Groundhog Day - Friday, February 2, 2024

Phil the Groundhog (from the town whose name no one can spell) did not see his shadow this morning.  I hope our resident groundhog keeps his butt in his burrow this morning, for I am D-O-N-E with winter, and the sun is shining here.

Yesterday after talking to my sister about bird paintings, I painted a pair of bluebirds with watercolors.  As with the first colored pencil drawing, I could not decide how to do the background.  After looking at some online pictures - photographs as well as drawings - I decided to put the birds in a peach tree and surround them with abstract pink blossoms.  It looks awful, reminds me of Victorian cabbage rose wallpaper.  I am going to start a third version today, and regardless of how it turns out, I am going to give ALL of the renderings to my sister, including the bluejay.  

Want to know what the worst part of this is?  My sister's friend's son is an artist and a former art teacher.  He will critique my work.  He will probably give me an F.  ;)

But this adventure has been instructive.  If nothing else, I learned to how to paint cabbage rose wallpaper. 

I have decided to do the bluebirds with colored pencils, not watercolor.  This weekend, we are going to watch Granddaughter #1 at her equestrian event.  It will be a long road trip, so I may take my pencils and work on it in the car.  

* * * * * * * * 

You will not believe the story I am about to tell you, but it is 100% true.  Make of it what you will.  ;)

Lately, I've been moderately fixated on honeybees.  For years, I've worried about them, as a species, because if they struggle, we will, too.  I've been using them in my artwork, trying to learn to draw and paint and embroider them for different projects.  I plant flowers for them.  But, like the bluejays, I rarely get to see them up close and personal.  

Yesterday was a nice day, and so I propped the back porch screen doors open to let in some fresh air.  (The porch is wrapped in clear vinyl for the winter.)  As I was sitting here, surfing bluebird images, I heard a buzz and looked around to find a honeybee bouncing his way across the porch screens, trying to fly.  He bounced all the way around the porch, and when he got to the door near me, instead of flying out, he skipped the opening and resumed his bouncing on the screen about five feet from me.

I said, out loud, "I wish you'd be still so I could get a good look at you."  And he landed and went still.  I looked him over and said, "Ok, you can go now."  He started buzzing again, and turned around, and flew RIGHT AT MY FACE.  I leaned sideways, but he kept coming, and I waved my hand and said, out loud, "No!  Get out!" And he hovered for a second then zoomed right out the door, like he had known where it was all along.  

. . . . 

Ok, yes, I need to get out more.  ;)