thankful {things I love} thursday ...

cardinal couples

nests

beautiful in every season

pieces of art in themselves

Archer ~ my love

unconditional

x

snow glistening like diamonds

and tree branch shadows

the serenity of the woods

& the deep love , respect and connection I feel for mother earth...

shared in my newest painting

bound to you

crow * owl * badger * hare * moon *trees

the "story" became more of a love note

I am bound to you

heart and soul

living fully

brave and bold

sky watcher

earth walker

tree hugger

bird talker

bound to you

body and mind

precious *mother earth*

you leave daily treasures for me to find

how you nourish me

in simple, gentle ways

a cooling breeze, sky filled with clouds

warmth on my neck ... Namaste

in gratitude, I bow...

you keep me grounded

keep me aware

keep me well rounded

I am bound to you

in every move I make

I walk you gently

giving back more than I take

© deb dunn

catching dreams ...

Walking through the woods with Archer ... on a very cold January afternoon, the beauty of our surroundings kept me from thinking of the cold {although I was thankful for my warm jacket, hat, gloves and boots which allowed me to stay out longer}

"Like walking a dream" crossed my mind amongst the tall trees as snowflakes danced in the air.

Each snowflakes pattern could be seen on Archers beautiful black fur...

Oh how I adore January and this sacred walking space ...

I held my hand out, palm up to gather a scattering of falling flakes ... dream catcher ...

& then I thought ...

How often do/have  we place our dreams in the hands of others?

Here's to being our own dream catcher!

***

Little girls with dreams

become women with vision

"Your dreams are a poetic reflection

of your soul's wishes.

Be courageous enough

to follow them"

~Dr. Steve Maraboli~

If your dreams don't scare you

maybe they're not big enough!

"Never settle.

Fight for 

the life

the career

the dreams

the love

that you deserve"

~Mandy Hale~

Happy Dreaming!

d x

New Year ... New Painting ...

Happy New Year 

***

I have so many ideas for paintings

{and like my guiding word, they are just waiting to flow ...}

I am so  looking forward to painting my thoughts & dreams & visions

& seeing them come to life on paper.

Santa knows me well {and I must have been on his 'good girl' list

as lots of new brushes, paints and paper were under the Christmas tree for me this year.

~Walking Hibernation~

the first painting of 2018

polar bear & yearling cub, trees, ice & frosty branches, moon wisdom, nature loving woman, cloudy blue skies ...

mixed with lots of love and gratitude

"Silent world,

I find myself,

glad no one hears my thoughts.

In dark cocoon, I hibernate,

yet spirit spills every thought.

A second chance to try again.

The risks I know too well.

Two sunsets

turning into six~

awaits tomorrows will"

~Giroge Leedy~

the woods, the wind & the wild ...

With all the busyness of this magical season,

I need to carve out time for a few things ...

time to paint

& my time in the woods  :-D

Not surprisingly, the two go hand in hand for me as most of my ideas come to me as I walk quietly and mindfully  with my sweet lab Archer. Both taking in the serenity of the woods and Archer enjoying off leash time where he can walk and wander {though he never strays too far from my side}.

Time with the trees, the birds {such sweet bird song being the only sounds heard}, a gentle breeze on my cheeks, crisp ground under my feet, and when I am really lucky, the occasional rabbit and deer

~ bliss xo

As I walked the woods the other day, I could picture in my mind this painting ...

I was walking the painting ...

and feeling the words ...

She needs this quiet time. Bringing her thoughts & worries to the woods 🌲the wind * the wild 🍃🌿. With each gust of wind & drift of snow ❄️she feels the cobwebs 🕸loosen & clear from her mind. Her eyes watering from the cold, she closes them, each blink bringing clarity 🙏🏻. The trees stand strong. The birds sing. The animals rest. She feels at peace. Surrounded by love and her connection to the woods, the wind & the wild. x ~ my love for the woods, wind & wild in a painting

peace & love,

deb

Take it to the trees ...

