Outside: irises (part 3)

This is the third installment of the irises. I don't quite remember what type the first image is, other than just pretty... The second is honky tonk blues, the third is jacaranda falls (which came from Frank's Nursery before it when out of business), and the fourth is a superstition.

Superstitions are 'black' irises - in other words, when the sun isn't hitting them directly they're very dark. Mine are planted along a fence, and it's almost impossible to take a picture of one that isn't backlit, unless, of course, I want to wander into the neighbor's yard. I really need to move these ones to somewhere slightly more practical...

So, today is summer solstice. It's the official start of summer according to the calendar, and it's the day with the longest period of daylight. And it's also my birthday.

So, even though it's 68˚F with a possible high of 86˚F (and rain, damn it, weather!) - the oven will be turned on, and the traditional birthday cake will be baked. Yes, Betty Crocker Cherry Chip cake with the corresponding Cherry frosting. I first had this cake when I was probably about 6 years old. It was at Grandpa Duda's birthday party - and by far it was the most awesome cake I had ever had as a six year old. White cake, yellow cake, chocolate cake, that ridiculously dry German chocolate cake — they've got nothing on cherry chip cake, particularly not when it has the corresponding cherry flavored icing.

Grandma & Grandpa Duda (c.1988)

Anyway, I got my love of kitsch and cheap jewelry from Grandma Duda; and my green eyes and my premature gray hair (well, okay, Grandpa Duda probably contributed to that too. I don't have any memories of him without white hair... allegedly his hair was once brown). I got my first pet from Grandma Duda - 2 bettas (Calvin and Mike). And generally, Grandma Duda bought me and my sister a lot of weird kitschy stuff... plus, she also showed me the first cockroach I ever saw - which was a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach - consequently I thought all cockroaches were giant so when I saw an ordinary cockroach for the first time I was like "oh, that?" Grandma Duda was a secretary for Richard Alexander of the herpetology division of the Natural History Museum at the U of M. So, she always had something strange to show us grandkids... plus I got that Naked Mole Rat t-shirt that I wore all through high school from Grandma Duda via her job...

Anyway, since it's my birthday I'm going shopping today, and no doubt, there will be some kind of "Grandma Duda" purchase. Yes, I'm going to buy something inexpensive that I really don't need that probably has no practical purpose. It's in the genes.

Outside: irises (part 2)

So, this is the second installment of the irises. The first two photos are "honky tonk blues," the third pic is a "batik," and the fourth - well, I think it's an "above the clouds."

As for those light purple colored irises that smell like grape - those are Iris pallida 'Variegata'
We have some growing on the side of our house, I always just kind of thought they smelled like grape — although probably because we never had grape soda. There's a fairly famous beverage company in Michigan: Faygo. Anyway Faygo Rock & Rye was a family staple, because otherwise it was Coke or Pepsi. Rock & Rye is one of those pop flavors like Dr. Pepper - I'll be damned if I can explain what exactly it tastes like, and I suspect it has nothing to do with the alcoholic beverage of the same name. But then, what exactly does Coke taste like — you know, besides Coke?

Anyway, the pallida variegata grow by the side of the house. But unfortunately, they grow to be about 3-4 feet tall. And the stems are so loaded with blossoms that they literally fall over. I have to go out and prop them up with pruned tree branches every year. They're pretty though, and I love the way they smell.

On a completely unrelated note, my 'Artfire collection' was the collection of the day for 10 June 2011 - check it out here. Very cool : )

The bluebirds had 5 babies this year. I neglected to mention this while they were in the nest, because last year's first attempt at a nest ended in tragedy — due to English house sparrows who went into the nest and killed all 4 babies. I hate english house sparrows. When I can: I kill these birds. I live in Michigan — they are an alien invasive species.
European House sparrows are an invasive species in North America

Anyhow, the bluebirds had five babies. They fledged, without incident. I actually saw the last fledge out of the nest. It was adorable, mostly because it was literally just standing there on the back porch looking up at me. Anyway, that was like 2 weeks ago. Last night I happened to look out in the back yard and wonder what the strange little birds were sitting on the old rabbit hutch. I got the binoculars, and low and behold — they were the baby bluebirds. Well, I guess now they're technically "juveniles." Juvenile bluebirds are pretty much gray on the head, back, and wings, their belly is white with spots of gray, and they are identifiable by their blue tails. (see this photo from a google image search) What a bunch of cuties. This is actually their Dad. And this is their Mom.

