Sunday, March 28, 2010

Spring Continues...


Spring is here as her normal capricious self - temperatures fluctuating wildly on the winds and sunshine chasing clouds and rain from here to there. Below is a view of the day lily garden beneath our kitchen window. It's weeded and the day lilies, begging to be divided by some kind soul, are steadily growing.

Across from the lily garden above is another larger lily garden planted in tiers on the slope of the hill. These, too, need to be divided, but unless someone comes over to dig them up and take them home, they'll just be crowded once again as they have been for a few years. At least the weeds are weeded!

Aren't these rotting leaves just absolutely gorgeous?!!! Well, I think so. I can see abstract art in them and just love the textures and colors. They've since been removed so new growth can prosper.





Sunday, March 14, 2010

Mixed-Media/Collage Artistic Experiments Continue


WEDDING LACE - detail (c)Pat Dolan 2010
I've used the Derwent Inktense Watercolor Pencils to "paint" the stretched linen canvas beneath the crocheted lace collar above. Using a soft shade of rose to match the rose hue in the photo, color was added in several places to unite the piece and ground it more fully.

WEDDING LACE - detail (c)Pat Dolan 2010
Above, blue was added to highlight the blues in the composition, which further unites the piece.

Below is a new piece in progress - nothing is yet affixed other than the crinkle background fabric which is staples over the stretched linen canvas. It's tentatively titled SUSAN after a great-great-aunt of mine, Susan Mahon.

SUSAN - layout #1

SUSAN - layout #2

SUSAN - detail (c)Pat Dolan 2010

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Spring is HERE!


Snowdrops and crocus are usually the first flowers of spring in central PA. We have a lovely patch of snowdrops (actually, we have 2 or three different patches) which herald spring for us.






Here is one of our many very clever squirrels - this one has managed to get himself inside the birdfeeder, despite the protective plastic dome. I have yet to see a bird land on this feeder, only squirrels.

Here's the fat little fella after his snack

With this weekend's rainy season, our yard is quite marshy and a Mallard pair have found the yard delightful for wandering and feeding.



I saved my favorite for last, the Quacking Quackaroo!