NOT A PEEP!

I have not heard a 'peep' from these little yellow birds, so I still don't know who has been pecking on the foil wrapped chocolate eggs.   10% of the profits from the sale of this painting go to Heifer International.  www.heifer.org.  Just for fun go to www.peepresearch.org.  

Wooden Boat Festival 

The Wooden Boats are back on the St. John's River!  Every year the boats come back and cruise the river for about two weeks in March.  Today the boats are cruising the canals.  Here's one I was able to photograph as I took a break from painting in the studio.  Go to YouTube - 'Chris Craft boats on the St. John's River'  to see more of our beautiful area. 

SQUIRREL!

I've captured the orange eating squirrel!  Just kidding, I captured him on film going up the tree to bite into more oranges.  I have to pick the remaining good ones today so he doesn't ruin them all. 

Oranges

The squirrels are at it again!  They take one bite out of the juiciest orange and then jump to the next branch and bite the next one of their choice.  In the process the small unripe oranges and the new blossoms plummet to the ground.  10% of the profits go to Heifer International - not the squirrels.  www.heifer.org.

UNWRAPPED

Today I didn't know eggs-actly what to paint until I saw the weekly challenge on Daily Paint Works.
So this is what I painted for the 'Crumpled Paper Challenge.'  10% of the profits from the sale of this painting will be donated to Heifer International.  www.heifer.org. You can purchase it at www.dailypaintworks.com at auction starting 03/23/2012.

The Egg

This morning I found this 'tiny' egg on my outdoor kitchen windowsill.  The egg was broken and the lizard had not hatched out, so he/she had died inside the shell.  I don't know if it is a Green Anole Lizard (sometimes called the American Chameleon) or a Gecko.  The little guy is just to small to tell which species he/she might be.   We have plenty of both types of lizards in our yard,  but it was kind of sad to see this one would never have a chance to roam around. 

It is amazing to me that the ripening March oranges are still on the tree when the new orange blossoms appear.  

The new moon was last night and the very best time to plant the vegetable garden.  Busy this week with putting garden soil in the new raised garden beds.  Now the seeds are all planted with the full moon and new postings will show you the progress of the raised garden beds. 

Sunset Memory

Painting in plein air is so exciting!  You don't know if a storm will catch you in the middle of a field, a bull might charge you from afar, or a nest of irate fire ants will decide to attack while you are setting up your gear.  The most memorable outdoor painting adventure has none of the above, but instead includes a fellow painter to share the outdoor painting experience.  This painting 'Sunset Memory' included oil painter, Lori.  (www.loriberinger.com)  We painted together for one wonderful week in beautiful Central Florida on the banks of the St. John's River.  

Nestled

Several years ago I was able to go to the Britex Fabric Store in San Francisco, CA.  What a thrill this was for me since I love fabric.  Three floors of fabric!  Each floor had every wall stacked with fabric from the floor to the almost thirty foot ceilings.  Library ladders propelled the clerks to the fabric you picked out. The fabric bolts were in every color of the rainbow and every type.  Wool, silk, satin, linen, and cotton fabrics, ribbons, sequins, buttons, and thread.  What a treat!  You can now buy the fabric online, but if you are in San Francisco you should go into the store; it is stunning to see all that fabric in one place. Located right by the trolley turn around at 146 Geary Street.
Today I painted these three eggs nestled in some fantastic fabric I purchased when I visited the Britex Fabric Store.