Sunday Serenity

forest walking

tree talking

"How dear the woods are!

You beautiful trees!

I love every one of you as a friend"

~Lucy Maud Montgomery~

"Alone with myself,

the trees bend

to caress me.

The shade

hugs my heart"

~Candy Polgar~

"Now we enter the ancient wood.

In which wild forms the gnarled and mossy boughs

are twisted, what a sensation

of sacred repose"

~Henry James Slack~

"He envied the bark,

which had been,

in the course of a lifetime,

both forest

and

fire.

One endured; one destroyed"

~Karen Joy Fowler~

seeing things clearly

and quietly

"I never saw a discontented tree.

They grip the ground as they liked it,

and though fast rooted,

they travel about as far as we do"

~John Muir~

"Knowing trees

I understand the meaning of patience.

Knowing grass

I appreciate persistence.

~Hal Borland~

a heart like a wildflower ♥

cabbage white butterflies ...

those who have followed my blog over the years {thank you xo}

will remember our beautiful black labs

Bentley & Ernest ♥♥

when they passed, we would be followed by a cabbage white butterfly

on our woodland walks ...

they became a little "nudge" to us ... letting us know they were alright

and still walking the woods with us in spirit...

finding 2 cabbage whites is always a special spiritual sign xo

blooms and butterflies

in love

fields of coneflowers

bee haven

and the serenity of water

such beauty fluttering around us

wildflower "nests"

daucus carota

queen anne's lace

wild carrot

bishop's lace

but I prefer birds nest :-D

joy and freedom along the path

kinhin

{walking meditation}

Kiss the Earth

Walk and touch peace every moment

Walk and touch happiness every moment

Each step brings a fresh breeze

Each step makes a flower bloom

Kiss the Earth with your feet

Bring the Earth your love and happiness

The Earth will be safe

when we feel safe in ourselves

~Thich Nhat Hanh~

wherever

you stand

be * the * soul

of that place

~Rumi~

I hope you are blessed

with a heart

like a wildflower.

Strong enough

to rise again

after being trampled upon,

tough enough

to weather the worst

of Summer storms,

and able to grow

and flourish

even in the most

broken places

~Nikita Gill~

treasures from the trail ...

I'm always writing about my love & fascination/admiration with trees

{here on the blog & over on my Instagram account}  -

and how my gathering bag is always filled {as well as pockets} with woodland

finds on our daily walks with Archer.

We have a large bowl on our coffee table that holds my gatherings and where I put them when we arrive home & it is gloriously filled to the brim. Each season brings with it different types of gatherings ~ acorns * pinecones* skeleton leaves * leaves of changing colours* branches * twigs* bark* feathers * rocks*

I also have a weaving/mixed media fabric art wall hanging in my Sparrow studio & I will often tuck in small pieces of  bark, skeleton leaves & feathers that I find here {she is looking really lovely with all her adornments} :-D

I thought I would show some of the ways I use my finds & what I do with some of them.

"The diversity of the phenomena of Nature

is so great,

and the treasures hidden in the heavens

so rich,

precisely in order that the human mind shall never be lacking

in fresh nourishment"

~Johannes Kepler~

I recently found some wonderfully shaped branches

faces were painted

and then larger pieces of bark were added to the back

wrapped with twine & a loop added to the back for hanging

I'm always drawn to and love branches where knots have fallen leaving  natural holes behind

these I've created into little

sparrow spirit sticks

each painted with a nature inspired sentiment/word

wrapped with fabric/twine/ribbons

and embellished with beads

and some with found feathers

"Nature is man's teacher.

She unfolds her treasures to his search,

unseals his eye,

illumines his mind,

and purifies his heart,

an influence breathes from all the sights and sounds

of her existence"

~Alfred Billings Street~

"You will find something

more in woods

than in books.

Trees and stones

will teach you

that which you can never learn from masters"

~St. Bernard~

***

I hope you find some lovely treasures from the trail on your walks too.

d xo