September Full Moon #4

Oh, what another meandering installment!

I was first inspired more than a month ago with Kathy’s prompt of Spot H – what does H mean?  I settled on Harvest.  Started to think of fruits, vegetables, and the recipes I was using for plums, pears, apples, tomatoes. I almost posted in spot H a great recipe for a Rustic Plum Cake, but you wouldn’t have been able to read it, and only Beth would get it anyway!  

I thought of an illuminated letter H, but realized that my flourishing skills (as well as picturing skills) would not be adequate.  I was also inspired by a teeny, tiny piece of flotsam on the living room floor.  It was riding on a small, dried, brown maple seed that had been tracked in, and it was a little piece of very shiny, coppery-red tinsel.  It took me SEVERAL days to realize it was from a cat toy!  But in the meantime, I had decided that the color and the shine needed to be part of the (as it turned out, not-to-be) illuminated letter, so I purchased some copper acrylic ink.

Then, with the colors of the tinsel and Harvest in mind, I headed for my photographs.  I found a picture that I took last Fall of nandina leaves on our deck –in my mind a perfect fit.  I fussed over whether it should be a soft, fuzzy print on watercolor paper, or a high quality print.  I settled for high quality on my favorite paper:  Canon Matte Photo Paper.  Then I decided to make it pop a little with the copper acrylic ink that I KNEW I was going to use somehow.  Then I had to buy a couple more colors and use them!.  In the end, the whole thing needed a bit of softening, gussying-up, and dimension, so I added a strand of peridot chips on the bottom.

 

I’m hoping that the gardener Beth will like an

embellished photo of nandinas in the Fall!

Nancy Strahle

Finding More

I started out this year to find inspiration and in passing on some of my stashed art supplies I have found peace. I am sitting gazing at the new growth pushing up through the fallen debris of last fall. My hellebore plants are stirring and making their presence known.


I am so blessed to live in a climate where new life is allowed to grow in the dead of winter when other parts of the country, the ground is covered either with ice and snow or a slippery slushy layer of mud sucks you into it’s gooey depths each step taken off of the cement sidewalk.

Seattle may be a grey and rain soaked place. But this last week has been a bit of peace and wonder. I paused for a bit after packing off some supplies to pass on and wandered into the garden.

The deep freeze in December had left a slimy trail of destruction in the veggie garden with parsley and sweet pea vines nearly unrecognizable. The raspberry vines were radiating life hidden and the promise of succulent ruby fruit in the heat of July.

Then I wandered to the front garden and spotted the emerging hellebore blossoms. Dainty pale pink edges poked out from tiny green caps and bits of creamy white merged with the pink. A few feet away the deep chocolate color of another hellebore was making its way to greet the watery sunlight.

Out came my clippers and I removed the old growth leaves, my hardy soldiers’ of last summer. I left the fallen leaves and other bits beginning the dance of return to the soil, just removing the leaves and tall sticks of the other plants that share this garden space.

The plants responded by popping up seeming to shake off the deep sleep of creation. Refreshing me with delight at witnessing this small moment of the turning of the seasons.

Filling up my soul with nature's small moments  causes it to blossom into creative designs, I must remember to wait for the right moment  for things to emerge. And I must remember this process can not be rushed, pushed or pulled for to do so distorts and ruins the simple beauty of my idea.

 How about you??? What filles up your soul with peace and quiet beauty? I would love it if you would take a moment to share