Treasures from the trail ...

We've been experiencing unseasonably warm weather ...

breaking records

being the lover of Winter that I am makes me so grateful for a little spot

I know of where there was still {albeit a mall amount} of snow ♥

So  headed out to the woods and one of my favourite trails ...

I had my camera,  packed picnic lunch,

along with a very happy black Labrador, and off we went ...

no coincidence that we stumbled across this snowy heart

the only bit of snow left on a very muddy trail

my "favourite" {dare I say} :-) tree

but this old Oak tree is a beauty

and where most of the acorns I gather in the Autumn are gifted from

entangled ♥

lots of puddles for Archer to run through

~he was in his glory!

sunny reflections in puddles

and then into the woods

and fairie houses

and snow

~so many sweet quirky little creations found ... you are sure that little fairies have been busy ~

bliss

hard to see in the photo, but there is a little "arbour"

one of the things I love about the snowy trails is  that there is always prints left

often deer, rabbit and bird prints can be spotted

and the occasional "tree" :-D

heart shadows

Happy Monday/ Family Day

♥

Journal making

One of the journals I created using the brown paper that covers my art table ♥

{ front cover}

I have a box of little treasures & went through it looking for an embellishment. I found one of my Diary keys from my teen years ~ tied on with a ribbon

{back cover}

the elastic is recycled & cut to the width I wanted

I added a few envelopes ~ front and back  as I love to save "stuff" :-D

Perfect for holding little inspiration/affirmation cards

I created it fauxdori style ... with elastic to hold sheets of paper .

Started out with a dozen, but more can be added as I need them.

It will be my 2017 garden journal.

Just the cover alone makes me think of my English country garden and

the old fashioned perennials that I {and the birds/butterflies/bees} love so much!

"Fill your paper

with the breathings

of

your heart"

~William Wordsworth~

When it snows ...

What a thrill it was to have one more snowfall ♥

We woke to a winter wonderland yesterday  and the flakes continued to fall all day long!

Our garden was filled with birds for the entire day ...

feeders had visitors on each and every perch ...

sparrows

red cardinals

black capped chickadees

nuthatch

turtle doves

blackbirds

jays

robins

lots of squirrels

... and our sweet garden rabbits

we loved watching them move about our garden

fallen seeds were happily eaten while waiting for space at the feeders

Mr. Cardinal stood out of course wearing his gorgeous red ♥ coat

and Mrs. Cardinal is always close by

I love the little heart shape found at the top of the twig ~ do you see it?

"Softly, like thoughts,

that come and go,

the snowflakes fall,

each one

a gem"

~William Hamilton Gibson~

honey flower xo

we have a space carved out just for honey flower under our pergola ~ it is here that she will nestle when it rains and/or the weather turns cold .

We can see her here from our kitchen window.

"A snowflake

is one of God's most fragile creations,

but look what they can do

when they stick together!"

~Unknown~

On our woodland walk, we were thrilled to come across a field full of Robins!

We did a very quick count as they flew ... 24 ... but there were many more I'm sure

And

our fellow snow lover ~ Archer xo

Thankful {things I love} Thursday ...

My art table is an old drop leaf walnut Duncan Phyfe.

I found it many years ago with a "free to good home/ take me" sign taped to it.

,just about everything  in my sparrow studio was found either curbside, or at garage sales, auction, our local animal shelter shop.

Even though my table didn't cost a penny, I've always covered it over with

brown paper wrap to catch any spills that may happen while painting.

The paper doesn't just gather paint splatter as  I will often do a quick pencil sketch while I'm painting, or jot down a thought that pops into my head ... a quote I may hear on the radio ... When stamping, I will first stamp on the brown  paper before actually adding it to my painting or journal ...

so many times, I've looked down at the paper and thought

"it's a piece of art in itself"

Intuitive painting

♥

and on closer inspection,  I will see so many lovely patterns in the "splashes"

... and birds ... there are always birds :-D

In the past, I've repurposed the paper by cutting it up into bits and pieces and creating cards and envelopes, seed packages, book marks, cards for my altar space,

mini inspirational cards {if you live in my neck of the woods, you may just find one that I've left along the walking trail ... a little love & hello from the sparrows and me) xo

cards

and matching envelopes

to say hello

and seed packages to hold "friendship seeds" gathered from my garden ♥

***

I paint objects

as I think them,

not as I see them

~Picasso~

Rooted yet Surging ...

{rooted yet surging}

~ new painting available in my Etsy shop~

birds * trees * roots

~some of my favourite things~

"I never saw a discontented tree.

They grip the ground

as though they liked it

and though fast rooted,

they travel about

as far as we do"

~John Muir~

{one of my favourite trees in Stratford, Ont}

"A great free joy

surges through me when I work ...

with tense slashes

and a few thrusts

the beautiful white fields

receive their colour and the work is finished

in a few minutes"

~Clyfford Still~

What do you see ?

{home again}

Happy February ♥

I thought I would share 3 new  paintings today.

Each a little more abstract than my usual paintings

but I love to just sit and paint every once in a while

with absolutely nothing in mind but the pure joy of paper/canvas/paint.

Ironically however, I can find the image of a bird ... this was really just a movement of paint and paper as when doing any abstract work I always move my paper/canvas about.

When I turned the paper one more time, there she was ♥ and the title for the print came to me at the same time.

{ Sweet bird arrives in a garden of flowers in bloom and professes "Home Again"}

That wonderful feeling of bliss returning to the comforting sights you have missed.

{I am grounded}

Similarly with I am grounded.

What I love about abstract art is it's interpretation is left to the viewer more than other art.

~what do you see?~

{entangled}

twisting roots* locking hands* intertwined fingers* embracing arms* ~ there is such a warm feeling of safety, of connection ... a belonging in the entanglement. The dance of Life ♥

Prints can be found in my Etsy shop

vintage sparrow studio

{link is on my blog sidebar}

***

I see

Spirit

in everything.

Peace

is at hand.

~Jonathan Lockwood Huie~