this is what it looks like on the way to work.
this is what it looks like on the way home.
rain glorious rain!
the tight clusters of buds on the acacia trees are bursting open.
in my yard and across town.
here another variety of acacia. very showy this time of year with all of the cascading blossoms.
i took visual notes in my black sketchbook. it’s difficult to keep every sketchbook from turning into a journal. that’s just what they all want to become.
i walked this week at the huntington after a day in the classroom. the wet weather was very nice for a stroll through the galleries. i felt as though i was transported back to europe for an hour instead of fresh out of the classroom wringer.
and also.
i found some 18th century porcelain urns & vases. the second i’m finished typing this i’m going to open a pot of paint and dip my brush inside. start to draw.
these apostle spoons are sort of fabulous.
and those shadows. ooo la la!
yesterday and today i went for walks in a favorite neighborhood of stone and intricate brickwork walls.
i swapped out my black sketchbook for this gray one.
i plucked these thorny rosehips on another wet walk this week.
this cool weather makes for a walking paradise.
while the rain pours down and i paint & draw & facetime with sister wyatt naps.
for today’s sketchathon with sister i got my shin han paints out of the closet. they are like liquid gouache or tempera paint. very opaque.
nice to paint with and also really lovely to draw with by dipping a brush into one of the small jars.
a thick wobbly line does please me so!
it’s raining now as i type out this missive. i do not miss the sun one single bit.
i hope you are finding some pleasure in your own brand of snowy rainy bliss. up north, the puget sound looks so beautiful covered in white. if you live up there do tell me how it is. and if you don’t live up there do keep me posted on your sleigh rides, wood chopping, cape knitting, maple tapping, cross country skiing, and forest bathing.
oh by the way, heidi has another love letter to crafting up on the you tubes. she kept me company while i worked in my sketchbook this weekend.
see you soon friends.
I love these posts. We are so frozen here in the northeast. I hope your cold and cough hit the road. ❤️❤️❤️
Mary Ann,
Thank you for sharing the Shinrin Yoku video. Amazing and intriguing! I have always believed that Nature can heal, but the research and interest in the science of it all is another layer of fascination for me.
I deeply appreciate the inspiration that you dispatch into the great big world whether it is your own journeys or those of others.
Sincerely,
Susan S
Wisconsin
The snow in Seattle was a delight. I work for county government and we actually closed entirely or partially several,times over the two weeks we had snow. I work with some enormously dedicated folks who made sure the unhoused were located and sheltered and that those who needed life saving medical care could get to their appointments.
In my world, we ended up housebound for 4 days with 4 teenage boys. Friends of my son who got stuck. The streets were impassable and the buses stopped running to where they live. A lifetime memory made for sure. They snuggled up recording music in the basement and we provided an endless stream of food. The snow was gorgeous and ridiculous in quantity. A week later and we still have piles in the yard.
you post the coolest videos <3
It’s 81 degrees here in Southwest Florida. Typical for this time of year in the tropics. Had some rain earlier tonight when a little cell blew through. I’m busy making stationery; cards and envelopes, and sending handwritten notes off to friends to brighten their days, whatever the weather. As always, I love your photography and sketches.
Hi Mary Ann, As you know I live in the foothills of the Cascades ( North Bend WA) . It is still snowing and we are now way over 2 feet and growing.. shoveling are 1800 ft deck for the 4th time today. Seattle has had its share too but they are getting rain I’ve heard. They closed I 90 to eastbound because of accidents. But all said it is beautiful. I spend my extra time filling bird feeders and tossing apples to the deer. Love seeing your flowers. I hope we thaw out by June!🙂 Sharon
Sister!!!!! The rock walls are straight out of a fairy tale. Did you see any teeny tiny people living in the nooks and crannies? Your rendering of the lemon cake killed me dead! Wow wow wow! Love it best, followed closely by the acacia, the onion, and the bright orange sumo fruit which we do not have in Kansas, that I know of. Must draw lemon pound cake!!!
there were minpins in the trees. i know cause i SAW THEM watching meeeee!!!!!!!!!
waving at you from the icy rainy gateway to the west! helloooo! i am back to work this morning after a month at home during which i knit, sewed and watched all sorts of you tube vids, and netflix shenanigans. i will enjoy the company of other people — for a couple of days, that is! 😉. i look forward to walkable weather. i need to shake the rust out of my bones.
carol & i would like to go on a walk with you 🙂
European weather can’t make up its mind. Cornwall rarely rarely gets snow and when it does we all wish it could be REAL snow, not that stuff which inconveniences everyone. Our granddaughters made a snowman last year. All they could achieve was a little 10 inch high person.
