Sunflowers...

In honor of the waining days of summer....

A watercolor painting I did a few years back

A thread painting over acrylic I did last year,

And a recent neocolor painting with

threadwork I'm working on right now.

I've always loved sunflowers.

My mom  never cared for them.

She said when she was a little girl living in Mantua, OH

they used to plant sunflowers all around the outhouse to hide it.

So every time she would see sunflowers, she would think of that old outhouse.

Isn't it funny that every time I see sunflowers, I think of that outhouse? 

And of my mom?

 I really love her.  

I really miss her. 

So much. 

Updates....

......To the FIRST Harvest of the Season..... (Sabrina made this for me when she was about 5. It is among my favorite garden art treasures, along with the stained glass windchimes Katie made me and a few pieces from my mom.)


four giant beets and one yellow squash..... Yum! Nothing more delicious than fresh beet and mandarine orange salad.

Tammy - here is my deceased Columbine. The first casualty of the season. It was so beautiful a few weeks ago -- then it got HOT and look what happened.... :(

Vicky -- look what I've got -- little blue eggs (3) and they are low enough I can check them every day without a ladder! (Update: just found two more nests in the backyard)

Sal is around now for the summer. Here is where he will be spending the majority of his time when not at work.....(he worked and saved his money for several months and bought this the "old fashioned way" -- for CASH. We are very proud of him -- NO LOAN!) It's a beauty too -- 2002 Mustang GT Convertible - Sexy! Now if he would only pay his cell phone bill on time...!

Progress in the garden: eeensy weensy pickles, some nice sized (yet still green) tomatoes, tons of eggplant flowers, two huge artichoke plants, and flowering watermelon, honeydew, cucumber plants. The herbs are hanging in there, but most are fading fast as they aren't fond of the heat we've been having.

And finally, for your viewing pleasure Tammy -- the first sunflower bloom of the season. You know, I never realized how beautiful the sunflower buds really are as usually they are sitting up atop 6 foot stalks so I could never get a good look. For some reason this one is only about 5 1/2 feet tall so I can see it really well on a step stool. I do believe I see an art quilt or a watercolor painting from this....

I know, not much fiber"y" stuff going on here. I am in the process of cutting, and cutting, and cutting, and cutting, the homespuns to begin a "slow" cloth quilt. Aren't these colors awesome -- it's hard to find homespuns in these beautiful teals and turqoise shades. Started stitching Van Gogh, but not ready to share that yet.

Contest Details Comming Very Soon -- but be prepared, as Sabrina said I need to make you "work" for it this time!!

Ciao!

Dabbling in Watercolor....

My mom told me once that she hated sunflowers and hollyhocks. I was shocked. I couldn't imagine how a person who grew up in the country (in Ohio) could hate sunflowers. When I asked her why, she told me that out in the country where she grew up they planted them around the outhouses to hide them -- and she's hated them ever since. I still love sunflowers and every time I see one, I marvel at their splendor. They are so huge, and I don't know if you've ever grown them (I do every year) their heads are very, very heavy -- it amazes me their stems can support all that weight -- yet they stand tall and proud with their faces shining up at the sky. They are bright, they are beautiful, they are gigantic and I love them. I guess that's why they keep finding their way into my work. This is a watercolor I did (on the right) a while ago while taking an art class a cute little art studio in Wake Forest called..... The Sunflower Studio. (no joke!)