Almost Ready

(Yeah, that's Tilda Swinton (again). She keeps popping up, this time on our ceiling. Don't ask.)
I'm almost ready to begin working in my studio again. Almost. I have loads of ideas, which I have been jotting down on envelopes and bits of scrap paper at work but I haven't been (seriously) in my studio for three weeks. I entered last Thursday and cracked my skylights and opened a window but just wasn't feeling it. And then my muses growled at me so I went out to do some gardening instead.
I guess it makes total sense. I worked so hard, doing three shows this late Winter and Spring, I know my artistic muscles just need a break. And it's been a good and well deserved vacation!
I know I've suggested that we artists are not factories and there is truth in that. But we do get asked (constantly) to "show only your newest and bestest work". Whatever!
So I'm obviously brimming over with new ideas (Womp Womp) and entertaining possible type-faces and fonts in my mind, but I'm not committing anything to fabric yet. I'm also toying with the next artist's book which will be an intense contemplation on income disparity. Lots to ponder there!
The other thing that's been keeping me going and making me happy (besides Bob and Robin and even cranky lame ol' Maggie) is gardening. Yes, we suffered mighty set backs from that blasted tornado paying an unwelcome visit, but every few days brings another load of logs removed from yet another garden bed and more liberated lawn. My shoulders ache tonight, but it was refreshing to be able to walk directly across the yard and not have to take an enormous detour around the felled giant of a pine tree. Hooray for Bob and the new chain saw!
I know it's obvious, but boy do I love plants and gardening. I have been constructing a birthday wish list and it's all plant material. I think I suddenly discovered all the cool colors and shapes that conifers come in: lumps! bumps! comes! shafts! pyramids! blobs! pancakes! It's exhilarating. I am especially drawn to round mounds this early summer. Maybe I've explored tall narrow forms enough for a while and realize I have no mounded evergreens at all. And space! I do have more space to play with now that those trees have fallen... endless possibilities.
Wish us luck.. The tree removal men are due on Wednesday. I don't even remember what the house looks like with trees resting on it. And we have a spectacular idea in store for the stumps... stay tuned!

And So It Begins...

It was a nice day in spring... what can I say? I bought the above specimen. I couldn't resist as was three times bigger than it's similarly priced and potted siblings. And I've been pondering low evergreen ground cover plants but I didn't want the typical junipers (and besides, they're scratchy). This little charmer (which will grow-hopefully- to about four to six feet across but only be 12 inches tall) is a Microbiota Decussata; sounds like something you'd take for a nasty bacterial infection. It's also known as a Siberian (or Russian) Cypress and is the only plant in it's genus. It looks sort of like a juniper but lacier and softer. First thing I bought! (Except for a six pack of white pansies...)

And here's our window sill. It's definitely full of seedlings and germination is a big event. We started Nicotiana sylvestris, teasel, milk thistle, and I think Bob's got a million types of leeks, onions and scallions started- all members of the alium tribe. I have delphinium seeds prechilling in the freezer and am waiting for the next full moon to start four different single colors of delphinium. We're busy with gardening (in addition to many art project) and April is half over. Playing catch up as usual!

Bring Me A Shrubbery! (In The Miserable Month of May)

Well, today is beautiful, but I'm thinking the last few days. Saturday was so rainy and cold that I couldn't even consider planting any of the things that are languishing in pots. All of the flowers on my petunias and nicotiana are rotting off an look like frozen kleenex. I feel badly for garden center owners; it's Memorial Day and you're supposed to have everyone out buying and planting and it's the "safe planting" no frost date and it's miserable. But at least we didn't get snow like upper New York state! I'd move.
So I spent the day in my studio, which was refreshing. My whole studio, as pictured in the corner above, is full of plants hunkering down indoors and seedlings and things awaiting their germination. It's crowded but oxygen enriched. (That was supposed to be a photo of the pieces I'm at work on but I can't find them so I'll re-shoot and make that my next posting.) Between Bob and myself, we start many things from seed.
Today is really nice, so after I finish this I'll go back out and plant some more things. I got a couple of containers started (One needs major chunkiness; it looked too delicate for such a massive container.) I have a few more containers to adorn our deck with.
And then there's all the other perennials and things to plant... and lust after.
Have I mentioned that I am a complete plant addict? I cannot pass a nursery or garden center with stopping and most likely purchasing something. Yesterday, in my own form of botanical porn, I snapped pictures of things I'm currently pining for (pun intended as they're primarily evergreens.)

I want one of these. Yellow or gold, delicate needles... And one of these:

Tall and columnar and narrow. Like Juniper "Sky Pencil" (great name!). Even tighter column would be better. I have need of extreme verticality.
It occurred to me early this spring that I've truly never been able to plant permanent things like shrubs and trees.  And there are holes in my borders (and my life!) Big, empty dirty spots in my garden, singing out for truly year round interest.It was as if I suddenly understood what all those things at nurseries were, in larger pots beyond the annuals and perennials. Now I wander between them, coveting them all.
Look at these beauties:

So powder blue it's almost white! With little cones! Oooooohhh!
And look at these spruce! Like mumps!

Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Now I have to go take a cold shower! Thank Dog my birthday is coming up in July...