flowers for mothers day

Ron and I strolled among some of the prettiest gardens in Portsmouth today.

They aren't blooming yet, but I painted some hydrangeas yesterday. The "underpainting" is a little blue block print (first photo below), and I used oil pastels to create the variations. My mother loved blue hydrangeas.

textures at the beach

Ron and I went to Ft. Stark Sunday morning. Tumbled shells, rusting iron, and even crumbling cement are beautiful here!

a little studio time

I made some recycled paper this week using shredded bills, old notes, and a sprinkling of dried hydrangea blossoms that were clipped to make way for this year's growth. It's hard to imagine new hydrangea blossoms right now, but I do believe spring has arrived despite today's wintry mix of precipitation. (See Ron's blog for the evidence.)

I think I have enough paper to make a small book. I don't know what will be in that book just yet, but I'm eager to try out a sewn binding.

We want to get the little dog accustomed to studio visits, and the picture of her in the window was taken in Ron's studio.

nameplate for the studio

Ron has had this funky little nameplate frame for quite a while, so I'm putting it to use for the studio. So now, when you trudge up all those stairs to the fourth floor, you'll be able to find me.

welcome spring!

Today was the day to say good-bye to winter and welcome spring. And what better way to welcome spring than to attend a sap-boiling party at Undergrowth Farm! Aaron cooked pancakes on an old cast iron stove while the sap boiled down to syrup just a few feet away. Little people whacked at the snowman piñata, but it took some powerful adult swings to break it apart. I guess that's an appropriate farewell to a harsh and snowy winter.

moving in day

It's good exercise to carry stuff up to the fourth floor. It was only small stuff today. Ron and I had already moved the books, bookshelf, and drawing table using the freight elevator. Over the past few weeks I went in as often as I could to work on painting the walls and shelves. Now this studio is definitely usable. Just in time for February vacation!

we are new englanders

This wood sprite keeps an eye on the snowfall.

We are New Englanders. We shovel some paths early in the storm so we can take the little dog out. We keep the woodstove going. We shovel some more after the storm is done. And then one of us (not me) gets the tractor out and plows.

love rocks

Is it too early to post a valentine? I think not. These pictures were taken last July, and I feel the need to remember last July as I sit here through snowstorm after snowstorm. There are lots of people and other living things that I love, but let me just say, I love rocks. The pebbly trio keeping company with lichen followed me home, but the stream heart managed to remain in its natural habitat.

ron's mill photographs

I am borrowing a photograph from Ron's blog to show you one corner of the mill. Ron made several beautiful high dynamic range photographs, which you can see here. Yes, we are neighbors in the mill, though three floors apart.

a studio for little green marble

For the first time, I have a studio! It's tiny and windowless, but it is in an amazing old mill building. Stay tuned for the "makeover" and some pictures of the actual mill building in all its semi-ancient glory.

The first day we got into the space, Ron took down the muslin tab curtains that were covering the pipes. The landlord was going to remove the cabinets and countertop, but I asked to keep them. Today was painting day. I got one wall done.

snowshoeing

Ron and I went snowshoeing this morning. You might not think that snowshoeing in 10 degree weather would be fun, but with no wind it is perfect. We crossed the lake and then hiked on a trail in the woods. A cross country skier had been through before us. This is a trail we have snowshoed several times in the past two weeks.

a beautiful snow day

While the snow was falling I photographed some still lifes inside. The sky cleared and the temperature dropped by early afternoon, and I took a short walk outside with the small dog.