Gardening, heat waves, and birds, oh my!
This blog has been horribly quiet, and I blame one thing. It's a horrible obsession, developed from the innocent pleasure of buying a few packets of seeds for less than a dollar, planting them in a foam kit, and adding water. Months later, I'm tackling garden projects that have been sitting idle for years around my parents' home. Yes, I've found myself addicted to gardening.
I'm constantly busy, even when I'm not doing strictly 'job-related' things. I'm tackling digging trenches, moving heavy stone and tons of dirt, cleaning abandoned areas, etc. My ankles and wrists look like I've gotten chicken pox from all the bug bites, but you get to be in a state of zen when working in the garden. The heat wave has yet to stop me, though everything stops about 1-3 PM. Indiana has problems with humidity, though I would bet the states south of me have an even harder time. Humidity is the part that can kill you- with the air already filled with moisture, there's no real way for the body to stay cool, even through sweating. On the hottest days, I take frequent breaks, or not go outside at all.
My art has not been affected; I'm the sort who prefers the quiet of the evening hours anyway. Working in the garden has actually helped me art-wise; my enthusiasm has gone through the roof. There's nothing more satisfying than to go to bed with the realization that, not only have you hauled nearly a ton of stone around, you've also finished that watercolor. My only concern is making sure my hands aren't too strained- a bruise on my left thumb made things especially difficult for a few days. I may have to invest in some serious heavy-duty gloves to protect my hands.
When it comes to art, things have been slow business-wise, but active otherwise. A lot of what I do right now is commissions for friends, people who like my work online, and personal projects. While I take any popularity I get on Deviantart with a grain of salt, I *did* recieve a Daily Deviation recently. I've used the site before my college days, and it continues to be a nice way of finding new artists, keeping in touch with friends, and as a fast way to put up artwork. It's handy, though I consider it a far different tool that something I use for entirely promotional ends, such as my own website and my Directory of Illustration profile. it's also been a great community for resources, including a very active stock community. When I've had a moment or two to do so, I've been placing my stash of reference photos I've taken on a separate account in order to give back, and it's encouraged me to take more reference photos entirely for my reference library.
I've been continuing my series of watercolor birds for my grandpa. In the future, I may use prints of my best ones to send in to card companies. While I'm protective when it comes to my rights when it comes to my Cattisms (I like the freedom to use them in promotions and sales- also, I just like doing them!), these have the benefit of having a wider audience appeal. I just completed a Carolina Wren, the digital version of which I need to clean up. I'm still perfecting how to properly display my watercolors; even after using a calibration card I'm still not satisfied. I may start not editing out the texture of the watercolor paper at all- I've seen work presented this way by other watercolor artists, and it brings a better feel of the medium this way.
Anyway, the garden calls to me, and the day, for once, isn't hot and humid! Time to lather on the sunscreen and get my hands dirty.
Art & Photos
March and April have been busy months for me. As I blogged about before, I lost one of my beloved cats, and thus, for a recent art auction for a local charity, I interpreted the theme 'Treasures Within' as that of pets. If anything, there's something very precious about the bond between pet and person, no matter what the animal. It actually was made for a frame with three slots, so you're not seeing the complete picture as it would be presented.
Next is an 'imaginary koi' piece I did with an art student, showing her certain techniques and properties of certain types of watercolor paint. She definitely caught on very well and experimented on her own, which is exactly the sort of way I wanted her to approach it.
The next piece is another bird for my grandpa, this time a female to go with the male cardinal he has. He's been adjusting to a new way of life, despite coming back home, and I wanted to give him something to encourage him to keep going.
Lastly, well. What can I say? I love my job as a teacher's aide.
Springtime is time for cleaning up the gardening and the yard, which means cleaning up the pond and preparing it for plants. Of course, this means we have to temporarily move some of the pond's inhabitants, koi and frog alike. I figured this was a good time to capture a picture of the koi we have. Unfortunately, my second favorite, a black/silverish one with an extremely long tail, was in the tub with the frogs, so there was lots of mud to hide in. The white one with the orange spots, however, was there. It's always fun to see what new koi have appeared- the black and orange one is new to me. Of course, there's some pictures of Toto in there, being, well, Toto.
..... It's been a good year for frogs.
Neko.
Neko, my cat of around 16-18 years, just passed away today. She was at a point where nothing could be done for her, and, if we tried anything, she'd be in pain. She had a peaceful end, with us there for her.
I feel like I should have a beautiful watercolor up of her as a tribute, but, to be honest, right now it just feels an effort to approach it yet. A lot of my energy's just gone into cleaning any old smells or old stains that may bother the other cats. Winnie is especially on edge ever since Neko became extremely sick, though it was more because she disliked the new cat smell than out of any worry over Neko. This will help her calm down. I've gotten very close to Neko over the months I've been giving her medication- I think that may have made the last half-year or so of her life so much better. Perhaps when I feel a bit better and finish up my Directory of Illustration page, I'll have something to show all. It's been entirely too quiet here.
More birds and belated valentines!
Snowbird Greeting Card
This was done for a close family friend as a thank you for him checking up on me, as well as warm wishes for him to get well after his surgery. The scan, of course, doesn't do it justice- it's a Dark-eyed Junco, a bird that comes down to this area in the winter months. Since there's a thistle feeder outside, we've been getting many Juncos and finches- juncos are adorable because they tend to puff up into little balls of white and gray when it gets extremely cold.
Greeting cards.
I'll be fine, as long as you keep with me.
I don't know if animals can sense when someone is struggling with something, but sometimes, it doesn't matter.
I've been going through some emotional issues- things I only admit here in this public space if only to offer anyone else who feels the same way some glimmer of hope. Anxiety is a natural part of human behavior, but sometimes, whether through a missing spark from nerve to nerve, a misfiring of hormones that never stops, or something that takes it from simple nervousness to something beyond your control, it's okay. It's not your fault. You're not weak, you're not crazy, and you're not whiny. These last two weeks have been a journey for me- the joy of a job as a teacher's aide, working with children 4-5, and the misfiring of my brain that sometimes got in the way of me being able to enjoy being with them. I'm getting help, and I've been surrounded by a very supportive family, supportive friends, and, well, pets that just seem to keep straying over specifically to cuddle with me. It tears me up to do this image, but it just encompasses the joy that happens when you encounter that sort of love- whether from an animal, a child, or someone willing to be there for you, each in their small way. The inside of you is dark, but the light of that love gives you something back, and even through the anxiety, you realize you're safe, once you come down.It's that time of year o/`
dumb things to do with your cat
Please tell me I'm not the only one who's done this.
