Feathered Sunshine

Finches in general have a beautiful song.  We would always have several of them when I lived up in Pennsylvania every year.  Where as they're small birds, their bright yellow colors always made them easy to spot in the crowd of sparrows and chickadees.  They also have a very distinct flight pattern, so even if you can't catch the yellow across the sky, you can follow the wave like pattern...flap flap flap drop flap flap flap drop flap flap flap drop.  I'm not sure why that always amused me as a child, but I thought it was the funniest way to fly.

This goldfinch is perched on a branch of dogwood.  I haven't seen any since I've moved to the island, but I'm hoping that one of these days, I'll spot one amongst the birds that visit the museum gardens.

Writing Spider

As I believe I had stated before, I'm not fond of spiders.  I personally have a strong dislike for the 8 legged creatures, even if I understand where they fit in the ecosystem.  However, we have very large visitors to our porch every year that I've become quite accustomed to.  We have several writing spiders grace us with their presences every year.  And while they are on the large size of spiders, I've gotten to kind of like them.  I still don't like them that close to me, or would be willing to hold one...but I've stopped trying to swat it with a broom.  They make huge webs, with a thick zig-zag pattern down the center.  Every now and then, we catch them bouncing up and down like they're using their web as a trampoline.  I'm not sure whether they're trying to attract bugs, test the strength of their work, or just having a bit of fun.

Bobcat's, the Before and After

Sometimes, when I see older works I've done, I'm inspired to give it another shot.  The first feline portrait I did, was brought about by a friend who had an affinity for bobcats.  Fur was kind of difficult to get down, especially with how much white is in the animal.  So I wasn't thrilled with it, but it was a first good step in the right direction.


A year later, I was going through my stock and decided to give it another shot.  I found a loverly image of a bobcat munching on a fish, so while I didn't want a muzzle full of fish ick...the photo was a beautiful close up.  So I took it and ran with it.  It's fun to see the changes that occur over the course of just a year.  I'm excited to see how much it will change over the next 12 months!

Unikite spheres with coconut heishi

Detail

Bobcats are strange little furballs though.  Compact powerhouses yet just as agile as a housecat.  Well...maybe not quite as agile.  They do make quite a "whomph" when they land.  While I'm still not convinced they can be easily mistaken for fat domestic cats, there are certainly enough of their half-breeded offspring floating around.

Mosquito Assassins

Every year, we have a mosquito problem.  All it takes is a few drops of rain, and the little suckers come out of seemingly nowhere to feast on the unprepared.  Nature's solution?  The dragonfly.  And last year, we got TONS of them!  Every shape and size too.

They were welcomed friends to be seen at the start of every season, eating as many little mosquitoes as they can.  They seem to hover almost effortlessly through the thick humid air of summer.  Landing on your skin just long enough to make eye contact before streaking through the air again, as if to remind you that they are working hard on the problem.

And just a little bit of a side note, I've been blessed to have been able to have this feather purchased by a very dear friend to be a gift for her mother.

While the dragonflies take care of the daylight hours, the night is a different story.  While we don't seem to have many of them, we do have a few bats to take care of the night shift.  These wonderful little creatures eat more than their weight in mosquitoes every night!  There's still so many people who fear these little winged friends.

Getting over the fear of bats can mean looking deep into the dark.  They're strange creatures, some of them don't even need their eyes to see, and they're the stuff of horror films.  But when it comes down to it, they're truly wonderful little creatures that are just built specifically for their environment.  They're not scary, or ugly, or vicious, they're wonderful little animals that are just their to do their job.

From an Ocean's Song

Living on a tiny sandbar in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, you quickly realize that you belong more to the Atlantic Ocean, than you belong to the mainland.  Going out and walking on the sand can be one of the most spiritual experiences.  No matter how long the day, or how bad the experiences, the ocean has the most incredible ability to wash away all the sorrow.  She doesn't fix your problems, she doesn't tell you the answers, she just sings her strange melody and calms the very essence of your being.

I know I can't put how the ocean sounds to me through a painting, but I wanted to try.  Even when the sky is without a moon, the stars shine bright enough for you to find your way without needing to carry an artificial light with you.  In the off season of the Outer Banks, the houses along the shore remain dark.  We have very few street lights when you get towards the end of Hatteras Island.  Most, if not all, of the shops are closed after 8:00 or 9:00.  There are very few things to take away from the beauty of the stars that shine bright enough to highlight the crests of the waves.

And when the moon is full, it creates an almost surreal feeling.  While the beach is full of people during the summer, it's still much quieter as the night creeps further on.  There's an occasional fisherman, or young couple cuddling by the fire, but even they seem to sense the change in the ocean's temperament.

The moonlight is enough for you to find large shells and spot crabs easily.  It casts a silver edging to the waves; they look more like mercury than water.  And the last edges of sunlight cast the red and purple hues across the horizon, there's not much to match it.

I once had a whole series of these, though, not smart enough to take more photos when I had the chance.  One of each phase of the moon, as well as a blood moon...which is incredible over the ocean I might add.