Not far from my house, there is a river of rocks. I could see two patches of it pretty clearly from this vantage point on Hawk Mountain in Kempton, Pa. The story of this river goes back to the Pleistocene Epoch, the Ice Age that ended about 11,000 years ago when glaciers left the rocks here. There is a trail along the "river" that I have yet to hike. As I research Glacier Bay, Alaska and Yosemite Valley in California, I find this local connection to a similar geological process utterly fascinating.
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Hummingbirds love this stuff! It's like the blossom of this coral honeysuckle plant was made for them. I planted this in our yard 3 years ago. It grows more slowly than the aggressively invasive honeysuckle plants I enjoyed while I was growing up, but it's much more beautiful and better suited to our ecosystem. However, in its first year this plant's greatest threat was a local predator, my son. Nowadays, the plant is big enough that I no longer have to protect it from his sweet blossom appetite. New growth outpaces his "harvesting." I painted this on a recent rainy summer morning, similar to the daylily I posted a few weeks ago. Doesn't it look delicious? Today I painted outside with my daughter while my husband and son went for a bike ride at Valley Forge National Historical Park. Since I was a child, the view from the ridge where Route 23 cuts through the park has always impressed me. From this little area next to the parking lot of the Washington Memorial Chapel, we could see quite far into the layers of foliage that distinguished themselves chromatically from each other in the midday humidity of August. While the boys rode a loop around the site of the 1777-1778 encampment of Washington's ragtag band of Revolutionary soldiers, my husband stopped and took a picture of our location from the further hill visible behind the third tree from the left. I'm so glad our ancestors decided to preserve this beautiful expanse of land. Our national park system is truly integral to our national identity. Recent Pennypack Farm bounty included these beauties which together make a very tasty slaw! Kohlrabi came on my radar this summer. It's a part of the cabbage family and originates from northwestern Europe. A friend of my mother's who is of Hungarian heritage said that she grew up on it. It's crisp and crunchy. It's flavor is like a mix of a radish and a cucumber. It's so delicious raw. Fennel is a little more familiar. It originates from the Mediterranean and is a part of the carrot family. I've loved its anise flavor ever since I tasted roasted 'finocchio" in Florence. I've been greatly inspired by the beauty of the fresh produce we have been picking up from the farm every Monday. I hope to paint some more! I have a lot to celebrate. My first baby turns 10 today. I've placed this print of him at age 3 next to "Pizza", named for the Peperomia plant in the terrarium he made last winter. The moment after he was born, the doctor called him King Kong. Sure, he was pretty big for a baby (9 lbs 4 oz), but he was so little, especially compared to the person I woke up this morning who is about as tall as his full size bed. Not only was Dylan born an hour before the 7th and final Harry Potter book was released, he also sneaked in his birth on the sixth anniversary of the wedding of his parents. As I said, I have a lot to celebrate. Note: As I researched for this post I discovered that it was announced an hour ago that there will be two new Harry Potter books released this year. They do not continue the series. Instead, they are about the "History of Magic." More here. I love how during these few weeks in summertime daylilies like these create the illusion that they have a longer lifespan with their whole stem of buds that flower successively day after day. But, the fact of the matter is that each flower lasts for only one day. While studying this flower last week, I realized that you can almost tell what time it is by looking at the flower. In the morning by about 8 am it is fully open. (The moment pictured is about 11 am.) Then begins the slow change of the edges of the flower petals until finally at about 6pm it starts to close then wilt. This flower also has personal significance. It was in front of a patch of daylilies in Rittenhouse Square that 18 years ago this week my husband proposed to me. They also must have had rain drops on them since a thunderstorm had just rolled through, delaying a most anxiously awaited moment with which he managed to surprise me. Today and Tomorrow originally referred to the open blossom and the blossom that opened the next day on the right. However, I'm sensing that I've also subconsciously composed a visual love poem. Love you, Josh! I feel pretty comfortable when I do drawing demonstrations for the classes I teach. However, I realize with this painting that I started a few weeks ago as a demonstration for my current outdoor painting class that it's hard to explain what you are doing while you do it! When I paint in watercolor, it's a deeper experience than drawing. The act of explaining does take me out of the zone where I create somewhat spontaneously. In fact, I needed to work on this painting for about 20 minutes without my students watching because I felt that there were some issues that needed to be resolved and I honestly wasn't sure yet how I would address them. I'd say it's mostly finished now, but I've saved several things that I have in mind that I want to show them.. One day my demonstrations will likely be more polished. In the meantime I appreciate the fact that my students accept my vulnerabilities as an authentic part of the process. Red globe radishes bring me such delight. Fresh from the Pennypack Farm & Education Center where I pick up my CSA (community supported agriculture), this bunch did not last long in my house even though I am the only one who eats them. This power food is so heathy to eat that there is a Chinese proverb that says, "Eating pungent radish and drinking hot tea, let the starved doctors bend on their knees." No offense to my doctor friends. I remember when I was growing up and my brothers and I would go boogie boarding at the beach. Most of the time our cousins were with us too. One time, my Uncle Mike rescued me as I began to float out to sea in a strong undertow.
Today, no rescue was necessary. My kids had a great time and as a parent it was so sweet to see them do something together with such harmony. (Trust me, it doesn't always happen that way. ) In the hour that I had to complete this painting, I challenged myself. I only spent about 5 minutes on the preliminary drawing. The focus is painterly, with minimal attention to architecture. This approach allowed me to capture the light of the moment. (And get home in time before my kids got off the school bus.) I still, however, also like working with a more finished drawing. Some subjects suit themselves for it. For example, last Saturday, I spent 5 hours on a painting that was the same exact size and won an Honorable Mention Award at the Chestnut Hill Plein Air Competition. (Yay!) I suppose it all will depend on how much time my life gives me that day... |
Little Bee:
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