Additional Batik Photos

May 12

The spring storms the past weekend seemed a bit violent. Today and yesterday began below freezing. I hope our orchards escaped unharmed. There is still a need to lay low. The woodstove was back in use and the animals took shelter from the strong winds and driving rain.

Being forced to be indoors provided the opportunity to do some cooking, and the fiddleheads I had picked were steamed and dipped in butter, combined with mushrooms, onion, garlic and peppers and served over fetticini, and finally used in a pasta primevera with lots of ricotta.

Today was sparkling again and as the sheep headed up the hill before Will (the sheepdog) and me in the cold early morning sun, I felt lucky to be alive.

Every spring I can't help but be reminded of the strong relationship between farmers and the seasons. Spring of course is the beginning of the cycle. The season of optimism. Farmers forget their troubles of winter. There is the frozen water, the cold machines that take so much coaxing to get going, the broken and frozen manure chains that had to be freed and fixed at twenty below zero. The cows were not especially happy at the feeding delays and not being able to go out doors because of the ice and wind chills that could freeze their teats, as well as the barns that would freeze without their large warm bodies.

Yes, farmers forget all this and are lured to the fields by the warm spring air and brilliant green. The farmer must be the eternal optimist, always thinking that this year will go better than last, and willing to gamble again with mother nature as this years crop is planted.

The growing brightness of the spring skies propells the farmers to the fields. The herds and flocks are cast far and wide over the green hills. Strips of land are plowed and make patterns that will change a little bit each day as seedings and planted corn grow and change the landscape while summer comes on.

Upstairs in my studio I'm working on "Farmscapes".There are many sketches and first waxings for my summer batik inspired by the beautiful countryside of Washington County, New York.

Spring - End of April

Spring is like falling in love. That is how I feel on the warm spring sunny days in late April and early May.The soft breezes,sweet smell of the earth awakened, flowers and tree blossoms; every blade of grass, leaf, and shoot from the ground completely fresh and new.
Sometimes love does turn cold however. The past days have been 30-40 degrees with rain, sleet and snow. Not a peep from the spring peepers, and the birds barely chirped. The sun managed to peak momentarily and cast a golden light under the clouds at the day's end. It's light gave a few minutes of warmth.
Our cute little calves at Butch and Yvonne Parkers have grown into beautiful heifers. It does seem like the manure they produce from all that good feed, gets heavier every day. They are being trained to respect the fence and spend time outdoors on good days.
The sheep at Dancing Ewe Farm are happily grazing the lush pastures and producing a lot of their super valuable
milk. The golden milk is turned into Italian Artisan cheeses.
On the days Jody and Luisa are off at the markets, I help by milking the sheep. Will, the young sheep dog helps me take the sheep from field to parlor and back.
Last night the sky cleared and the full moon shone brightly through the window. This morning it is 30 degrees, but the sun promises a warm day. Despite the snow, everything is green and fresh. The frost slowed the growth but nothing can stop the spring cycle. The pastures will turn lush and the fields of Washington County, New York will be filled with herds of cows, horses, sheep, goats and lamas.
Lots of ideas for batik.

Upcoming LARAC Show -Moonlight Over Spring

It is a golden evening after days of rain. I walk up the hill behind my house as the sun gradually lowers to the mountains. There is a breeze but the air is soft and sweet. The spring peepers are in loud chorus in the nearby swamp. Their sound is all encompassing. It both grounds me and has an expansive effect.
I hold my hands up to keep the direct sun rays out of my eyes as I face west. The view is spectacular, as always, yet it is different. Farms, fields, forest, and mountains are highlighted by the late day sun and contrasting shadows. The field before me has a mix of grass and alfalfa and it appears translucent with the sun shining through it. It seems to be in a state of heightened existence. The new leaves in the treetops are emerging from buds of many colors; white flowers, leaves of yellow green, darker green, pinks and reds. As the leaves on most trees become full, the ferns sprout. The resulting fiddleheads are a delicious treat and spring tonic.
I walk back down the hill as the sun hangs momentarily above the mountains and casts a golden light on all. This is the magic moment at the day's end. Once the sun disappears, the colors in the sky become more brilliant but all else is shade.
Back inside I'm dyeing the ribbon and rolled silk that my batik hang from. The LARAC members show will run from April 30 through June 13. The piece I'm putting in is a colorful celebration of life named "Moonlight over Spring". This work presents the coming to life of the earth in spring and shows a visual representation of the forces and patterns below ground that I spoke of a couple of weeks ago.

Cross sections

Here are several examples of what I mentioned in an earlier post about the cross sections showing what is going on above and blow each of us everyday.

Now into Mid-April Thoughts

April 16th morning I woke with the usual back pain and stiffness. With a cup of coffee and my kitties fed, I walked up the hill behind the house as the sun came up.It was cold (38 degrees), but the light rain during the night had freshened everything. The grass had jumped out of the ground, and distant trees had more green in various subtle colors. Wisps of fog rose in patches between the hills and fields. A train rumbled north in the cold distance, it whistled a steady yet mournful sound. Clouds obstructed the sun and I practiced my Qi Gong exercises looking out at the expansive view below. This is my favorite spot to practice early morning Tai Chi and Qi Gong in the warmer weather. I have studied with Mark Tolstrup for over eleven years; classes in Tai Chi have been a moving meditation and help keep me limber and grounded.
He has a class on seasonal Qi Gong that has done a lot to improve my life and help me to accept the seasons. It has helped me to become still and look, listen, and feel what is going on around me. This has helped me with my artwork.
I head back down the hill with a light sun on my back. How welcome the brightness and warmth of the sun are and how comfortable I now feel after the gentle circular movements I have completed.
I have been doing some small areas of direct painting on some of my batik. The wax is applied with a tjanting to create lines that completely encloses small areas. The dye is painted in the middle, being careful to not bring the brush too close to the wax line where it could jump beyond. This is very similar to the Serti technique; a French method of painting on silk. The word Serti means fence, and a rubbery substance called Gutta is applied as a resist to the dye and as the enclosed area for silk paint to be contained. When doing my batik these painted areas are coated with wax before being immersed in the next dyebath.

Enjoying Spring!

My new kitty, named Champion, is home after spaying, having drains in her leg removed, and is getting friendlier everyday now. She still gets medicine, but afterward she gets a tiny treat of Easter ham and a lot of patting. She purrs and plays. It's great!
Today is cold, but partly cloudy. The forsythia are bright yellow, the shadblow trees have bloomed their lacey white, daffodills have raised their bright faces, and the grass is incredibly green. The past week has been very warm for this time of year and I've enjoyed several early morning walks up the hill behind our house. The earth has come alive and there is the sweet smell of the earth awakening. Those warm days the air softly moved, songbirds sang in all directions, and the brook rushed out of the hills over hundreds of small waterfalls.
As I stood at the top of the hill, the morning shadows accented the panorama below. The view is always breathtaking, but those days in early spring there is a euphoria when looking out over God's country. Spring!
I'm working on some pieces showing garden themes. I like to show cross sections that suggest what is going on below the earth, as well as the plants above the ground. There are many layers to everything and I like to suggest patterns and forces beyond our normal vision. Many of my jewelry pouches work with this theme and many batik that I've recently finished, but have not mounted on dowels or carved hangers yet.
It is close to the time when I will mix up many dye baths for the fabric that has been waxed for the first stage of dye. All sizes and themes need to be sorted ahead so the dyeing will progress smoothly. Not to be forgotten, is dyeing the rolled silk and ribbon used to hang the dowel holding the batik.