Magenta Magic

We have four of these magenta beauties in the front garden and I have to say they are blooming the best they ever have. They are about 8 feet tall now and covered with these majestically magical blooms making the neighbors stop for a better look every now and then. It adds such a dramatic flair against the white blossoms of the cherry and pear trees that you simply cannot look away. This is my favorite time of the year and when I love my yard the best. The trees all bloom with either various shades of pink or white creating a cotton candy feast for your eyes, no matter where they land - love that!

Venus in the Spring

The yellow daffodils are coming up in larger, brighter bunches than last year and I cannot believe how much they make me smile. How can you not with that beautiful bright cadmium yellow speckled throughout the yard, right? I know Venus is sure enjoying the garden view from her spot this year. I love that the statuary is finally getting a bit of patina, especially this one with all the pea green moss clinging to here almost bare body. I can't wait until she disappears into the landscape just a little bit further making you really look closely to see her beauty. I hope you are appreciating the early spring blooms like I am - may they make you smile from ear to ear!

Dreamer

I have always been a bit of a dreamer and feel they are important aspects of life, no matter who you are. I believe if you can dream it, you can make it happen. It will take work but anything worth having always does. What do you dream about? How can you make it happen? I know you deserve it so take a chance and dream BIG! This is a little piece of art done on a playing card to remind me to hold fast to my dreams and let them fly with wild abandonment!

Hello Sunshine!

Everything about this composition makes me smile! I love the divet in the cement wall, the single daffodil looking right into the sunshine warming itself. It's waiting for the arrival of friends and family who are not even hinting into bloom yet but are on their way, promise. I cropped it tight and elongated to give you the feeling of appreciating life in all its glory no matter where you stand. So to you and spring, I say "hello sunshine!"

Cryptic Color

I was so delighted to see the beginning of our daffodils opening. I always look forward to their sunny centers letting me know that the spring season is on its way. The ruffled center that pushes its way outward from the creamy white petals makes me wonder what Mother Nature was thinking when she created these beauties. So delicate and almost mysterious in their form that I find them one of the most challenging flowers to render. I can draw them quite well but the colors are just mystifying, almost unobtainable. Do you see the many shades of blues, greens and yellows in the white petals? How about the bright orange and deep green almost going into a violet for the centers? Are you understanding my perplexities now? Such simple elegance that sends my muse running for the hills wanting no part of the puzzle that lays ahead on my color palette. Now where did she go...

Radiance

These rose of sharon seed pod casings grabbed my attention almost instantly. The light was giving them a radiant golden yellow hue that spoke to my heart and soul. Not only was the subject lit up but the fanning shapes themselves were just spectacular. I love that you can see the wrinkled center vein in each petal giving movement to an inanimate object. How the light gives it depth and dimension while making you really study the anatomy and beauty of the fragile pod. The light dances from one petal to the next making you try to figure out what it what giving it a moment of intrigue that sends my creative muse twirling in the sunlight. Do you see it? Can you feel the sun giving it life and making you take notice? I sure hope so. I also wonder what you will see the next time you find yourself looking into a ray of light that focuses your attention on something you probably wouldn't have seen before. My wish, that you slow down and appreciate the beauty right in front of you!

Word - Delicate

The word for this week is delicate.

Its adjective meaning - pleasing to the senses of taste or smell; marked by daintiness or charm; exquisite; fastidious; easily damaged; fragile; requiring skill or tact; marked by minute precision; very sensitive.

Today was a gorgeous day in the Midwest with temperatures in the high 70's in March nonetheless. I couldn't be happier so I grabbed the puppies and my camera and went exploring in the garden. Seed pods fascinate me beyond belief and I am thrilled when I see a new one I haven't taken a picture of before. As I came around the corner of the house heading for the front yard, what did I see but a cluster of tomato red brightness dangling in the sky. Not only was it unexpected in this dreary grey season but the light, oh my, the light was just dazzling. I loved the way the blue sky gave the berries all the support they could possibly need to show off their glorious, transparent yet withered fruit. I hope you are out searching your yard for accidental inspirations and when you find one, you smile from ear to ear knowing you discovered a treasure.