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...

Sidewalk Tourism: Redbuds

While I continue to attempt to finish up some projects — here are some more pictures I took this spring when it wasn't raining like cats and dogs and a plague of locusts. This time around: redbuds.

They're pretty, aren't they? Yeah, they are.

Have a Happy Memorial Day!

Sidewalk Tourism: cherry plum blossoms

The weather is getting warmer which means it's sidewalk tourism time. So, this is someone else's tree. After consulting Google I think this is a plum cherry tree. But I could be wrong about that. It's not my tree — I just drive by it in the spring and think "man, that is a pretty tree."

merry cherry


cherry wonder


cherry affection


(not yet titled)


cherry impression

I think I stood there for about 20 minutes photographing this tree, it was just that damned cool. I so have tree envy. You can find some of them in my Artfire shop: SunshineSight

Anyway, Mother's Day is on Sunday — so everyone have a Happy Mother's Day!

Outside: magnolia

As many of you know — we had some severe weather here in the United States this past week, including tornadoes in the Southern States. Well, I live in Michigan, so we just had rain, rain, more rain, and finally one giant thunderstorm that overflowed every river, stream, lake, and farm field or low area. I was at work listening to the rain pound on the metal roof when it happened... and then drove home on those country highways punctuating farm fields that looked like they were full of chocolate milk. Weather is not to be taken lightly.

Anyway, it finally stopped raining — just in time for the art walk. It was nice to finally participate in that event without rain.

In the mean time, the magnolias around these parts have been ready to bloom. That always seems to happen right when we're having inclement weather. Magnolias just have the weirdest timing. They're such pretty bushes, but it always seems to be gloomy out when they bloom, so, there was some photoshopping that took place with these photos... to make them seem less somber.

They are actually all other people's magnolias, since ours has yet to open. Hopefully it doesn't snow tomorrow or something equally wacky like that.

Summer is a busy season

My apologies for the lapse in blog entries... rest assured my own mother has repeatedly reminded me about the lack of new stuff...

This summer has been a busy one. That's not to say that I spent every previous summer doing absolutely nothing, but well, this summer has just been particularly productive from an Arts & Crafts standpoint.

According to the file on my desktop, I have made 51 8X10 paintings so far this summer. So, I have been busy scanning those... Additionally, I made 20 11X14 paintings back in June, which, of course are sitting around waiting to have hangers attached to their backs so they can be photographed... I have gone on a tear with papermaking. It's been a good couple of years since I've done it, but in the past 20 days I have moulded about 20 bowls from pulp I made myself... and now I have to paint them and finish them, and photograph them, and list them.

I'm not sure how to explain my decision to manufacture hair accessories from silk flowers & barrettes. But, I scoured the internet for information on how they should be attached, and there they are: sitting in boxes in the office...

And of course, as always there's the photography...

So, I've been working on some pictures of Queen Anne's Lace, as there seems to be a patch of it growing out in the garden, and I am too lazy to weed it. I'm good with photographing it, weeding it — not so much...

I really like the bokeh in the last image. These will probably all inevitably be for sale in my "sarahknight" shop on etsy.

Outside: summer flowers

It's nice to see some color outside...

I'm not sure of the identity of the first picture. The second picture are day lilies. The last picture is an Asiatic lily.

please excuse my vacation...

Please excuse my absence, technically, I am on vacation. It's been a while, so I'm really rusty at this vacation thing. I seem to have spent the first day of my vacation cleaning the bedroom and the office / living room...

This did, however, prompt me to actually print out some of my own artwork for myself, and finish off some paintings and actually hang them on the wall. It's been a very long time since the artwork in the bedroom has changed.

Anyway, one of the last things I did on my way home from work was take some pictures of some flowers in a field by the highway. I admit that I don't know what kind of flowers these are. But, hey, there was a bee hanging out. It's always a challenge to try to focus the camera and get the shot before the bee moves on...

Whether you're at work or at home, I hope you all enjoy your week.
Oh, and since June 21st has already passed us by, which means that I am a year older, it also means it is officially summer. So, enjoy your summer!

