May is for Peonies

like clockwork, the peonies burst into the spring just in time for mother's day, and for a few lovely weeks fragrance the house with decadence.

these are unbearably delicate with just a flush of pink on the outer petals.

the days are inching longer and the slant of the sun is just right.

from 0 to 70 (and back again)

Last week we had 7 inches of snow and temperatures in the single digits. Today was 78 degrees and sunny. The remaining snow melted and I spent the warm day basking in the glow of sunshine, walking the property and taking photos. Tomorrow we expect more snow and sleet with temperatures back to the low 20's. This is North Carolina in the winter.

in the studio

This is the door to my studio today. Cold and windy with bright sunshine.

I started a new painting and finished two that I had been working on.  I didn't clean up for the photos, this is the what it looks like when I am working. My studio houses things that I collect along the way. I find so much inspiration in nature, and tend to save stuff. The perfect knot of wood, a jaw bone that's bleached white, a dried seed pod. There are snake skins and turtle shells and butterfly wings.

There is a table with scraps of paper, maps, books, pictures.

There is a riot of tissue in a cabinet.   This is where I work.

long winter night

There is a stretch of short dreary days and long cold nights that arc from the winter solstice through the dreaded month of February. My greatest pleasure is the wood stove and a book. The studio is cold and uninviting unless I run an electric heater, and many days I don't. I think of this time of year as an annual retreat to regroup and renew as I map out the year ahead. This year I am spending my time creating the website, getting to know my new computer, and organizing myself. We spent a few days in the mountains. The color of the Blue Ridge skyline, the splendid sunsets help propel me forward till the land awakes again. Then I'm gonna kick some ass.