Art Every Day - Nov 4 Hummingbird

Hummingbird - Watercolor pencil and pen sketch. 

It's too stiff, I obviously need more practice, which I intend to get this month. :)

 

Also sharing with Paint Party Friday 

Walk in Nature

In every walk with nature, one received far more than he seeks. 

John Muir.  

Image from Examiner.com

Taking time

Taking time to smell the lavender. 

It's been a bit quiet on my blog the past week or so.... 

I'm recovering from a hand injury - a silly cut requiring stitches that is healing well and forcing me to slow down. 

And at my husbands urging, I'm taking time to smell the lavender, which is is full bloom and full of bees these days... and a few hummingbirds too!

I'll be back to my normal schedule soon!

Happy Summer!

Little paintings

Playing around with little watercolor paintings while we're traveling. I'm in Mesa, AZ to attend ARTzona - an art retreat hosted by my friend Trina. Our first pre-retreat event is a hike at Usery Park this afternoon, timed to coincide with the sunset. My camera will be in tow and I hope to have some lovely photos to share.

These two paintings are finished, of the several in various stages in my kit. Lot's of rough sketches to convert if I'm able to concentrate.

I am still working slowly on my 30 paintings to be completed by the end of January. Traveling has interrupted the flow a bit and we'll see if I can "get 'er done".  That is my catch phrase for the year, by the way. "Get 'er done." Usually it's prefaced with "suck it up princess". :) I got that phrase from a mentor years ago. Suck it up Princess; get 'er done! Ha!

Hope your week is going well!

Sharing with the lovely artists at Paint Party Friday, hosted by Eva and Kristen.  Do take a peek to see what wonderful art they have created this week. 

Bleeding Hearts

Spring time favorite!

Little hearts upon a branch

attract hummingbirds.

HuMp DaY Haiku - Hummingbird Magnet

Sweet honeysuckle

growing lush along the fence

Hummingbird magnet

If you look closely at the top left of this shot, you'll see a little hummingbird who just had to have a sip of the honeysuckle nectar even though I was standing right there. It's not the best picture, (one must be quick with these little guys), but I did manage to capture his silhouette. 

I started doing Hump Day Haiku with Carla Sonheim's Silly classes...  and decided as a challenge for myself, I'd continue.  In this process, I have found that creating a haiku (non rhyming poem with 5 - 7 - 5 syllables per line) feeds my soul. I especially like creating them to go with my photos and art. 

Would you like to share a haiku you have written? 

You may include a haiku in the comments, OR you may copy your blog post url (featuring a haiku) and add a link to your blog using Mr. Linky. And consider visiting other contributors blogs to see what they've created and say hello. 

30 Days - July 24

It was a lovely sunny warm day. The thermometer outside my window showed 79 degrees! And it feels like it. I played outside in the sun most of the day. A bit later this afternoon I took my art outside on the patio, and worked on this journal page:

Not the best picture, but I took it outside at the table because I could! Ha! While I was out wandering the garden, with camera still in my pocket, a trio of hummingbirds starting playing in the garden. I love to watch them chase each other around as if playing tag, chitting to each other just like they are talking. One stopped long enough to attempt pictures...

Can you find him?

We re-did this side of the yard, covering (we hope) the invasive buttercup and horsetail. This raised bed was put in to hold some of my herb garden. We have a few more things in there... including the tall bee balm. I just love bee balm! And so do the hummingbirds.
Some of the plants we moved are now in pots along the fence where they will be planted this fall.

It's still delightfully warm; I think summer may have finally arrived here in the Pacific Northwest. And now I need to go assemble the taco salad for dinner. Enjoy your evening!

Just happened along...

I was out last night taking pictures of the honeysuckle along the fence in the early evening light.... and a little Annas hummingbird just happened along. I did not move, and kept snapping and one actually came out. I stood there for about five minutes until she was done.