The Skeleton

One of my favorite drawings from my class last semester.

Shading the imagination

Remember watching the clouds roll by and using your imagination to visualize the many different images...white whales jumping over cars, and sailboats passing over the circus of elephants and horses. In my two-dimensional art class this week we are practicing shading techniques. We did this project by attaching a studio light to the end of a table, then we turned out the lights and traced the shadows of a pair of scissors held in about five to six different positions and lengths in front of our blank paper causing short and long shadows of the handles and blades. We finished by shading each new shape formed by the scissor overlaps from darkest to lightest.

so....Sit back, relax and 'cloud gaze' away! Add 'what you see' to the comment box below.

The Riverwalk of San Antonio

Once upon a time,

Among the wild grapes and hanging cypress thrived a sparkling oasis

where a tribe of Payaya Indians lived happily along the banks of the Rio Saint Antonio de Padua
the namesake of the San Antiono River

and sprung forth from this river was born a city sidewalk of Texas

to this day providing food and shelter and rest for its citizens

Spanish Queen

Hauntingly she rest, the Texan sun warming her stone exterior, as bus loads of tourist brush their hands against her stucco walls. Her existance is mere legend now; she is no longer the fortress she once was. Yesterday's sounds still whisper through her halls; the playing of harps and violins echo unnoticed; guitar strings plucked in a spanish melodic tone saturate the limestone cathedral while the young children repeat their spanish prayers. She appears to smile as the days shadow creeps across one pillar to the next. She poses for a picture and then again, she escapes to her days of pride. The memory of glowing gardens lining her courtyards with bushels of corn and beans; peaches weighing over a pound. The humming of the turbine as it pushes power to the flour mill. The rustle of some 2,000 cattle drowning out the calls of the Indian vanqueros as they attempt to organize the herd for branding. The 'Queen of the Missions' stands proud. She is the San Jose Y San Miguel De Aguayo Mission. http://www.nps.gov/archive/saan/visit/MissionSanJose.htm

A Winter Walk

"Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others. Every crystal was a masterpiece of design and no one design was ever repeated. When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost. Just that much beauty was gone, without leaving any record behind."

-Wilson 'Snowflake' Bentley 1925, Jericho, VT


Last winter we headed out on many snow hikes. The Vermont forests hold a magical pose of tranquility after a quiet wave of snow, most often they are stirring with wildlife. Its the best time to take what you would think to be an uninterrupted hike, however one can expect to run into a multitude of bundled-up cross-country skiers and snowshoers. Vermonters know when to head into the woods.

These pictures were taken during our winter hike on the picturesque trails of the Green Mountain Audubon Society located in Huntington, Vermont, just outside of Richmond http://vt.audubon.org/centers.html.

If you get the chance to take your own winter walk, don't forget to listen for the beavers plunging into the icy ponds.

Awesome Ausable

"I like this place, and willingly could waste my time in it" - Shakespeare

Steep ridges of sandstone shade us from the sun, as we make our way deeper and deeper into the gorge, the rushing white water drowning out our exclamations. Surely if castles were still erected they would tower over this place. I watch the small crevices for movement, determined to catch a glimpse of a gnome, dragging my finger along the rock, scanning for pixie dust. The stone path narrows as the rock wall boast out in the formation of animals and faces. The frozen elephant lowers his trunk, giving us permission to pass. Rainbows hide in the falls and trees hang freely over the rock cliffs and watch us from above; some teasing us with string like roots as if we were kittens. The water stops and foams, before finding a new route. In a hurry, in a hurry, to find its way out. Spiders weave their webs to catch water droplets from the spray. Deep green hostas and ferns hold tight as if potted to the temple chasm walls. Further down we climb, but no shoreline exist, closer to the rage, the depth of 80 some feet. Our clothes are dampened as we near....close enough to almost touch it, then a steep green ladder appears, inviting us to climb to the heavens, to where the trees tower and where castles would be, to see where we have been, or where we could be. http://www.ausablechasm.com/

