Looking for Spring?

My mother in law called on Monday just as I was out in the yard, phone in pocket, camera in hand, taking some photos of the amazing things happening in my yard. She said that in Pennsylvania, there had just been new snow and it was sleeting. Eegads... I sure felt blessed to be out in the sunshiny 70 degree weather of North Carolina and enjoying the first day of a promising spring season. And it made me realize that so many of my web friends are still in the throes of winter. So I decided to share some of those photos I took the other morning, as well as a couple from over the weekend. Hope it brings cheer and hope to those of you who still are experiencing the cold weather of winter.

                                               Apple Tree Blossoms

The Many Faces of Daffodils

Our Peach Tree, still hanging on with one branch of blossoms

Pear Tree Blossoms

Our Much-Loved Home

And what would March be without kite-flying on a Sunday afternoon?

Here's to spring, rebirth, colors, and hope!

Finding Fine Art in Spring

This year on Etsy, I was accepted into a new team... Finding Fine Art. It's a terrific group of fine artists who sell original work and who work together in a variety of ways to support each other.

Here is what this team is all about: The Finding Fine Art team was created to provide a unique shopping experience for fine art collectors seeking original art on Etsy. Members of the team are visual artists with outstanding, gallery quality original artwork, a high level of professionalism and presentation, and a positive standing in the Etsy community. Buyers are encouraged to look through our members list to discover new artists or search the tag “findingfineart” on Etsy for a dazzling, virtual gallery experience.

I spent some time looking through the amazing art this team has created and decided to feature some work here... with a theme of spring, of course, in honor of the first day of spring. I considered subject, color, and title, and came up with this mix of abstract and realism, watercolors, oils, and acrylics. Follow the link to see the work up close in the artist's Etsy shop.

Wild Garden by JessicaTorrant
Renovation by heronkate

Ladies in Spring Rain by karensfineart

Spring Fantasy by watermediaworks

Happily Ever After by aliherrmann

Spring Scene by PrankePaintings

Signs of Spring by MDaisleyMoffitt

Little Chick by WaterInMyPaint
Stay tuned for more fine art... and until then, enjoy the new life growing all around us, and kiss the ones you love.

Spring, Oh Spring!

It's just around the corner, at least for some of us. I found these in my garden yesterday evening and was so joyous that I danced a little jig and clapped my hands in delight!


So this morning I took my dog Foster outside with me and we did a little tour of the yard to check on things and take photos.





Because I wanted to celebrate my joy, I painted a new watercolor specifically for this gorgeous buttery yellow and blue frame... Spring Bunting has been listed on Etsy. It's small, perfect for a shelf or table top, measuring in outer dimensions just 4.5 x 5.5inches.


Until next time, love the season you're in, have hope, and be kind!

Harbinger of Spring

Or Prophet of Snow?

On Friday we noticed large flocks of birds in the yard... cardinals and robins, mostly, feeding on the ground and flying up into the pear tree. I exclaimed, "Oooh... harbingers of spring!!" My husband wryly said, "Nope, predictors of snow." Sure enough, that night snow fell, albeit not much, just enough to make everything pretty with a powdered-sugar coating. Yet some of it remained on the ground throughout the weekend since our temperatures stayed mighty cold.

Yesterday morning I noticed much movement outside the window beside my computer desk, and there, filling the two persimmon trees were more robins, joined by cedar waxwings, feasting on the last remaining persimmons in the top-most branches. (Our dogs have enjoyed the fruits that have fallen to the ground for the past several weeks.) So, again the question... harbinger of spring or prophet of snow? Alas, it's not spring yet. Snow is falling again today; weather predictions have varied, so I'm simply waiting to see what happens throughout the day and tonight. But in the meantime, I know that the birds are out there and that spring can't be too far behind!

Breath of Spring... Renewal of Life

Our pear tree came to life this week with a zillion white blossoms and a million bees buzzing through the branches. This is a tree that my husband refers to as our "tree of Mordor" because it is unsightly in its shape, having taken a beating several years ago in a bad storm. For a while, we thought it would not even survive. Its uppermost branches are forever barren, only good for the hummingbirds who like to perch there in the summer, surveying the area from such a height while resting for a few moments. This spring, however, it's a glorious thing shining there in the middle of the yard in the daylight and the dusk and the moonlight, radiating pure white light and wonder and mystery, a sign, to me, of God's goodness and the goodness of this earth, an ever-present symbol of hope and energy and renewal.

Light and Life: A Few New Pieces

Finally we've had some sun and some warmer temps to help melt the remaining ice-encrusted snow we still have on our ground. For the past two mornings, I took advantage of the wonderful light and photographed some new jewelry, which I've begun listing in the Etsy shop.

Spring Blooms


Summer Sky

The Trinity... three pieces in one



Earth and Sky



Here's to spring colors, light, life, and sunshine!

Signs of Spring: Tuesday's Treasures

Surely it can't be much longer, not when you go out in the melting snow and find daffodil shoots seeking out sun and warmth, as I found on Sunday afternoon. Definitely a welcome sight!

After our last round of snow and ice on Friday and Saturday, we were without power for just shy of 48 hours, the storm wreaking havoc on our county and the ice covering the pines and hardwoods all throughout our area and especially on the tops of the mountains. All over these country roads you can find evidence of the pine trees really taking a hit; many of them fell across the road and will now become wood for campfires for the upcoming hiking and camping season. Here are a couple photos from our brief excursion on Sunday, before we went out to collect more firewood:




But... what I really wanted to show you today are these wonderful pieces from Etsy shops, all of which give us hope that spring will surely arrive, and it won't be too soon for me!

A beautiful altered photograph by dahliahousestudios...

Metal art and wallhanging by frivoloustendencies...

A happy little painting by loveartworks, who typically works in clay...

Ah... bicycles are surely a sign that warmer days are coming, by studio1212...

And finally, fun flowery earrings by wildwomanjewelry...

Until next time, remember to buy handmade and shop Etsy!