Birding In A Winter Wonderland

I met a new group of friends this afternoon in Belfair, and boy did we have a good time! Literally, there was one man/boy there :-)



YOM!



With yummy snacks to keep the holiday cheer intact and no example to hold our paintings in comparison to, the paint flew and the laughter echoed off the still-under-construction space we occupied.

 

 



Branching Out



Like Mother, Like Daughter



Our subject today was two little birds huddled up on a branch after a snowstorm, so there was a chance to talk about how to build depth and dimension with natural branch building and feather layering, how snow drifts form, and how to mimic the randomness of falling flakes too.

 

One of my students was a little ball of artistry and although she didn't create the same image as the rest of us, she did paint a lot of ornaments, a Christmas tree, and a smile on my face :-) She would have liked for me to play tag outside with her, but instead I turned on my Homeschool Mom voice and played Word Tag, a rhyming game I made up on the fly, with her! Needless to say, I think she would have enjoyed a good old fashioned game of chase more lol.



Birds of A Feather Huddled Up Together



I am looking forward to working with this group again, and they put me in such a merry mood, I decided on the way home that I'd offer $5 off any of my next class to any of my past students... so watch for a blog post with more details about that coming in a day or two.

 

Another of my students has known me long enough to help me reflect with joy about how I've been so fortunate with the way my craft "career" has progressed. The support of my friends and family, all the new people I've met, the incredible opportunities that have been and continue to be offered me... well, I'm just darn lucky to get to share my passion for making with others. Even Ray had to give me a big hug when I got home. Maybe it was out of relief-he'd been on baby watching duty for over 5 hours!- but I think it was because he's proud of the success I've been able to enjoy sharing something I'm so passionate about.

 

It's all thanks to the encouragement I continue to receive, and dear reader, that includes You!

 

Tender Loving Care Remembered

Today marks the unfortunate passing of one of my favorite relatives. Aunt Lisa was and will always be remembered as a warm, giving woman who gave generously to many her broad smile and genuine laughter. As a teacher, she touched the lives of many. As a cherished wife and dependable mother, she will always be missed. As my cousins continue to mourn her too-soon passing, we look to the moon and hear her voice, rich and full of love, saying as she often did, "I love you to the moon and back... and so much more."
Seeing Kaitlyn Hermson's vibrant photo posted on the Key Peninsula Facebook page one morning, I knew it would be the perfect pairing to a heartfelt outpouring of grief rendered online by Lisa's daughter just days before.
I chose to hide this journaling just as that anguish is often hidden by her family and friends; there beneath the surface but only accessible to those who seek to share the sentiments expressed.
Losing a loved one reminds me of the light of the moon, which shines both brilliantly in the night sky, illuminating our planet while remaining distant, out of reach, fading in and out of sight as time passes, so do those memories of our departed. Some are too lovely to even bear thinking on... texts, voicemails, personal effects, photos of a life well lived, and a legacy of love and laughter; each are reminders to live every day to the fullest.