The whole of the continent is expected to be bathed in sunshine for at least a week. Not very good news, thinking of global warming. I am feeding the birds with a lot of food. A bluetit couple are considering setting up home in the nest box which we put up 5 years ago (when we came back from France) and which has never been used until now. How wonderful if they suceed in making a family. But not too soon as babies won’t survive if the warm spell is replaced by frost.
We must take what comes and embrace it, as you do, Mary Ann. x
i bathed in some sunshine today on the school yard. it was warm and yellow and beautiful. how we appreciate our star’s warmth when it is dimmed by the cloudy atmosphere.
Your photos and journal images are all beautiful! This rain is so welcome–especially when I don’t have to go out in it LOL .
You had school today! I teach an after-school calligraphy lesson at a high school in Buena Park, but I found out at the last minute that they were off today. So, instead, I wrote a postcard (I just joined Post Crossings) and finished several other things on my to-do list. Part of this evening will be devoted to more correspondence for Month of Letters.
Snow, we’ve got snow up to our ears, nearly. Three days ago we, in Issaquah got about 8”, then about 6” more and the news people say the big storm is yet to come. So far we are fortunate to have power…..some don’t I I cannot imagine how they are coping. Blessings on you. Mary Blakney
hopefully those folks have fireplaces. brrrrr….
Hi MAM. Your photos are just glorious! I love the rain and would gladly trade you snow for rain. We are on our third snowstorm in the past couple of weeks. I was thinking we were having a mild winter, and then WHAMO! We WERE, and are no longer. Round three of storms. Culminating in, so far, about 2 feet of snow total. It has been bitterly cold, and I wouldn’t care except my beautiful birds of all varieties and colors are struggling. I think I have lost 2-3 hummingbirds from the cold. We have a non-migrating variety called Anna’s hummingbird that doesn’t migrate. Unfortunately they can die in temps below 22 degrees. It has been in the lower teens with the wind chill. Poor darlings! I am spending a great deal of time thawing three feeders throughout the day, plus feeding a dozen other varieties of birds, PLUS the ducks that winter in my pond. I feel the worst for the robins, as they don’t eat any of the birdseed, suet or dried wormy thingies I have bought just for them. They want worms and bugs, and the ground is frozen and no other insects to be found. Robins are my favorites and I can’t even help them. Sigh. I have been shoveling snow paths to feed the critters, and shoveling the deck etc. For a woman my age, I am sure doing a lot of heavy labor. It is a veritable bird sanctuary here, and I have seen some species that I have never seen before. I need to look them up to know what they are. Well so much for mild PNW winters! When the birds go to roost in the evening, I can finally rest a bit and even get a little painting in. Tonight I actually fell asleep sitting up on the couch. Probably snored too, but I wouldn’t know since I was fast asleep. Sorry for the wordiness. Cabin fever. Forgot to say that I can’t get out of my driveway due to snow up past my bumper. Good times!! A rainstorm sounds lovely about this time.
i too worry and agonize over the goings on in the animal kingdom. it’s a full time job. on behalf of the birds i thank YOU.
Love your fruits and veggies — my favorite still life subjects! Seattle is snowmageddon and I love it! But that’s because I’m retired and don’t have to worry about commuting tomorrow. Feel bad for those who do. Meanwhile, I sketch the snow through the windows.
sounds divine tina 🙂
LOVED the forest bathing video! Thank you for sharing! My husband and I just celebrated our 25th in October by hiking the Nakasendo Trail (the historic high mountain road between Kyoto and Tokyo) so this wonderful video on the Forest Bathing concept and hiking in Japan really brought me back there! As ever, I love your blog posts, loved your trip to Venice and your gorgeous sketchbookery(esp. the acacia sketches on black)!
oh that road sounds marvelous and YOU were there. what a once-in-a-lifetime memory you created. how thrilling. xo
Yes, lovely lovely lots of snow in western Washington. A snowfall of size early last week, followed by another Friday, and another Snowmeggadon forecasted for Tuesday. With all of our hills, we tend to button down all hatches up here. It’s beautiful, although colder than usual. As long as you’re not driving, snow is great in February. Now, ask me again in March, if climate change continues to gift us unusual weather.
Love those food paintings and the Acacia. Do loved that toned paper, too. Glad to see you are having rain down there. Long needed.
PS Good recent books read: Rabbit Cake and Baker’s Secret.
thanks for the book deets diane. i will check them out. enjoy your winter wonderland!
Here in Seattle it’s a winter wonderland. The whole city is taking a snow day. I’m warm and cozy and book binding, with the occasional short jaunt outside in my husband’s very large boots.
that sounds cozy and wonderful missus hatfield!
What a pretty neighborhood to walk through. What is the neighborhood called?
No name that I know of, but it’s in Pasadena above the Rose Bowl near the Gamble House – a lovely neighborhood 🙂