July 27, 2017
Sometimes life gets so very busy, especially in the summer!

I finally had time to complete the study from the great north woods of Michigan.
Watercolor study, 8" x 10". Windswept Island

July 12

I had the joy of spending a few days on a beautiful island in the Mackinaw Straits of Lake Huron.
Can't believe how exciting it was to roam the island and take in all that Nature had to offer. The moss which covered most of the ground made my tiny moss garden here at home look insignificant.

I took more than 300 photos while there. From two or three of these I have started a study. I hope to do a large painting...about the size of "GOD'S IN THE DETAILS" which was completed in 2016. It measures 34" x 54". Before doing that size, I need to experiment with several smaller pieces to get the feel for this beautiful environment.

This is the progress after 5 hours of work. It takes a while to build up the richness of detail that amazed me in the first place.
Colorfully,
Sandy

 The late spring garden is looking great, especially since we had an inch of rain two days ago!

These are studies for future works. Bumble Bee Study is on top, and Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly is next. Both pieces are approximately 5 1/2" square.

Home from two trips: North Carolina and Illinois. There should be a law that adult children cannot live more than 100 miles from their parents!

When we arrived some flowers had opened to greet us. These are the dwarf irises. They usually bloom a few weeks before the tall bearded ones do. Lovely. In a few days there should be many more flowers blooming.

April 25th daily bouquet: Brunnera

This tiny blue flower looks remarkably like a Forget-me-not. The difference is That it has a more intense color, and the leaves are a lovely shape, almost heart like. The location is in my moss garden. We have an area where the grass just doesn't grow. Too much shade. This provided the perfect spot for the moss garden, which was already very thick to begin with. I have been pulling out any new grasses that might try to grow and it has created a beautiful and peaceful transition from the front garden to the back garden. My favorite place. I remember as a child, how I would go into the woods across the road from the house. There was a lot of moss growing around the base of a favorite oak tree. So I gathered more moss and carpeted a larger area. Whenever I wanted to be alone (I grew up in a large family) I would go to the woods and sit on my secret moss carpet and listen to the birds.
Colorfully,
Sandy

This is the first bouquet of the season from my gardens. Azaleas and Tulips. These flowers, along with the daffodils along the drive are now in bloom. Still no leaves on the tress...but soon, very soon!
Colorfully,
Sandy

From the studio:
Today I finished this painting which I had been working on for more than a week. The title is WINDOW LIGHT, watercolor, image size 11 1/2" x 11 1/2".
I took the photo back in 2008, after cutting the flowers from my garden. That same year I did the first watercolor of it, which was accepted for inclusion in the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts, held at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. The painting sold at the exhibit, but I was never completely satisfied with the finished piece. I came across the photo a few weeks ago and decided to do it once more, but this time give it more richness and depth.

Now, as I look at this finished piece, I am already wondering if I could have done a better job of it.....
But then, that is how I have felt about every one of the more than 2,000 works I have done!
Colorfully,
Sandy