i came home in the early evening yesterday and went out into the garden while it was still light. wanted to clip some succulent flowers and other sprigs to sketch. i want to do this during the week too, but so far working life is exhausting me. i will find a way to return to my sketchbook. drawing is lovely work. everything slows. and lately i don’t listen to music. i just want a cushion of silence around me. today there are soft neighborhood sounds filtering in the window. far-off voices of neighbors chatting, a small plane flies overhead, the birds are all a flutter, there goes a boisterous flock of parrots, someone is laughing, a car motors down the street.
last night i watched the opening ceremonies of the olympics. sochi russia is intriguing. my travel itch is being scratched.
what are you doing in your winter hideaways? sitting by roaring fires knitting socks? tapping maple trees? going for sleigh rides?
p.s. can you read this? or is it teeny tiny?
Wow, just twitched and lost my whole post. Rocking out with the Beatles right now…the music of my life! That may be how I deleted it. 🙂 It is snowing once again in the St Louis area, so just trying to stay warm and draw and paint. You do inspire me to keep at it.
I will be attending An Artful Journey in Los Gatos, CA at the end of this month. That is the extent of my winter travels this year. I am however taking a few online art classes and challenges such as 29 Faces and document life. So this has been a really arty winter.
Love your drawings and pencils.
I could tell you’re not in Kansas anymore….when you mentioned a flock of parrots flying by! (Seriously, I knew you’d left ages ago!) Your post is not teeny-tiny at all but, as always, full of color and brighter than life!
It’s snowing here and freezing cold. I spent the weekend having to talk to people and socialize and now I am paying for it. My poor little brain is on sensory-overload. I would have much rather spent the time listening to you talk about journaling (I have been re-doing the Full Tilt Boogie class and loving it.) I think I will go do that now. That should untangle my snarls. 🙂
Font is definitely not teeny tiny, quite larger than your usual and more assertive.
Photos, as usual are wonderful. I love the pin point focus that makes the rest soft. I love winter in so cal.
I worked on crochet, and then worked on crochet, and then one of my lesser hobbies, genealogy, and I watched my birds. You’d think I was retired with those kind of hobbies, non? I’m currently in the midst of an intimidation – I got all these lovely Daniel Smith watercolors for Christmas, and I can’t quite pour them up into a palette – I’m not worthy! Must get over this…
Lovely post. This weekend has been sledding, crocheting a sweater for my daughter, knitting a cowl, doing exercises for full circle workshop with Misty Mawn. 🙂
Love it all MaryAnn! Your macro photos are awesome! Are you using a camera or phone?
A visit here always refreshes.
I return as a sub in less than 2 weeks 🙁
Gabrielle
The font is great but the spacing is a bit tight imho.
Round here, I’m minding the bitter cold we’ve had more than in other years. Clearing out things I don’t need and getting frustrated at the boxes to be donated…because it is COLD out there! and I don’t want to go out. MD doesn’t usually get this kind of cold. Drinking Celestial Seasoning Coconut Chai Tea with coconut milk. Warm and yummy.
Hi there-Fonts are fine and comment size-type, too.
Your Micron pen drawings are exquisite and thanks for taking the precious time to send them along to us. No complaints on weather here in northern California since it is raining, and raining good! Hoping it all reaches our Central valley, where they grow so much of the nation’s lettuces, carrots, cauliflower, etc.
We went to see the new movie, “The Monuments Men” and it was excellent, just excellent.
I am composing a princess small painting for my homework in Carla Sonheim’s Year of the Fairy Tale. I don’t know when I’ve had such a good time. Now on to the prince.
All the best, Mary Anne.
(I could almost hear the sounds in your neighborhood!)
Sandy
The text in your blog post is fine, it’s the comments that are very teeny. I have to zoom way in to read them.
Love the drawings.
It is gray,foggy and cold here so those blooms are lovely. Type is good. And life is good…..
Missy from the bayou
Mary Ann, I envy you that you can have your window open and can hear all the sounds around you, Winter has been tough here in Indiana. I also viewed the open ceremony. Spent time with good friends stamping cards. Made feel good food of beef and noodles and chili. Your pictures help me know that there are places with no snow.
Love these pics. I’m reading a book on botanical drawing right now that has tons of gorgeous photographs too, so I’m in a bit of a botanical mood anyway. Here it’s sunday and there’s another big storm raging. I was going to watch the waves, but now the big storm is accompanied by big rains, so I think I’ll let it slide for now and do something artsy instead. Have a good weekend.
Font is FAB! Many thanks for that. We have snow here in MA which I just love. I’ve been taking our dog for walks along the woods and the ocean; my husband took her cross country skiing with him today (the dog didn’t ski…just my husband did!). I’m also knitting, watching the Olympics, going out to new incredible restaurants with friends for cozy meals, and taking a year long online painting class with Alena Hennessy which is helping me to put hand to paper. Both the class and YOU encourage that in me…for which I send thanks. Enjoy Sun. Every single minute of it.
Lovely bloom pics, o such light you enjoy overthere! Thank you for brightening my eyes.
(Font size is fine for me too).
Overhere: some stitching into felt and other pleasant fabrics, and watching the Sochi skating, earlier.
I posted some pre-emptive skate-o vids yesterday, too. I’m mad for a couple of Japanese young men skaters. Only one of whom is skating in Sochi, which seems like daftness to me.
Stormy England, no floods where I am now, but big wild ongoing blowyness, and February chilly.
More stitching to come. + reading. + watching. Staying In weather.