In Search of Moose

....It starts with a trip to the grocery store, the purchase of pretzels and cheese; any favorite road side treat will do. Once home, the packing of binoculars, the 35 mm, its series of lens, film, and the camcorder go into the SUV.
Then off we go......on our road trip to Island Pond, the best place in Vermont to spot moose.
The drive takes us past authentic Vermont shops such as The Castle, a privately owned home in Irasburg with white castle exterior. The owners run a small elegant gift shop in their renaissance interior serving delicate treats and teas out of their dome kitchen. Though unfortunately, I hear the place is up for sale. There is the Trading Post just outside of Orleans selling hunting items, wool clothing, and snowshoes and Uncle Bill's Diner, with his delicious fresh cut fries....and least not to mention The Cajun Snack Bar, setting invitingly along the road north of Lowell, with umbrella tables, serving, to my opinion, one of the best Philly Cheese steak sandwiches in the state. So many good food spots are available but you wouldn't be able to try them all in one day.
Interestingly enough, we pass an Elk farm and later a Boar farm; always a picturesque stop...And although slightly out of our way, we choose to drive towards Lake Willoughby, said to have likeness to Loch Ness. There is no lake monster here, but it does host local folklore. A perfect place to enjoy a packed lunch. If you go during the winter and have your binoculars you are sure to see ice climbers as they hang by picks on mountain sides of pure ice. Then up and over the hill to Island Pond, watching our speed, because the local constable has a reputation for catching every driver who dares speed over 35 in his town.

Once in Island Pond, we have to stop at the local gas station/deli to buy local Vermont made jerky. The Cobb smoked is the best! Again, if your here during the winter months, be prepared to watch for the snowmobiles, there will be over a hundred drivers if the snow is just right...and this is their favorite place to stop for gas, before racing out on the frozen lake. Finally we head to the outskirts of town choosing between routes 114 and 105. Both leading to the New Hampshire/Canadian border.
To see a moose in the wild is indescribable. They are curious creatures, and for the most part don't seem to scare easily, taking their time to either cross the road in front of you, or grazing near mud wallows. Evidence is obvious along the road sides, as their huge hooves sink into the mud and track over the asphalt. We were told the moose hang near the highways due to their addiction to road salt, and naturally as the chicken joke states, to cross to the other side.

We only need to see one to feel that our day trip was worth the effort. The magnificence of their size and mostly calm demeanor leave you in awe. Though I recommend taking the pictures from the car, I have been led back to my car by a bull, and mothers with young are very protective. Mostly though they continue to feed ignoring the winding of the finished rolls of film and the chattering awes and ooohhhs from the car. They don't fall for the vocal moose bleats either. They are definitely the showbiz confidants of the animal kingdom.

Rustic Soul Rejunvenation

There is no better place for good ole soul rejuvenation than spending a weekend in the Adirondacks. As the car door opens, the crisp fresh air rushes into your lungs and with that first breath you know you've arrived. Stress can no longer exist here and it soon fades away to a memory of a former life you no longer know. The mind instantly is in tune to the sights, sounds and smells of the rustic landscape and becomes totally memorized with this ancient world of fables and romance. Here you are somebody else.
For our Adirondack experience we traveled early spring to the Wawbeek Lodge http://www.wawbeek.com/ and we couldn't have been more satisfied. Even the first morning rain was inviting as we traveled out before breakfast along the lodge's trail, listening to the melodic tones of a loon as she sung to her mate on Upper Saranac Lake. It was the first time I ever heard one sing, and yes, it was just as alluring as "On Golden Pond". The water was exceptionally still except for the dancing rain drops and the occasional fisherman boat. My goal was to get a picture of the loon, but with all of the un-moving along the shoreline, she knew we were coming and I never did get the shot.
After convincing ourselves to retreat from the shoreline, we followed our trail back to the Wawbeek restaurant for our breakfast, and although it was a bit nippy we took our breakfast out to the heated open porch that overlooked the lake. The cook told us we were the first to dine on the porch this year. I found it unbelievable for I would have been out here with mittens on, if needed....the lake was too captivating. I was sure it had drown the worries and stresses of life of a million before me.