Collage of Curiosities No. 22
March 2025
Dawn had not yet broken but a singular bird was trying its best to summon the chorus. My slippered feet made a slight crunching sound as they made contact with the gravel below. The air still had a refreshing coolness to it. It was scented with citrus blossoms and shifted into a perfume of wisteria as I trailed our newly rescued puppy Piper down the driveway cloaked in darkness. The Hickory trees were still bare and I could see the stars among the lacework of their nude branches. I inhaled the sweetness of it all. A quiet moment with our newest family member as my husband and other pups slumbered cozy in the house.
Now, as I sit in the studio pondering how simply pleasant life has been, thunder rumbles across the Gulf. The dogs are scattered about in various states of repose and Mr. Darcy too stretches to his fullest length on the tiles in the gray light. The rain is heavy, but not violent. It’s a welcome change after days of sun and blasting ocean winds. Weather often dictates my pace and while I feel I’ve been very quiet, and dare I say it, languorous, the reality is I’ve been steadily humming along in the studio.
I recently found out that six of the nine paintings I brought to the Grand Bohemian Gallery in Greenville last month have sold and it’s lit even more of a fire under me. My tools are strewn about the studio in more disarray than I care to admit. I’m making new work and sorting through ideas for a brand-new stationery line. I’m also working towards rebranding (check out the mood board here)has occupied so much of my time this year. My days have been full but I’d prefer not to say I’ve been busy (I feel it has an ever-growing negative connotation these days). As I said above, it’s more a pleasant state of humming along, getting lost in the act of creation. At the present, it does not feel like work. It feels like living.
The first rose bloom of the year in my garden. Variety ‘Bolero.’
Found fish spine.
Palm frond shadow in morning light on our Mahogany built-in.
Snapdragons harvested from the garden.
Piper
Our newest addition to the family, Piper. Kenny and I have been looking to adopt another dog for a while and stumbled across a picture of this sweet girl located at Sweet Home Animal Rescue in Alabama.
They think that she is a Parson Russell Terrier. Regardless of what she is, her energy is infectious. She particularly loves playing with Mabel who is about six times her size. They can romp for hours. When she’s all done however she is happy to curl up in our laps while we do the crossword.
Researching and brainstorming for my new stationery line.
Sign up for my newsletter and be the first to know when it arrives.
A detail from one of my latest paintings still in progress.
Late afternoon light on our dining table.