Snow in June

Okay, so technically, it would have been snow in May, but I got busy doing some craft project and didn't get around to selecting pictures and formatting them...

The snowball bush has bloomed!

The blooms are gone now, and the petals have fallen to the ground, and subsequently turned brown... but it's always pleasant to look at while it lasts.

That and I've been playing around with Photoshop and got an idea for a new filter... so, of course, I had to make it and then apply it. I wanted something that had the look of the way paint cracks on antique paintings. Amusingly, I was wearing an old concert t-shirt when inspiration struck. So, now I have my new photo manipulation filter.

And I was playing around with some "bokeh" from some of the snowball bush shots and made myself a layer of it, and now my sarahknight shop on etsy has a new banner : )

spring moments

Life gets busy sometimes, and when you look back, you really can't remember what you spent that time doing.

Spring, or as it ought to be known - winter lite - seems to have finally ended. Yes, I know, the calendar tells us that summer starts on 21 June. Well, over night we went from running the furnace to opening up the windows and turning on the fans. It's no longer less than 50˚ at night, and I no longer wear my coat to work. It's 70˚ in the morning, and humid as all get out. Yes, we went from winter-lite directly to summer, and that seems to be the way it happens every year.

So, I've been working on photos for my "sarahknight" etsy shop off and on & here and there. Sometimes the photos are old, sometimes the photos are shots I have taken recently. I've been in a "spring" kind of mood lately.

The first one is called "wide open spaces." This is the 'old' photo (yeah, it's like 4 years old, ha!).

The last 2 images are recent. I almost can't believe the dandelions already bloomed and turned to fluff already. Of course, there will be more and more of them for the rest of the summer... The last image is my first ladybug of the season. Yes, I know, it's really a multicolored asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis). Anyway, this little beetle was out in the yard sitting on the brand new butterfly bush I just planted. How sweet : ) Hopefully all bodes well for the bush.

As always, I invite you to check out my treasuries:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/people/sarahkdesigns

Outside: weeping peach

It's raining again... I really wish it would stop raining, or perhaps it could conveniently rain when I'm asleep, and then be completely dry outside when I'm awake... so, it almost seems like it was ages ago when winter ended and the weather was pleasant, when really, it was about 2 weeks ago.

Anyway, in between bouts of rain, the weeping peach bloomed.
It's always nice to see the bright pink blossoms.

Otherwise, I've been inside playing around on the computer. I like etsy's new treasury, and I invite you to check out the ones I've assembled:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/people/sarahkdesigns

Hopefully, there's less rain wherever you are.

Outside: Lilacs

Every year I kind of wonder why I don't end up with more photos of the lilacs... and then every year when they bloom I remember why: it wouldn't stop raining... cursed weather.
It did, however, stop raining just a few times, and I think I got a good showing. These were some of the first branches to blossom.

On an etsy note:
I invite you all to check out my treasuries, which can be found here:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/people/sarahkdesigns
: )

Outside: pink blossoms

I admit, I'm not much of a vacation person. I'm not a world traveler, nor will I ever become one (unless, of course, that whole lotto thing pans out). So, instead, in the spring, summer, and fall (because it's just too cold in the winter) I like to go into town and meander around on the sidewalk with my camera.

Yes, I take pictures of other people's stuff; I'm a sidewalk tourist. Most of the time I have a vague agenda, whether there is a particular type of tree or plant blooming, or in the fall when I'm on the lookout for good looking leaves. I have, at times, done this just to take shots of tree bark. Yes, imagine looking out your front window to catch a glimpse of someone standing in front of a tree with a camera... Anyway, I have a lot of batteries and will snap a shot of virtually whatever catches my eye.

So, I think this is a cherry tree. Obviously, it's not my cherry tree, but they are my photos. It was just too awesome of a sight to pass up. I really wish there was a pink cherry in our yard (they're all white).

The last 2 pictures are from a later jaunt, when the blossoms had started to fall from the tree. There's something very pretty and enchanting about a sidewalk covered with petals. It's like fairytale snow....