Patterned:

One sunny warm day, I got to sit outside all day long to keep the new “fledgling” squirrels who came down from their Black Cherry Tree nest safe from the dogs. So it was a good day to do leaf studies. A bit tedious, but informative. I worked on the rounds and discovered they are not satisfying for my watercolor work, as the paint saturation pilled the paper. But the ink work was fun. I used Staedtler .1, .3, and .005. I know some of the leaves: Red Oak, Japanese Red Maple, Dandelion, Lilac, Violet. Really there were many more veins in each leaf than I depicted, but I did the first 3 or 4 branches. And it’s been cool to notice the different ways leaf vein branches work per type of plant.

Haiku and Tree of Life. This week’s ways of working through the ups and downs of my journeys.

This week the branches of my Tree of Beloveds were very active with care needs. Synchronistic with the utter festival of Spring blooming and leafing going on in my part of the world. Wow.

Somehow in the midst of this, I did take my Wednesday Artist Date day to explore an artistic town nearby, and found not only an artists’ cafe where I can hang out and create for hours on end, but an antique library table that is now my “new” writing desk. Meet Zelda!

Also this week, I was able to sit with Turtle Tree Moon Womon most of the days, for precious peaceful interludes, as the swarls of “Look-at Me’s” unfurled all around me.

I hope to see you all today — I will be coming back from a follow up medical appt for a family member and I’m not sure if or how late I may be to our gathering. Happy Pink Full Moon tonight.

Yesterday I spent the entire day doing art… after a good cry about my father and his bravery during this time of his cancer. I like how the initial tree piece eventually led me into a deeply satisfying day of art-making culminating in the Zentangle round. Both of these pieces are actually in the two art journals I am sharing with my niece, Annalyn. We mail these back and forth. One is our Art Journal for more serious artistic answers to the Inquiry “What’s Up with Me Right Now?” and the other is our Playbook for technique exploration. That lucky young womon is headed to Rochester Institute of Technology for college — oh if my parents could have supported my journey as an artist back in my beginnings. I am very happy to be that supportive aunt though!

The poem around the tree:

This Tree is beautiful.
The Spring is beautiful.
But my Sadness is so strong the only color I want to add is Blue.