Yet another magical window display at Bergdorf Goodman’s, this time a frosty insect fantasy in verdigris! Wow!
Insectopia
Inspiration
Pond Creature
I love the whimsy of this sequined tight rope walker in her heels above the dark waterlily pond with its fierce looking birds in this Bergdorf Goodman window display on Fifth Avenue! The manikin is looking a little amphibious herself!
Aviary on Fifth Avenue
More window shopping along Fifth Avenue at Bergdorf Goodman’s, this vignette is called A Bird’s Eye View. These windows glow like jewels at night but during the day they play with the reflections of the city, creating a wintery dreamscape. Beyond all the white feathered birds here, I love the languid gesture of both the peacock’s neck and the manikin’s arm! In the final photo a woman seems to materialize …
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Gorillas in Our Midst
Window shopping is at it’s best during the holidays and nowhere better than Fifth Avenue in New York City! Bergdorf Goodman’s was far and away my favorite, each vitrine a world in itself! Beyond the artistry that’s gone into each one I loved the way these fantasies interplayed with the reflection of the city beyond the window! It’s a jungle out there (Trump Tower is across the street (beside Tiffany’s).
Anna’s Hummingbirds in the Red Shrub
You know how different herds or flocks have evocative names for their gatherings, like a murder of crows or a brood of hens? Well, a group of hummers is called a hover or a troubling or a charm – isn’t that fabulous? It turns out that a perfect time to find a charm of hummingbirds is in a giant red flowering shrub in between showers (when they’re good and hungry)! …
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Beyond the White Hummingbird
The Australian Garden at the University of California Santa Cruz Arboretum has so much to offer, and while I was understandably blown away by the spectacular white hummingbird sighting, I thought I might share some of it’s other treasures… Rare Leucistic Anna’s Hummingbird in the Grevillea. Me in my official like birding outfit – meant to blend into the garden and attract hummers…worked! Showy Banksia Flight fight! Showy Honey Myrtle The Rufous …
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The White Hummingbird
I spent a perfect day with a white hummingbird – my new muse! This Leucistic Hummingbird, visiting the Australian Gardens at the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, may be the first sighting of its kind in Santa Cruz County! I’ve been scouring the web for more info and it seems there have been sightings in Santa Barbara as well. The Leucistic Humming bird (in this case most likely an Anna’s Hummingbird) …
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Along St. Joseph’s Trail
I clearly don’t know all the correct names of these creatures and blooms I came across on my hike along St Joseph’s Trail – but I’d like to! If you know the real names please chime in! Bay Area Checkerspot Skipper on a yellow Devil’s Paintbrush Bermuda Buttercups / Soursop Seep Monkey Flower / Common Monkey Flower / Mimulus guttatus Sticky Monkey Flower / Orange Bush Monkey Flower / Mimulus …
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Poppy Teacups
Oh my, sometimes I can paralyze myself with possibility! I love how these antique, eggshell thin, hand-painted teacups marked Germany and Nippon photographed in the early morning light with their requisite bouquet of freshly cut poppies! I better just pick a bird or two and get on with it … Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird? The poppy speaks of oblivion in the Victorian language of flowers, I wonder how I will bring that …
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Poppy Love!
I do love poppies….OK, I’m not monogamous with my floral crushes, but they are in bloom and I plan on making some paintings! I have two exquisite poppy teacups waiting for a little bouquet!
Petunia Tea Possibilities….
Your presence soothes me, that’s what the the petunia signifies in the Victorian language of flowers. However, it wasn’t the flower or teacup that was the source to this soon to be Birds and Teacup painting, it was the shy Townsend’s Warbler with its little black and yellow striped face that inspired me to pull together a vignette it could hide in.
Nesting Killdeer
This dear little killdeer laid her eggs in the middle of a busy middle school between the track field and basketball courts – they’ve roped off the area but I’m not all all optimistic about her chosen site for a nursery! I took these pictures with a telephoto today after my son shared the news with me.
While Hunting for a Bunting
Rumor has it there’s been a rare sighting of a Painted Bunting at nearby Ulistac Nature Area Restoration (way out of it’s natural range) and I went to see if I could get luck this morning. This is was I found while out hunting for a bunting… Maybe next time! This is a wonderful park though, full of birds and butterflies because of the wetlands and native plants – it …
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Purple Poppy
Oh my! A square of perfection bloomed in my garden today!
Suburban Jungle – Roses
Bloom on!
La Vie en Rose
Moss Landing Idyl
….glorious spires of blue petals, perfectly peeling paint, discarded fishing nets, really rusty chains, a bottle of root beer, a view of the bay and perfect company….
Moss Landing Kayaking
91 degrees at Moss Landing last Wednesday and the lady bugs and kayakers were out in force! FYI, we kept a respectful distance from all wildlife except the lady bugs which flew onto our clothes and hair and sunglasses! A flock of Brant Geese. Harbour Seal (as seen from the deck where we had lunch). Otters Gull and otter and Highway 1. Sand Piper Curlew This red Volkswagon van reminded me of the …
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Silk Screen Printing at the TechShop
Woohoo! We signed up for lifetime membership at the TechShop in San Jose and dove in with a silk screen printing class for starters….what a great place, I can’t wait to try my hand at everything they have to offer (and they offer so much)! The vinyl cutter, cutting out our designs to mask out the silk screen. The boy pulling his pint. Nice firm, even pull. His Bermuda Triangle …
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Flutterby
Had to drop my brush for this Tiger Swallowtail feeding on the lilacs outside my studio window – love when my models come to call!