Ready For Change, Photos.

~~~

“Who are you,” said the caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation.
Alice replied, rather shyly,
“I—I hardly know, Sir, just at present—
at least I know who I was when I got up this morning,
but I think I must have changed several times since then.”

Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson]

My daughter and I went to the Monarch Butterfly Natural Preserve in Santa Cruz yesterday. The park’s Monarch Grove provides a temporary home for over 100,000 Monarchs each winter. From mid-October through the end of February, the Monarchs form a “city in the trees.” This is the only State Monarch Preserve in California.

I am happy to report that I will soon have limited edition professionally printed poster sized prints of my Scatterlings© line.

The Santa Cruz preserve is inviting art and poems on butterflies – I hope to have prints available there during the February Migration Event.

The length of a butterfly journey exceeds the normal lifespan of most monarchs, which is less than two months for butterflies born in early summer. The last generation of the summer enters into a non-reproductive phase known as diapause and may live seven months or more. During diapause, butterflies fly to one of many overwintering sites. The generation that overwinters generally does not reproduce until it leaves the overwintering site sometime in February and March.

Here’s my butterfly whisperer, Alicia, home for Thanksgiving.

Ducks in ponds in the preserve; covered from the green of the eucalyptus trees.

Self portrait; passing Pigeon Point.

The Greater Bay Area is lucky to have several monarch layover spots:
San Leandro (1-510-577-6085 or email butterflynaturalist@earthlink.net);
Fremont (1-510-796-0199 or visit ebparks.org/parks/ardenwood);
Santa Cruz (1-831-423-4609, 1-831-420-5270, 1-831-429-2850);
Pacific Grove (1-831-648-5716, 1-831-648-5730 or pgmuseum.org);
Point Lobos (1-831-624-4909). Be sure to go on a mild, calm day.

Off Highway 1, midway to Santa Cruz.

The butterflies do not like wind. It is a truly awesome experience to stand in a eucalyptus grove and look up at thousands and thousands of monarchs fluttering in the sunlight and shade.

Near Half Moon Bay… I witnessed no pumpkin shortage in our area.

Floating With The Lily, Illuminated Tile. Purchase today.

From the third series of illuminated tiles combining traditional and contemporary images… a smooth peach colored tile; a mixed media collage consisting of paper, illuminated acrylics and shine, bubbles of irredescence, highlights in gold and silver, ribbon, stars, sparkle and shine. The flight of the butterfly was determined by the natural pattern of the tile. Protected with a non-yellowing indoor/outdoor matte sealer (not to be placed outside). The sides and back are altered and painted all the way around. This piece is best free standing and meant to be picked up and handled from all directions. 3.5″Squared. Each original tile is titled and signed by the artist on the back. Price: $55.32 which includes shipping, insurance and tracking.

Purchase today through PayPal. See more of this tile and read what others have to say here and here.

Remaining illuminated tiles for sale here

Brush With Orange; Photo. More Ascender’s Photos.

~~~

The visible carries all the invisible on its back.
Tonight, in the unconditional, what moves in the long-limbed grasses,
what touches me
As though I didn’t exist?
What is it that keeps on moving,
a tiny pillar of smoke
Erect on its hind legs,
loose in the hollow grasses?
A word I don’t know yet, a little word, containing infinity,
Noiseless and unrepentant, in sift through the dry grass.
Under the tongue is the utterance.

A Short History of the Shadow by Charles Wright

Mountain Landscape with Cattle by William Keith. Oil on canvas. 30 x 50 in. More Huntington on this blog.

The great naturalist John Muir called William Keith a “poet-painter,” referring to the lyrical quality in Keith’s art. The idea for the Sierra Club was first formed in Keith’s studio during conversations with Muir, Dr. Joseph LeConte, the first president of the University of California, and Warren Olney, a prominent San Francisco attorney.

In 1891, he shared his studio for several weeks with East Coast Tonalist George Inness, Sr. [1825-1894]. Both men painted in a similar style and were followers of the mystical teachings of Swedenborg. The Swedenborgian Church of San Francisco: Described as one of California’s earliest pure Arts and Crafts buildings, this complex represents a unique collaboration of many influential architects and craftspeople.

Among the locations where Inness and Keith painted together were Monterey and Yosemite, and it was reported they discussed art from every possible angle. Under Inness’ influence, Keith painted more than ever in a Barbizon-influenced vein with many sunset and twilight scenes. More barbizon artists on this blog.

(detail of cow stare) Mountain Landscape with Cattle

Cow I captured staring while speeding 80 mph down Highway 5; I am rather pleased with this shot – what are the odds that it would be looking at the highway.

Whether lying in a straw-filled stable or lazily grazing in a grassy meadow, the many images of cows captured the rural lifestyle and conjured up a simpler time when man was more tied to the land — a subject that was popular at the time when modernity was sometimes viewed as a threat. This “cow craze” made the market for cow paintings very profitable and the images most fashionable — even for turn-of-the-century parlors.

Cows dotting the horizon near Gilroy. It reminds me of those Happy California Cow Commercials. Vote for your favorite today.

Sagebrush lined highway near Point Reye. I like the lush golden colors, hills in the distance, ocean beyond those.

My mother, from Missouri, used to say “That’s money you’re smelling” when passing large commercial cattle lots. (aka cash cow)

In the hills near Gilroy. Agenda of cow: meander to tree in the morning, picnic and a nap, meander back home at night.

I’ve been pulled into the Farmville craze. Have you?
Milk (Regular Cow), 1 day, 6 coins
Strawberry Milk (Pink Cow) 1 day, 12 coins
Chocolate Milk (Brown Cow) 1 day, 18 coins
Milkonium (Bovine-09) 1 day, 18 coins

(Sick of Farmville Cows on Facebook)

Oh, will you be my neighbor?