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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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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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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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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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!
While I was picking up work from the Pacific Art League’s Figures and Faces show, which just wrapped up, I remembered that Pace was only minutes away and I was curious if the Pace Art + Technology exhibit with teamLab was still on. As luck would have it the show runs until July and I made it under the wire of their Memorial Day Weekend hours restrictions. What a show …
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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.
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.
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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Oh my! A square of perfection bloomed in my garden today!
Sweet! I finally got to meet Charlotte Kruk, at her open studio last weekend! I first saw her work through Image magazine (the M&M Toreador and Flamenco Dancer couture) and then I saw Let Them Bake Cake (the Marie Antoinette inspired convection made of sugar and flour bags and all the cake making ingredient trappings) at the Triton Museum of Art. I’m such a big fan of her fun and …
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Bloom on!
I went to the orchard for the blooms but was taken by the dogs! This painting 12 x 12 inch painting, Retriever in the Orchard will be at the Los Gatos Museums Gallery this weekend. I think I want to try another, bold and blocky and lavender.
….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….
Had to drop my brush for this Tiger Swallowtail feeding on the lilacs outside my studio window – love when my models come to call!
I found this wisteria jungle growing at a intersection on a busy street. I loved it’s wild, lush quality and pulled over to take some snaps that might turn up in a painting one day. Such mad beauty during crazy commuting hours.
Finally! I found a rare hand-painted, antique lilac teacup from Bavaria called “Louise”. It’s funny how different flowers go in and out of fashion… but lilacs will never loose favor with me! The motif was listed as violets, but I knew better – a huge bush used to grow below my childhood window and their scent was always a sure sign of spring. In the Victorian language of flowers, the …
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Stil blooming….
More muses…
Found these fabulous variegated tulips at Bunches the other day and while they’re not the exact striped tulip that is depicted on this Italian demitasse, they do make a lovely compliment. I took a number of shots to make sure I had the right composition when my bird comes along. The variegated tulip signifies “beautiful eyes” in the Victorian language of flowers, I wonder it this will helps me decide on a …
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