Flowers In Bloom!

I snapped a few pictures of some of my flowers the other day and wanted to share... I love watching the trees and plants come alive this time of year. Each little blossom warms my heart and gives me inspiration to carry into the studio.

Daffodils...

Snowdrops...

Hyacinth...

Some of these may pop up in my next Nature's Grace Lang calendar :)

A Visit with Claude

Claude Monet that is!

Well, not really (obviously)... but Joan, a designer at the studio, recently visited his home and gardens in Giverny! Her daughter Lauren is living in Paris, so she went to visit. Their pictures are so beautiful - see them below, and you too will feel like you have just visited with Claude himself!

I can just picture him gardening and walking around setting up his easel here and there. What a heavenly setup! I have read that he was a master gardener who loved flowers and let them grow untamed into lush, organic landscapes that outgrew their beds and created natural volume around his home. Simply gorgeous!

I know I am feeling very inspired - thank you for sharing your photos Joan!

Weekend Inspiration

Al and I spent last weekend at Bray's and I wanted to share a few photos from our nature walk with Bruce. He is the resident naturalist on the island and we always learn so much from our time exploring with him.

First we checked on the blue bird nests - aren't these eggs beautiful!?

Did you know that blue bird feathers are not actually blue? They are grey, but the light reflections make them appear blue. Also we learned that it is only an old wives tale that mother birds will abandon nests if they are touched.... not to worry!

There are so many beautiful blooms this time of year! We saw iris and wild azalea (pictured above) as well as trillium, jack in the pulpit and other flowering plants. Of course there were butterflies fluttering around too!

We also saw some skinks! These are large lizards, that kind

of look like snakes with little legs. Our German shorthair, Olive, caught one and popped the tail off... can you find the tail in the below picture?

It was a wonderful weekend of inspiration! You may see some of the above pictures in future sketchbook paintings... well, maybe not the skink!

The Angel Trumpet

For my birthday this year, my dear friend Annie gave me a plant. Although I trust Annie in all gardening endeavors, as she has a special touch with every flower and animal she encounters, I must say it did not look like much at first. It was even kind of scraggly. My husband Al called it a “poke salad” which is the term his father gave to an unsightly plant that grew on the farm when he was growing up. However, as we faithfully tended this plant (with much help from Annie herself) it has all of a sudden blossomed and is gorgeous, full of pink flowers. It is called an Angel Trumpet, and if you ever find one, I urge you not to judge it, as we did, at first glance! What a very special birthday gift this plant has become – Thank you, Annie!

Our Family's New Addition!

We have a new arrival on our farm! Bravo was born in the early morning hours last Sunday and she is beautiful! This Hanoverian filly's full name is "With Bravado" and she is already living up to her name and showing signs of becoming a strong and wonderful horse. Please click here to watch a video of some of Bravo's first steps.

The Winget Bird Sanctuary

With the lovely addition of our new bird feeder, we now have the beginnings of what I like to call a bird sanctuary in our yard. I love watching the birds as they flutter around and land for a nibble or as they play and splash in the water collected in our birdbath. I have a wonderful view every morning as I prepare for the coming day. The birds are very peaceful and seem so light-hearted… it really is a wonderful way to start the day!

Susan