Wish you restorative Sunday, with plenty delicious silence, too. xxxj
The font size looks great on my laptop. I haven’t looked on the iPad yet. It’s just what these old eyes needed to read without squinting or doubling up on my regular glasses topped off with reading glasses! LOL
As for my time these days: Last week we had an unusually cold spell complete with ice that shut down the interstate and our whole town (and much of the SE United States). No driving, but we were fine and had no need to go out. I made small collages sitting by my kitchen windows a couple of days. One to commemorate the SNOW DAY (well, we didn’t get much snow…more like ice with a light dusting of snow). Then a couple of days later I made one to commemorate thawing out. That was the one using the Blue Moon beer carrier, I mentioned in a previous comment
.
To show how things change fast in our part of the world, today my husband and I drove over to the Gulf Islands National Seashore and went on a short hike that the Park Service and Archeological people were sponsoring. We learned more about the native Americans that lived here possibly thousands of years ago. We walked along a trail that those natives walked. It was kind of inspiring and made me think about my college minor (anthropology) and I might have to go back and re-read some of the stories of our first inhabitants. I took pictures of some of our native plants and trees and just enjoyed a lovely day. It was about 58 degrees and last week’s deep freeze seemed 1000 miles away. 🙂
MAM, you’re a treasure and keep me and lots of other readers inspired. Every time I read your blog it puts me the mood to write or do something crafty. I’ve got two blog posts churning around in my noggin’. They’ll get written tomorrow. Thanks for that, Mary Ann. I need that nudge now and then. Right now I’m watching the Olympics and just chilling. Hope tomorrow is another stellar one for you so you’re ready to go back to those kiddos on Monday!
sweeeeet images
I have always wanted to visit Russia via the Orient Express. Someday. Wanna come? Puffy fur hats are required. And fur-lined boots.
Thank you for the larger font!
Font size is great. Really loved the photos of Chinatown. I grew up in Hollywood in the the late 50’s and 60’s and spent many many happy evenings with my mom and dad in Chinatown, so thank you for that.
Went to a friends house to get some advice and help with new camera set-up. Have purchased the Nikon 5200. While her hubby (a camera guy) was checking out the on-line manual, we were brewing up some strong, dark brown dye, so she could overdye some lighter toned wool for a rug hooking project.
I got a lesson, but have a need for practice before anything resembling proficient use can be claimed.
Not teeny tiny at all. We got all caught up in opening ceremonies too…I get all wide eyed and curious about places…the world is huge and I sure need me some longer legs and bigger wings if I’m ever going to even explore a tiny corner of it someday. I hear ya on the quiet…some days I want nothing more than the sounds of everyday life going on, muffled by all the snow, down in my studio is kind of like being in a caccoon and I absorb the quiet deep into my bones, feels good.
Enjoy your sketchin’ lookin pretty groovy so far. Your flowers or G O R G E O U S!!!!!
Around here it’s saturday chores and once I get everyone rounded up from their corners, one up, one at her work, one out in his shop, dinner is ready to be made but give me an hour or two and I’ll be happily working in one of my journals. Tho dd1 has a nice macro lens on loan from school so thinking I want her to get some photos for for me so that could eat up an hour or 2, I’ll see how that goes.
Since you asked… the font is fairly large, like a serif newspaper font, with lines very close together (closer than normal spacing/kerning). I tried it with all 3 browsers (Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer) and it was the same across the three. Not the best one to be able to read a fun blog.
But great photos as usual!!
I am sitting by the fire, listening to online programs for my continuing legal education course requirements, and finishing up a portrait for a submission. Drawing is lovely. I had an extraordinarily stressful week on a personal and work level and as I sit in my living room, I am lost in the brush and the pigment in a lovely daze. Much better than drugs or drink or even food (ok – I did have a little chocolate…..)
So glad you have this to alleviate the stress!
I too found Soshi Fascinating and enjoyed the opening ceremony..doesn’t scratch that travel itch too much -to much denial of denial human and canine rights. Hate to mention this though, don’t want to subtract any beauty from this blog of succulents and lovely drawings
Love, love, love your plant sketches. Certain things, with just the right lines, call out to be sketched, don’t they? And while I’m not yet tired of our cold and snow, your colorful flowers make me yearn for spring. The type is perfect on my computer.
Nope, you’re right, on the iPad it’s just right and older posts are smaller. Now going to check other browsers, I’m confused 😉 but yes, this is back to your normal!
I encourage you to GO to Russia! St. Petersburg, Russia! My trip there was life changing.
Hugs, Gail
The font is quite a bit bigger than usual! I’m enjoying the first REAL rain this season ~ yay!! I never listen to music in my studio, I always prefer the sounds of life around me. Enjoy your weekend!
The type is awesome!!
I would like to visit Russia as well (moscow in particular. Red Square would be amazing to photograph).
I am making some art postcards in between loads of glamorous laundry duty and making dinner (lentil soup).
Happy Weekend to you!
~Dawn
Love the sketches. Yes, the type is a good size!
A winter filled with wet dreary days or cold to the point of painful has kept me indoors more than usual. Cabin fever has new meaning here. I love the macrophotographs of your garden finds…especially the third from the bottom.
And the type set on my tablet is just fine.
Spring…where are you?
xxx
Wait. Y’all have parrots just flying around outside where you live?
what gorgeous photos!!!! and of course, love your illustrations of and your words- your soft silent setting sounds so sweet
p.s. the font is still really small on my computer, not sure if it’s just mine or? happy saturday!!! xoxo