Sunny
days, cold nights. I wander about in the yard off and on during the
day pulling up weeds and field grass, filling the wheelbarrow to
overflowing and now the garden cart and looking out at the yard which
holds not the slightest effect of my efforts. Out front pulling up
the clover from amongst the growing bluebonnets my neighbor Leonard
drives by and stops beside me. It will all come back, he tells me. I
know, next year I'll be out here doing the same but if I don't pull
it up it will smother the bluebonnets. Leonard asks me if I'm getting
ready to plant my spring garden. No, I'm just not feeling it yet. Me
neither, he says. I finally pulled out all the dead stalks of the
orange cosmos over at the shop, two wheelbarrow loads dumped on the
burn pile, and eyed the three raised garden beds so overgrown with
johnson grass and other weeds that I feel it would just be easier to
start over in a different spot. It rained Friday, 1/2”, and so the
ground is too wet to dig as has been the norm all fall and winter.
This seems to be the new normal, rainy winter, drought summer.
When
I'm not wandering the yard I'm working with the modeling glass. I've
done the base with the quill for another heron feather, this time
using a dark brown and white for the quill instead of black and
white, and the hibiscus flower and a leaf which I sculpted pretty
much like I would have done if I'd been working in wax and it was
so much easier and faster! I dried the three pieces yesterday and
started cleaning and refining with sandpaper, the leaf and feather
done, the flower still to do.
The kiln shelf has a fresh layer of
kiln wash but I won't fire these until I do several more leaves
trying a different approach and also making up a few colors in
transparent glass powder and maybe one in the fine frit, all for
comparison, to see where I might go with this.
Such beautiful work, Ellen. I love the photograph of the pansies - they always remind me of my grandmother. Not that I want to be reminded of my grandmother, but I do still love pansies. I am aching to get into my garden, but it is covered in ice and snow and we are bracing for arctic temperatures, so spring is still out of sight.
ReplyDeletethanks, Susan. pansies always remind me of my mother, not that I want to be reminded of my mother, but about the only gardening she would do was plant pansies every year. I want to climb under 10 blankets even just thinking about the deep freeze you are about to endure.
DeleteThese three pieces are gorgeous, looking forwad to seeing them in ther final shape and presentation.
ReplyDeleteThis morning, R read out the forecast to me and noted dryly that there is a 30% chance of sunlight on Wednesday, albeit for two hours only.
this week of sunny weather has been the exception for most of this fall and winter. I don't really have a plan for these pieces, except for the heron feather.
DeleteI can't grow pansies now. The chickens love them.
ReplyDeleteOh well.
The hibiscus leave is perfect! Can't wait to see how all of this turns out.
maybe you could plant some in a hanging basket where the chickens can't get to them.
DeleteBurn that grass, wet the area you don't want charred and keep the hose handy
ReplyDeletePansies are so happy. It's not pansy time at my house. The high temps starting mid week will be zero or below. I think school will be cancelled, because so many children walk.
ReplyDeleteI can't even fathom a high of zero or below. I'd be immovable, frozen stiff.
DeleteThose pieces are lovely! I especially like the hibiscus. I wonder if I should do something in our yard, but then I remember that I don't ever do anything in the yard. Ha! But I could at least walk around & see what's what.
ReplyDeletethanks. I'm curious how the hibiscus flower will turn out after it's fired. stay warm!
DeleteI love those colors as they are now. It will be interesting to see how they change after firing.
ReplyDeleteThis art medium does look like fun, but I realize it is hard work!!
ReplyDeleteThose pansies make me long for Spring! I am ready to clean out some beds. Like you, I have wanted to just start over, but can't bring myself to sacrifice any of my flowers in the cluster of weeds. I did that to one bed and covered it in sodden newspapers and weight it all down with mulch to kill everything. Still had dandelions come up, the seeds are carried by the wind and unless I gain control of the wind, I will be forever pulling grass and weeds out of my beds!
ReplyDeleteThe feather, leaf, and flower are beautiful You are so skilled!
ReplyDeleteLove the pansies! Maybe I should get some pansies and revive a few of our flowerpots, which are pretty much dead at this point. I've just been waiting for spring! The glasswork looks great!
ReplyDelete