Things have been happening

I'm nearly done with this year's painting for the Portland Audubon Society Fundraiser.

Then as a relief from careful painting, I started painting this.

And there was still a bit of black paint left, so I finished this off. It is #8 from the 100 Paintings Project (I'm up to 12, but a few need a bit more, and I will wait to post them in order).

TAST 1: Fly Stitch

Last time I mentioned that I had belatedly encountered Sharon B's Take a Stitch Tuesday and felt compelled to trail along behind. Today I finished the first one, fly stitch.


It's on blue linen, two scraps pieced together and stitched with DMC. The purple really doesn't show well on my monitor (#814) and the cloth itself is really a bit darker. I think some of the pattern attempts would work better on evenweave fabric; I do like using fly stitch for plant-like things. (I opted for a slightly worse photo with slightly better color; may try re-photographing if I get energetic.)

And a bonus picture from a walk a few weeks ago - I wish the stalks/stems hadn't been in the way, but otherwise I really like the colors, especially in the ripples:

Another project! And a plethora of pictures.

This is the embroidery that was the antidote to the math embroidery. I started it Monday and sewed the last few beads on Friday! It has to be a record. (Blue linen, DMC embroidery floss and beads, 2 1/2 x 3 3/8 inches.)



I've been kind of hankering to do an owl for a while, and a week ago I realized it would be now. I didn't actually expect this particular owl, but that's what happens sometimes.

Speaking of birds, I've been watching the heron family in the park next to where I work. I have a bunch of pictures - the nest pictures aren't really much to look at, but a few times I've been lucky to find a heron parent hunting. This one is from yesterday.



I continued my walk, and hit the avian jackpot - for I was passing the heron tree just as a heron parent swooped in for a landing: feeding time! It was a prolonged and raucous affair. The youngsters truly sounded like dinosaurs as they clamored and squabbled and jostled and flapped. (They used to sound like hoarse geese.) (Horse goose? That must be worse than a pig dog.)

Then when I got home, the light was just right to inspire a quick bit of photography. I made these a few years ago, and I still enjoy them. They consist of birch twigs, abaca paper (handmade by me!) and linen thread.



To completely round out this post, a nap kitty photo. (She's still grounded, and she is way calmer. I may allow bathtub again soon.)



I could have titled this post "The Owl and the Pussycat!"