Lovely Purple Pansies

We bought some lovely grandiflora pansies at a garden center this spring, and planted them in big containers on the back patio. This is one of them. I love the color. Pansies are one of my most favorite flowers.

The first photo shows an awesome overview we had of the Colorado River in the Canyonlands NP in southeastern Utah. The seond photo depicts a sturdy spring flower surviving in the arid and harsh lands of The Arches NP. With minimal rainfall, the vegetation that grows in this area is very slow growing and coarse. This little yellow flower was hugging the side of the steep climb we endured to get to the top of one of the view points. Worth the climb, but I had to rest often. I'm very old, you know. :)

Canyonlands

We visited the gorgeous Canyonlands NP over the weekend, with our daughter and her family. The weather was perfect and the scenery was breathtaking.

This is a photo of one of the longest natural rock bridges in the world.

Frog in Graphite

Today I got out my woodless graphite pencils and enjoyed sketching again. I sketched a frog that is in one of my resource books on animals. It felt good and natural to sketch again.

Combining Graphite Art and Fabric Art

I've ALWAYS sewn, it seems like. My dear mother taught me to sew everything under the sun (she was a 4-H leader for many years). I sewed my clothes, my children's clothes, my grandchildren's clothes, knitted clothing and afghans, crocheted everything I could find a pattern for and created my own patterns, and created and made dolls and animals from yarns and fabric. I LOVE to do that. Then I discovered the fine arts. I was consummed by it..... I've exhibited oils, watercolors, and graphite landscapes and botanical and stilllife and won several awards. My fine art work is included in the private collections in New York, Chicago, Florida, California, Idaho, Utah, Texas, etc. I love to work in graphite and find the botanicals (flowers, animals, etc) to be my favorites. The Missouri Botanical Conservatory exhibited my work of orchids one summer for several months. The prestigous Galleria in Toronto, Canada, exhibited my works last year for several months.

I find that I can sketch fabric art and love it. Life is fun for this senior citizen.

Music

I LOVE music. I LOVE to sing, play the piano (I've owned several including a $10,000 upright grand, play the organ (I've owned several including a Wirlitzer), play the clarinet in marching bands and concert bands, conducted choirs, sung solos in competitions and won. Music has always been a big part of my life. UNTIL I lost my hearing at the age of 65. Now my music is in my head and heart..... nonstop. I can sing a hymn while typing this.... it is that easy for me.

When our precious only son died suddenly, the only things I could think of were hymns. I found myself sketching a picture and writing my favorite hymn under it. I put this is his casket and I'm glad I did. It felt right.

Recently, one of my extremely talented grandsons, inherited my old metal clarinet because he and his brother both have lots of MUSIC in them. I'm thrilled!

WebShots Albums of Flowers

I'm adding the link to the web shots albums of flowers that I've had for years. I love photographing flowers of all kinds.

http://community.webshots.com/user/bkbrown1939?vhost=community

Pansies

I love pansies. All shapes and colors. Here are a couple of my favorites that I entered into competions and won awards for.

Princess Foggy Ready for Play

Little Princess Froggy has her new play outfit on and keeps her litle lily-pad security blanket close to her at all times. Today is filled with sunshine and happy moments chasing her favorite little bugs across the sand.

She'll practice hopping and sticking her little tongue out, too. Of course, the best part of this day will come when her best friend from Elf Village comes over to play. She can hardly wait to show her the new cattails growing at the end of Emerald Pond.
Photos courtest of naturalist photographer - Laura Henry

Baby Frog Doll

Yesterday was a creative day. I couldn't find any patterns that I liked, so I created my own pattern for a little cloth baby frog. She gets her baby outfit today. Since she lives in Emerald Pond south of Dreamland, and she is the precious little baby daughter of Prince Charming III, she lives a sheltered life. Sunshine and blue skies, lots of little flies to eat, and loads of warm sand to hop around on, fill her life. She's not quite sure what to do with the little crown her father gave her, so she keeps it close to her favorite thing, her lily-pad baby blanket.