May, 2013

Just planting seeds at this time. Used flattened cardboard boxes on the paths for free weed control. Planted: swiss chard, corn, 3 types of beans, cucumbers, winter squash, herbs, tomatoes, radishes, turnips, pumpkin, summer squash, sunflowers.

Swiss Chard

July, 2013

I was worried that I wouldn't have a garden at all this year due to the severe drought and the hungry animals eating everyone's gardens. I felt sorry for the rabbits, mice and squirrels so I put out water and bird seed for them. Turns out - they didn't eat my garden! Have a gopher, tried the usual gopher sound sticks, repellants. Nothing really worked.  I couldn't bring myself to kill the gopher. My philosophy is one of cooperation and harmony with nature, like www.Findhorn.org. So when "Gophie" pulls down a plant (and it's really not that often), I make sure the whole plant gets down into it's tunnel for it. In other words, I'm feeding the gopher, too. Gophie and I work as a team: I over-plant and Gophie thins out the plants. Call me crazy.....but I'm one of the few people who has a great garden this year!

Incubation of Possiblility

This painting is part of my new series "Elemental Forces". The nest is made of dried corn silk from my organic vegetable garden. My friends nicknamed this painting "Chicken Mama" because I had just gotten my beautiful 10 "Gypsy Chicks".  I have 6 different breeds of chickens and I just love them all. And I have lots of eager buyers for their organic eggs....

Big Announcement: this painting has been selected to be in Nancy Reyner's newest art how-to book!! (www.nancyreyner.com) Nancy is a best selling author and her new book, "Acrylic Illuminations" demonstrates techniques with examples of artists work. In this painting, if you walk from side to side, the skirt will change color and will shift from white to an iridescent violet. I used Golden's violet interference paint and it's pure Magic! I also used gold leaf and iridescent bronze, gold and silver paint. Very exciting to be part of Nancy's newest book1