Sketchcrawl in Rayville, MO

On Saturday, Bill, Ceilidh, and I drove to Missouri for a sketchcrawl with Kate, Joseph, and Keith at Van Till Farms winery & gardens, located in Rayville. The location is lovely, amidst rolling hills and pastures.
Inside the tented dining patio, we were surrounded by plants and and lovely stonework. Huge wood bees and jumping spiders entertained us as we sketched, along with a hummingbird that took a wrong turn, ending up under the tent roof. Not to mention Ceilidh spilling my paint water and trying to befriend a not-so-friendly cat.

The lamp in this sketch is way out of proportion to the trees and stone pedestal --- I was too busy taking everything else in.



A huge oven sits in the patio --- with this and some additional heaters, they can serve meals & wine outside year-round. We couldn't resist trying some of their specialty wood-fired pizza. I absolutely recommend the fire-roasted apple & bacon pizza!

As we left, I grabbed some freshly picked berries, some strawberry-rhubarb spread, and peanut butter cookies. The cookies did not wait around to be sketched . . .

random bits and pieces

I jotted down some bits while watching "Facing the Giants" one day. Then another day, scribbled what was in front of me while waiting for a hair trim.

Yesterday, I saw this amazing bird while buying pet food at the vet's (Dr. Beth's clinic is on the edge of town surrounded by prairie) -- he was about 14" long, the tail longer than the body! Later I looked him up -- he's a scissor-tailed flycatcher.
Next, I went to Ginger's for our weekly prayer time and say her cat lying like this on the porch, looking through the built-in drain holes towards the grass. It was too funny to pass up!

Pentel pocketbrush pen and watercolor

a card for my brother

My brother and I have a strange kind of relationship, if you can call it that. We grew up in a dysfunctional home where there wasn't much emotional connection between any of us. As adults, he and I never see each other though we only live about 30 miles apart.

I wish we were more connected --- I have always looked up to him with a sense of awe. He is so good at so many things, and has so many interests . . . . hunting, fishing, motorcycling, leading boy scouts on adventures. He is in fact, awesome!

I masked the edge of the deer to paint the background washes.

But our relationship, or lack of one, simply is what it is. A few years ago, I started sending him hand-painted birthday cards, just to see his reaction. He's never said anything to me, but I think he likes getting them. A sort of secret connection between us --- like when we were young kids left home alone while Mom was at work and we made homemade biscuits together.

I did a bit more growling last night . . .

. . . but I'll stop whining now.

garden bits

I can't seem to stop trying to garden in spite of neighborhood thefts. This time I tucked herbs into the old rose bed instead of the pots that seem to "walk away", and replaced some border perennials that were lost -- echinacea, bee balm, and catmint.

The rose moss was added to south window boxes, where it can take the heat reflected off the brick. It even self-seeds. I did plant tomatoes in larger pots, adding marigolds for bug control, but there are bricks in the bottom to discourage easy theft.