loads of snow and lots of ice

 It's the beginning of March.  Still, there is snow piled on top of snow.  Hard-packed layers that will take much time and plenty of warm weather to melt.

Deep snow.  I love the marshmallow shapes  created both by wind and snow plows.

The temperatures alternate between above and below the freezing mark.  Some of the snow has melted, but colder weather comes back.  Now there are big patches of slippery, shiny ice.  Battles which will inevitably lead to the death of winter into new energy and growth from the strength and warmth of the sun.

 I love the energies of nature.   I rarely venture out without my camera.  It's an obsession of many years.  I must have a gazillion photos that no one ever seen.  Photography is the anatomy of composition that expresses the beauty of this world.

frozen Buttermilk Bay

The tide retreating from the beach.  The ice is like a ghostly remnant of time.  The past, present and inevitable future.


Electric Avenue Beach.  A few blocks from home.

A good reminder that the water is shallow at low tide.  Diving could be quite dangerous.

post-blizzard barbecue

The day after the big winter snow storm.  Such a glorious day for a picnic!  Sunscreen suggested against the blinding snow.  No stinging mosquitos or pesky flies.













This marks the 700th posting on my blog.

Winter Storm Juno

Yesterday, in the midst of winter storm Juno, I trekked the 4 blocks to the beach.  This was before the snowplows could clear the roads, so it took about half an hour to get there with the snow up at my thighs.  The wind gusts were at least 60 m.p.h. while the snow blew sideways.  I love extreme winter weather like this!

Electric Avenue beach on Buttermilk Bay in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts.

a box of rocks

Rocks from the shoreline.

fun with three-dimensional art

This is four layers of art, each floating above the other.  Having two inches of depth gives plenty of room for the spacing of layers.  I just love making 3D art.  With layers, it's like Photoshop gone 3D.

8 x 10 x 2".  Bristol board, watercolor, color pencils, ink, plastic straws and Elmer's glue.  I've yet to come up with a name for it, which is unusual for me.

Side angle view.  This shows the layers a bit more clearly.

light-up art

"Fishing Around" is the name of this art.  The idea is very metaphysical; exploring the universe and it's energies.

This art is made of three layers of painted masonite board.  Between the raised layers is a string of lights, which in effect, backlight the art between the layers.  In daylight it is bold and graphic. In the dark it's ambient light becomes etherial and dream-like.

I always create such art while working outside.  This piece was made at least ten years ago.  At the moment, I have no place to work outside, so smaller 3D art made of paper are created in my studio.

There is an actual string connected from the fishing pole to the fishing hook on the edge of the art.  This was exhibited and sold during an art show.

I always create large art outside instead of my little studio.  This is an example.  I cut masonite with a jigsaw, then sand and paint.  This photo shows the process of adding the lights between layers of the art.

I would customize a string of lights to proper length and placement of the bulbs.  There have been several shocking experiences from doing something wrong while wiring the strings of lights.  Not fun.  The art can be turned on by a rotary switch that I would add.  A simple, effective design when done correctly.

Finished art.  Behind it is a clothes line pole that I painted.  There were years of time where I painted everything in sight.  I still paint objects, but have mellowed over the years.  I've come to appreciate the beauty of certain wood sometimes used to make furniture.

cribbage board art

I use colored pencils quite often.  It really bugs me when the tips break off.  To compensate, instead of it being a loss and a bother to resharpen, I save the broken tips in this little paper pouch you see in this photo.

I found this cribbage board at a second-hand shop, brought it home and painted parts of it.  It turns out that the saved pencil nibs fit nice and snug with a bit of glue. Recycled art it is.  It lost its function as a game piece but became a decorative wall art.

This part of the world has a lush abundance of mushrooms, mosses and fungi.  When the ground is wet with rain, I take photos of their showy appearances.  This is a purple cort mushroom I found in the dappled sunlight of the woods. And yes,  it is indeed poisonous.

Lobsters galore!

Lobster shacks are everywhere on Cape Cod! I am enjoying me new location on Buzzards Bay. My family roots are right here, and I hope to live here for a long, long time. Art to come soon.

Salem Harbor

A tall ship beyond the bank of snow. Salem, Massachusetts.

yellow snow

After the hard work of shoveling snow, a glass of pineapple juice and snow is a refreshing treat. I'll look at this photo with envy during the hot summer months.

Peabody, Massachusetts

snow!

Lots of snow in New England, with more on the way this week. It's an entirely different world from the Texas Hill Country!

cold!

At 6:30 AM, the temperature was minus 6.9 fahrenheit in Peabody, Mass. I love it!

sleeping upside-down

Clarence has taken to sleeping the day away on my desk. It's kind of interesting to watch and listen to him while I'm working. Oh, the joys of working from home.

fawns galore!

All of the deer in this area have their fawns in late March, early May. They are hidden away in the tall grasses and underbrush of the cedar and live oak trees. Now is when they gain the confidence and skill to follow their mothers. They are adorably playful in a Bambi sort of way. I sure hope she grows up healthy. Many of the deer are hit by cars around here. This fawn's mother was hit, just before giving birth. Her back leg is badly dislocated, but she still limps around and takes care of her baby.

Behind this fawn is a giant rosemary bush and blooming garlic aliums.  There are very few plants the deer won't eat, and these are them.

rubber fish art

I found these rubber fish at the thrift store and had to incorporate them into art. This is a cabinet door painted with acrylic. The fish and glass bubbles are embedded in a thick polyurethane. I suppose this qualifies as both art and craft.