This was the first go-round when I started. Laying in the basic idea of what I wanted.

I've put in some colour and light direction now, and will start building up the textures bit by bit.

This is the table I work at whether painting, drawing or writing. It's a perfect spot for me as I can see the trees across the road, mountains in the distance and get lots of light. It gave me a great view of the storm.

If you are wondering what the box on the corner is, that is what I use for a light box. If you are thinking it looks like a drawer, well, that was how it started life - I drilled a hole in each side for air flow and electrical cord, have a heavy piece of glass that fits over top, and a fluorescent light that sits in the bottom. Works perfectly and didn't cost me a dime. It gives me a good sized working space - 16" x 21" which is much bigger than many light boxes that I have seen, and functions well for the sizes of paper I use.

But to get back to the painting - I am feeling very tentative about applying the colours - uncertain about which brush I should be using - how thick should the paint be.......... all of the questions of a beginner again because it has been so long. I am trying to let all that go and just play like I do when using other tools, but for some reason there is this nagging feeling in the back of my brain that I should do something realistic and precise. I find the oddest thoughts entering my brain that never occur to me using any other medium. Must be old teachings coming back to haunt me. There were several oil painters in my family, and when I first started painting, acrylics had not come into popular use yet, so my basic education was in oil and realistic work; drawing the intention on the canvas first and planning colours and direction of light.

Somehow, these things have really stuck with me..... and it is proving itself to be very difficult to move past them and get some emotional content on the canvas. I would love the paintings to be emotional....... bright and cheerful or dark and foreboding....... something!!!!  I don't want them to just be a depiction of beautiful scenes. I want more in there. So I keep playing and looking and thinking and it is taking me forever to get to the bottom of all these things that are holding me back from just letting loose like I do when working with acrylics.

I'm sure it will make an interesting future post if I ever get this accomplished!!

When this little chipmunk noticed the marmot beneath the bush it scrambled up the tree next to the bush, but returned after a few minutes of checking the situation out. Guess he decided the marmot was not an enemy .... and he really wanted those berries!

I hadn't been watching long when I realized that there was a young marmot sneaking around underneath as well, scooping up berries that had fallen to the ground...... then an oriole landed on a branch and flew away with a berry in its mouth.

The clean-up crew, picking up the berries that have fallen off the bush.

Then there was me of course..... can't let a fresh crop of saskatoons disappear without having a taste! For one small bush, there was much activity as everyone feasted.

Goldenrod is in full bloom, the apples on the  wild apple tree are filling out, and the grasses are growing almost as tall as me with all the rain. It was breezy and difficult to get a clear photo of the goldenrod as they were in constant motion; the breeze drying the droplets of water, or causing them to dribble down to the ground with the movement of the stems.

Life carries on with or without my presence. Noticing that, helps me to remember my place on this planet - remember that I am only one small part of it. Yet, like any other being on the planet, I can have an impact. I can offer beauty (like the goldenrod), sustenance (like the saskatoon), protection and shelter like the trees and tall grasses, or I can be destructive and only consume what is offered, leaving nothing good behind. It is my choice. Frankly, because I would like to know that there will be future generations enjoying the planet as I am, I want to keep my life on the positive side of the picture in any way I can.

One gets caught up in the 'living' of life, day to day, and society has led us along a path that can be extremely destructive if we pay no heed to what we do. That's why a walk in the woods paying attention to the planet is a good plan for me. It helps keep me focused and on track.

Cute little baby robin still covered with speckled feathers. There were four of them in the yard.

Four little baby robins were hopping around picking at bugs and cheeping for mother. Every once in a while she would come with food for them, but mostly they were finding their own. It was cute to watch them discovering the world around. Whenever the mother would sound an alarm, they were still as can be. Not moving a feather, until she sounded the all clear again. Then they went back to their picking and chirping.

Iris

This is an iris that I planted last year. First time it has bloomed here, and I was really happy to see it is healthy and beautiful. I didn't realize how many different types of Iris there are until I went looking to see if I could find out the name of this particular one. I believe all of the ones I have are bearded iris, mostly about 2 - 3 feet tall (depending on how good the soil around them is!) and most of the ones I inherited at this house are a creamy yellow or golden yellow colour. But the one I brought with me from the last house is two-toned and rather pretty. I would like to mix in a few more colours next year.

I hear birds sing all day- chattering in my trees. I watch the orioles flitting back and forth to the nest.  I may not be walking around getting much exercise, but it certainly is good for the soul. I am happy out here and can work all day, well in to the evening without feeling stressed out or pressured by all the tasks I have on my list 'to do'. When it is raining or there's a thunderstorm (yes, it is a covered patio), I disconnect and work on battery power (just in case!) and it seems to re-charge my energy system. Being out here in the fresh damp air, breathing the moisture into my lungs has something cleansing about it. I feel good afterwards.

In winter, I have a spot by a picture window where I set up my laptop inside. But I can still see the landscape-still watch what is occurring outside. I see the snowflakes come down, the frosty edges on the plants, the mists move in and then dissipate. I watch the deer reaching up into the tree branches to find something to nibble on.  Somehow I can no longer imagine how I survived working in an office with no windows and a re-circulated air system. It's no wonder I was always exhausted at the end of the day.