Cold but Beautiful

It has still been freezing here and sooooooooo far behind last year, when pasture arrived early in April. The grass is green at last and heavy rain arrived last night pounding on our windows and earth below. The forsythia bushes have finally donned their bright cheerful yellow and glow, as do daffodils here and there. I've been cleaning up the large yard after winter's onslaught as well as picking up the cow manure and hay in the pasture area close to the house, now piled here and there to added to a larger pile and then break down to return to the earth, good rich earth!
The mountains and fields today are highlighted with sun patches and cause me to think of the land over time. How many generations have looked on this before, and how many will in the future. How much change has taken place, even in the woods there are stone walls built to clear land to fields that now have returned to trees. We borrow land to live on or farm here in Washington County NY. The land is for us to use in this life, but must be kept well for future generations. Farms in this county are concerned with preserving the land at it's best. I am fortunate to be able to have such beauty to inspire my artwork in my backyard.

Earth Day

Earth Day - Good Friday......... Spring is still cold, windy, rainy and beautiful in a cold sort of way. Red buds are showing on distant trees and the mountains are highlighted with small patches of sun. All here comes from the earth and returns to. The form changes but is never gone.
I'm showing some of my earthborn batik. "The Horse Sleeps Below Tree of Rebirth" shows a below ground horse ready to be reborn. See the seed of life held by the widely branched tree.
"Bounty From the Earth", Shows the produce that earth gives to us with our encouragement.
"Ent Trees" displays the living trees inspired by "the Lord of the Rings"
"After the Thunderstorm" has a multi layered view of the earth: The dark sky gives way to rain and nourishes the veggies below.
"From Earth Forces the Horse Rises" a spring inspired batik that deals with layers below our view, the horse created and lifted from the ground by the wind.

Out of Frost Into the Sun

Last week, everyday, 20 degrees, frost! The morning light comes sooner each day and I'd walk to my studio and look out the window to sun high-lighting trees and mountains in the distance, turning the field by us white. Last week, still no leaves to be seen and only brown yellow grass. Then the warmth came on Sunday and green has appeared with just a hint of red in the distant trees. Gentle rain has pushed new growth from the earth. A purple flower pushes through a leaf with it's brilliant purple color. The rhubarb plants have pretty red sprouts and tiny wrinkled leaves. As the sun sets the rhododendrons by our house are lightly opening and the sun casts a burnished gold on their long leaves.

I walk off to the brook which is rushing at the bottom of the ravine below. On and on the magical sound of water bubbles below with gently changing musical tones. How peaceful and energizing the sound is. Thank you, mother nature.

Spring From the Roots

April 3rd, at last it's a clear bright spring morning! This is the first morning with early bright sun and I took the opportunity to take my first morning walk up the hill behind my house for this year to celebrate the sunrise.
As I came to the top of the hill and looked off and far away the fields are still yellow brown and the trees grey. Only a small area facing the sunrise showed fresh, tiny, green shoots of grass. The morning breeze is pleasant for the first time as it is above freezing. Somehow the clear sky, great open space and morning breeze, clear my scattered mind overfilled with ideas and concerns.
Birds sing in the distance, a woodpecker furiously pecks, two Canadian geese fly above as a pair of deer quietly pass by. I practice my Tai Chi form which relaxes and limbers me, connecting me to the earth.
The brook is rushing in the distance, full of energy. Water has returned from the stillness of ice and will bring on the growth of spring. In Toaism, the spring element is wood, the color is green, the action is rising. I'm looking forward to seeing the re-emergence of the growth cycle from the roots.
Today I'm showing three of my spring silk paintings, "Spring from the Roots", "Water Reflections" and "Lake Shimmers Below the Adirondacks". Also I've included two batik paintings, "Wind and Waves"showing earth forces on water and trees, as well as the fantasy batik "Lothlorien-Enchanted Land" picturing the gentle endless flowing movement of water. This image inspired by Tolkien"s "Lord of the Rings".