Serendipity

Another fabulous spring day in Olympia, Washington!

Having had dry weather for a couple of days, I decided to get out the Landrollers and take my dog with me to skate on the Chehalis Western Trail.

Being that I am a bit out of shape for the season, I took a break at my favorite spot by the water. This is a late spring photograph; it is a bit more sparse in the foliage category today. Although the water lilies pads are beginning to rise.



The sun was popping in an out of clouds. I told myself that I would sit on the bench as long as the sun was shining on me. When the next cloud covered the sun, I would roll along again. After a few minutes, I was graced with a bald eagle cruising not far above my head.

Our encounter was serendipitously aligned.



I am always thrilled whenever I have a close encounter with a bald eagle!

Beautiful Day at Boston Harbor

Another outstanding day in Olympia, Washington. We are truly blessed when the sun shines and today was one of those days.

A friend and I and our dogs walked the beach to the Boston Harbor Marina. The water was so clear that we could see the sea anemones attached to the pilings around the dock.



It was even possible to see the Olympic Mountain range although challenging to decipher in this photograph taken with my phone from the lighthouse. The Dofflemyer Point Lighthouse at Boston Harbor is one of the first lighthouses automated on Puget Sound. The building is on the National Register of Historic Sites.

Trillium Sighting

A sure sign of spring; the sighting of the trillium in the woods.

This plant has a large, often white, three-petaled flower above three broad bracts that look like leaves. There are between 40-50 species in North America. The Trillium is often the first wildflower noticed by casual walkers; other spring wildflowers are much less apparent.

Today while traveling the Chehalis Western Trail in Olympia, Washington, I came upon a cluster of five trillium. What a treat!

Last spring I created a watercolor painting which seems to be well received by trillium lovers.


Janet's Trillium
watercolor
by Joanne Osband

Results of Nature's Rorschach test

What do you see?



For those of you inclined to take the Nature's Rorschach test,
here is the result:

A FACE WITH A FLOWER ADORNING ITS EAR

Do you see it?

The lines coming in from both sides end at the eyes. In the center is a large box like nose. The mouth has a bit of a sideways grimace. The Indian Plum leaves are decoration for this jaunty chap.

Do you see it now?

Or do you see something else? Please tell!

Nature's Rorschach test

The Rorschach test (also known as the Rorschach inkblot test or simply the Inkblot test) is a psychological test in which subjects' perceptions of inkblots are recorded and then analyzed using psychological interpretation, complex scientifically derived algorithms, or both. Some psychologists use this test to examine a person's personality characteristics and emotional functioning.

It is similar to finding images in clouds or in splotches of paint with or without the psychological interpretations.

As I was walking the Chehalis Western Trail in Olympia, Washington with my favorite companion, Ebony, I came upon this tree stump and immediately saw an image.

What do you see?

My answer in the next post. Stay tuned...........

For Botanical Art Lovers

From Iris Series

by Rosie Sanders

Rosie Sanders is a self-taught artist.

She's known for pushing the boundaries of ‘botanical’ painting. Her close-ups of flower heads are painted on a hugely magnified scale. Paintings can be as large as 5 feet across and up to ten times bigger than the flowers she is depicting. She works in bold and saturated colours in watercolour on arches paper, building tension by leaving much of the background bare and rarely allowing the flowers to touch.

She uses dramatic lighting and lights her flowers from behind with bright light to reveal the translucency and texture of the flowers’ petals.

Two youtube videos made by Tod Grimwade are a "must see!"

Rosie Sanders Part 1: The inspiration behind her work where she talks about her garden and why she finds flowers inspiring - and shows us a number of very large works

Rosie Sanders Part 2: Rosie at work in her studio where she shows us her studio, her techniques for the way she works and the brushes she uses for watercolour painting on this scale.

Rosie Sanders at work - painting an iris from life in watercolour
from video 2

Painting on Tiles

I have been diligently working on landscaping and creating a garden space. A friend recently introduced me to an artist who paints on ceramic tiles.

Artist Kris Selby is known for creating large garden murals on tiles which enhance outdoor living spaces and create a focal point in backyard and patio areas. She uses a wax-resist techique. The process used has been perfected through research, experimentation, and many years of practice. Much time and effort goes into creating each unique piece.

Her tile work is FABULOUS!


“California Poppies” 24” x 30”
Kris Selby

Here is her website.