You can find my many homages to eastern bluebirds here and here.

As I type this I am waiting for paint to dry. I've had this idea floating around in my imagination about combining photos and watercolors and probably salt and then the other day I saw this technique with alcohol. So, yeah, photos had to be selected, and then formatted... and there was some gnashing of the teeth at my printer which apparently does not understand the meaning of the term "borderless." But anyway, I'm waiting for the paint and salt and alcohol to dry now...

Surely, if I ever have an autobiography, there will be a chapter entitled "Waiting for Paint to Dry." And it will somehow be a very long book with many pictures...

Have a lovely weekend!

Outside: irises (part 1)

As I've mentioned before: irises are my favorite flower. While I may spend a lot of time wandering around photographing other people's flowers, flowering trees, trees, the sky, tree bark, etc. — irises are my favorite flower and I have a menagerie.

Yes, somewhere in my past there has been a great deal of money spent via the Schreiner's catalog. So, they're like my children. And every year when they appear I finally remember to weed them, and then I take a ridiculous amount of pictures. So, this is Part 1 of at least 4 parts...

The first picture is a Merlot, the second picture - I have completely forgotten the name, and the last 2 are Gypsy Romance. Gypsy Romance — I completely fell in love with these when I saw them in the catalog. I had to have them. I assembled an entire order just so that I could justify buying them...
*swoon*

I guess it's beyond about time to start working on the graphics for the 2012 calendar; there's always something with irises...

Picture Story: lightshine — sarahkdesigns

"lightshine" available at sarahkdesigns



I finished this picture a short while ago (literally, this last Wednesday). I think it will inevitably end up being the “June” graphic for the calendar that I make next year. Unlike all previous years, this time I really am striving to not be manufacturing 10 pictures (because somehow, I always do get 2 of them done on schedule) in the 10 days before Christmas. The calendar, incidentally, is what I give out to my relatives as a Christmas gift.

Anyway, I think this picture nicely encapsulates the month of June. It is a landscape featuring irises, sunshine, American goldfinches, and a colorful summer sunrise. This picture started with those irises. I have them in my garden. They’re called “lightshine” and are from Schreiners (which is a famous grower of irises). The original rhizome actually came as a free gift because I had made such a substantial order. It has since reproduced, so now I get a couple stalks every year. They always have a good amount of blooms, and they’re always full and gorgeous. So, I cropped the blossoms out of my photos, and combined them with stems that I literally cut out of the garden after the bloom season ended. I scanned the stems & some leaves, and combined them through the magic of photoshop.

Obviously, they needed a background, and I wanted something that would coordinate with the colors of the blooms. Conveniently, I have scans of my abstract acrylic paintings on file, and I found the perfect fit. And for a while, the picture sat there on my computer as just irises & a background. I experimented to frustration with the idea of superimposing a photo of a cloudy sky over the background, but nothing was making me happy… and then it occurred to me that I used to make pictures of landscapes all the time with the sun, and it had been like forever since I had done that. So, a plucked a shade of yellow out of the irises and made myself a sun, with rays of light radiating out to compliment my lightshine irises.

And, of course, I need some animal life. I had originally considered doing butterflies, but just couldn’t bring myself to draw them. I apparently just wasn’t in the mood. So, I decided on the goldfinches instead. Many of them flit through our yard on a regular basis. I always see them in flight. So, having them fly over my irises was apt. That, and they’re yellow, so they coordinate with the color scheme of the picture.

All in all, I think it’s a cheerful encapsulation of summer.

Outside: irises in june

It's June, so the irises are in bloom... these are a few of my favorites...