What's on my mind? September 16 and 17, 2018 Optimism

What's on my mind?

 
  Can you see the positive in your present situation?

Or is this your outlook on life? 

September 16th: the last Sunday of summer and it's sunny!

"Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet."

Roger Miller

September 17th: Remnants of Hurricane Florence today.

Ink and watercolor in my Jane Davenport Canvas Journal.

What's on My Mind? September 13, 14,and 15, 2018 Nature Journaling

Crickets and grasshoppers hopping into my life to bring joy and happiness.

There are more than 900 species of crickets. They are found in most parts of the world. This one is found in my garage.

A cousin to the cricket, the grasshopper, as an ancient chewing herbivorous insect, has been around for 250 million years.

I found these Monarch Butterfly wing parts near the Butterfly Garden at the North Museum of Nature and Science and glued them into my journal.

"Who cooks for you?" Who cooks for you all?" Drawing the Barred Owl, Strix varia, while nature journaling at the North Museum of Nature and Science with Carol and Pat.

Ink and watercolor in my Jane Davenport Canvas Journal.

What's on my mind? Nature Journaling September 11 and 12, 2018

What's on my mind?

I can not forget where I was, what I was doing, who I was with, and the concern I had for an extended family member in NYC on the day of the the 9/11 tragedy when so many lost their lives.

But somehow it was the silence in the sky when all the airplanes were grounded for 3 days that had a strange lasting impact on me. This year I represented the two towers with paper that I printed using shaving cream swirled with inks and paints. 

On the 12th I noted that it was both unusually warm and rainy for the first bit of September.

Collage, ink and watercolor in my Jane Davenport Canvas Journal.

What's on my mind? Nature Journaling September 8, 9, and 10, 2018

What's on my mind?

Sights and sounds of the season. 

Oh, Deer! They ate my sunflowers!

What do Jack-in-the-Pulpits look like in September? Now you know.

Come the middle of August and well into September, the Canada Geese queue up in their signature "V" formation and fly low over the yard, honking all the while.

I noticed today that more and more of them are meeting under the apple trees in the orchard across the street.

Ink and watercolor in my Jane Davenport Canvas Journal.

What's on my mind? September 7, 2018 Lady's Thumb...

What's on my mind?

Lots of this dainty pink flower blooming now. (Distinguished from Smartweed by the pubescence on the top of the ocrea).

Full Spread. Watercolors and Micron pen in my Jane Davenport Canvas Journal.

September 4, 2018 Tuesday is "Mars"day.

What's on my mind?

It's Tuesday evening. The bright red "star" in the southeast sky is actually the planet Mars. Mars in the sign of energy, action, and desire. 

A soul just new to the world today will be active, brave, enthusiastic, inpatient, courageous, and sometimes just a bit too fiery!

Full spread. Watercolor and Micron pen in my Jane Davenport Canvas Journal.

What's on my mind? September 5, 2018 Pink Pond Lilies...

What's on my mind?

This has been the summer of pink lilies at the frog pond.

Feel her optimistic spirit of all that is true and beautiful in the world. Receive peace, good fortune and enlightenment.

Full page spread done in watercolor and Micron pen in my Jane Davenport Canvas Journal.

September 6, 2018 What's on my mind? Stormy Florence...

What's on my mind?

Stormy Florence blossoms as she dances across the Atlantic.

Full Spread. Watercolors and Sakura Glaze pen with Schmineke Pale Gold dry gouache in my Jane Davenport Canvas Journal.

What's on my mind? September 4, 2018 The Moon at noon...

What's on my mind?

Consolarlunarity: 

 When the sun and moon are both visible in the sky during the day.

Consolarlunarity

Just because it's a common experience, it still deserves a name. Other common experiences have names. It's not uncommon to see the sunshine while there's a shower and that has a name, sun shower. So why shouldn't seeing the sun and the moon together in the sky have a name? Couldn't find one anywhere on the webber-net, so I had to make one up.

Consolarlunarity

Just a quick entry at the bottom of September 2nd and 3rd. Watercolors and Micron pen in my Jane Davenport Canvas Journal.

What's on my mind? September 2, 2018 The Sunflower Experience

What's on my mind?

Driving through the Lehigh Valley and caught a glimpse of Grim's Family Farm Sunflower Experience from the highway. Thought it might be a good place to sketch but the admission was $10 so I just doodled some sunflowers on the page when I got home.

Watercolor and Micron pen in my Jane Davenport Canvas Journal.

What's on my mind? September 1, 2018 The start of the meteorological autumn...

What's on my mind?

Family picnic in the pine grove along the Farmington River, People's Forest, Connecticut.

These trees were TALL!

Started coloring this page with colored pencil while riding in the car. Later added some watercolor. Watercolor, colored pencil, Micron pen in my Jane Davenport Canvas Journal.

What's on my mind? August 31, 2018 Tall yellow Prairie Coneflower

 What's on my mind?

This Prairie Coneflower growing next to the walkway at the Connecticut Condo is over 5 feet tall! Watercolor and Micron pen in my Jane Davenport Canvas Journal.

Full Spread

What's on my mind? August 29, 2018 Nature's paint brush...

What's on my mind?

Found a dark red Tupelo (Black Gum) leaf on the ground in the back yard. Both the Tupelo tree and the dragonfly on the August 30th journal page are Water Signs. The Sugar Maples in Connecticut have already been touched by Nature's paint brush: yellow, orange, and red. The Maple Tree holds the wisdom of balance, promise, and practical magic.

What's on my mind? August 30, 2018 A Golden Dragonfly...

What's on my mind?

This morning I was greeted by a Golden Dragonfly (Needham's Skimmer?) that invited me to explore my emotions in a light and joyful manner.

While walking with Blind Margaret, I spied a ball of black fur with a bit of white fur in the center. Looked like skunk fur but there wasn't any musky smell. Nature CSI: Did a skunk crossing the road get whisked away by a great-horned owl?

Watercolor and Micron pen in my Jane Davenport Canvas Journal.

What's on my mind: August 27th and 28th The Summer Birds...

What's on my mind?

From Ancient Greece to the Middle Ages some people thought that butterflies spontaneously arose from mud or that insects were transformed from one form into another through witchcraft.  

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Fritillary Butterflies spotted in the yard. Full journal page. Watercolor and Micron pen in my Jane Davenport Canvas Journal.

What's on my mind? August 26, 2018 Full Sturgeon Moon...

What's on my mind?

Full Moon Energy: Heal, Release, Move Forward.

Flowers of the Moon: Lunaria seed pods in the garden. Watercolor and Micron pen in my Jane Davenport Canvas Journal.

What's on my mind? August 23, 2018 Frog!

What's on my mind?

The green frog popped his head up and made an appearance today! Haven't seen him in a long while. Thought the garter snake had him for dinner. I also noticed there was one lily pad growing above the pond surface. Why is it doing that?

Watercolor and Micron pen in my Jane Davenport Canvas Journal.

What's on my mind? August 24, 2018 When destruction is a good thing...

What's on my mind?

YAY! The Milkweed plant is being eaten! Looked for Monarch larvae. Found what was probably first and second instars.

There was an adult Monarch nearby on the Coneflowers. Watercolor and Micron pen in my Jane Davenport Canvas Journal.