Collage of Curiosities No. 1
Spring has settled in sweetly. In the cocoon of my studio I hear thunder purring and rain gently pattering on the roof of our cottage. Outside the window the woods are as deep and alluring as ever. The oaks arch to welcome the storm and the leaves of a Bay tree collapse and spring back under raindrops like the keys on a piano. This is my weather and I relish in being able to once again soak it up from this sanctuary where I can get quiet and barr the the noise of life from entering. Solitude, free from distraction allows me to be wholly consumed by such incandescent moments as etch into my soul. This is inspiration.
I don’t feel that you can attain true inspiration without the quiet moments like these, for this reason, I have decided to try something new that is, in many ways, old. I’ll be regularly posting a collage of images I’ve created, just like this one, that’s meant to summon wistful daydreams. I want to provide a place for you to come for an escape from all the noise. Here, there will be no ads as you scroll, just you, and a curated collection of photos I’ve taken along with a few short narratives, just like things used to be. Simple and inspiring.
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Scroll for a little bit of the story behind each photograph.
This Gray Catbird flew into our back window one morning. If you know anything about me then you know that nearby felines were lurking so I scooped it up off the cold bricks and kept it safe until the shock wore off and it flew out of my hands back into the day. This is the 3rd bird I’ve rescued this spring. Just call me Snow White.
Spiderweb-shrouded seedheads dripping in beads of crystalline dew captured on my morning walk.
Roses outside my kitchen. While they’re actually modern Drift roses, their antiqued coloring makes me dream of a Victorian cottage garden deep in the British countryside.
Here in the South, Collard Greens grow far better than Cabbage. While they don’t form a tight head, they still offer up a gorgeous rosette of white veined leaves that sparkle when the dew catches the sunlight.
I’m always enchanted by Southern Dewberrys which are a cousin to the Blackberry. After their white flower fades, the berry ripens from a peachy pink to Raspberry red to an inky black. The ferociously thorny vines grow wild all over our property and are a treat if you can get to them before the birds and foxes indulge themselves
Painting the upcoming collection at the easel in my new temporary studio. Until my former studio regains its walls and gets fresh windows (thank you, Hurricane Sally), I’ll be working in our guest bedroom where I’ve set up with all of my art supplies and my desk facing the woods. The easel sits next to a window overlooking my vegetable and cut flower garden where I’m growing the muses for my new work.
White Spirea blooming in an overgrown garden bed. This property has been in the care of several owners in the last century and I can’t help but wonder who planted this flower and what the property looked like back then. There’s something fairy-esque about these delicate clusters that appear each spring.
A close-up of a painting in progress for my upcoming collection. The flower featured is an Oakleaf Hydrangea.
A baby opossum lost by his mother keeping warm on a heating pad. We kept him safe from predators (some of which belong to us) until dusk when we placed him near where we’d spotted his mother in the past. He crawled into the depths of the ivy quickly and with such a fighting spirit I can only hope he survived until his mother could find him again. Did you know that baby opossums make a sneezing noise to call their mothers?