box available :)

Word - Intensity

The word for this week is intensity.

Its noun meaning: the quality or state of being intense; degree of strength, energy or force.

I was totally captured by the colors and demanding energy of this iris. Not only did I love the way the sun blurred the pale yellow color on the top right but also how it gave me so many wonderful colors choices in the bottom three petals. Although when you look at it in normal sunlight it is more like the color in the middle of the center petal. I never expected the subtle salmon pink or muted magenta coloration of the right petal. I love it when you are totally surprised by something so ordinary, don't you? I hope you are taking some time to enjoy the flowers!

A Collage?

This tropical hibiscus caught my eye with the sunlight bouncing off its magnificent color. I stood there in awe just watching the light and shadows as it gently swayed in the wind yesterday. Only when I looked back through my photos did I notice how it looked pasted on the blurry background as if I made a collage of it. Pretty impressive photograph, just wish I could take credit for the glorious effect.

Little Wonder

I stumbled upon these little iris amongst the lilies and their weeds. They looked so charming and posed so gracefully I just couldn't resist :) I love the violet values it has, almost a blue violet on the top and a red violet near the tips of the bottom petals. This will end up somewhere in my art, maybe as a repeat background simply done. I just love the overlapping in this photo and plan to keep it that way.