June and July
The summer so far has been full, rewarding, and just what the soul needs. Thankfully, it's not even over yet.
I like to count the summer days as going all the way through the end of September, which means we still have about two months to enjoy the warm air, green trees, fresh flowers, garden harvests, and outside days.
The work/life balance has been good these past few months, with enough down time to be able to relax and enjoy the world around us, and enough work to keep busy.
In June, we took a trip to the cape; in July, we went blueberry picking a few too many times, and in the meantime have gotten in many, many days at the lake at home.
Through all these times we center our rhythms around good food,
quality time with friends and family, and the need for a little adventure.
Within this time, I've also felt a pull to be more creative on a more regular basis. I've committed to picking up my sketching pencils every morning, before anyone else is awake, to have some solo art time.
Within a short window, the pencils have inspired me to seek new ventures, to take the sketches and turn them into something more.
I've been experimenting with a linocut kit, turning sketches into block prints. I love the possibilities this medium offers, as block prints can be made on fabric or paper, depending on the ink used.
My first experiment was a basil plant.
First, Basil wanted to be a botanical drawing, like an old-fashioned study.
Then, Basil wanted to be traced and transferred to a block, for printing.
I'm still in the process of refining the print, as a few areas are too high, or the lines are too thick, but I'm happy to report that the print on fabric is a success : )
Now I'm in the stage of using this medium where I don't want to write emails, or blog posts, or do fabric orders - I just want to draw and carve and print.
The process is addictive - the technique is a blend of creative and technical - where you have to first whittle down your subject to a series of lines and shadows,
and then take the finite steps needed in order to create the block.
I’m hoping I’ll have more to share next month : )
On the homefront, the gardens are in full bloom.
The daylily garden was the mastermind of my husband, a few years back,
and it’s really in it’s glory this year.
We transplanted a wild smattering of these lilies one spring, as they were creeping into the lawn, and were mostly unkempt by the corner of the barn.
He had the idea to stretch the bed into a right angle, with the daylilies in front, and a lilac hedge behind. The effect is a “secret garden”, that creates a little oasis in the otherwise wide open back yard.
These are the days we'll long for when the winter months are an unforgiving mix
of sub-zero temps, frozen walkways, and no sunshine in sight.
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