our resident wren

When we moved in to this log cabin, there were two ornamental log houses left on the bookshelf by the former owners. I needed the space for books, so I moved these outside to a plant shelf in our covered patio. It sits in the corner, up against the place where corner logs meet and overlap.

Recently I was messing about with a plant on the middle shelf when I was surprised by a wee bird flying out from the larger of the two houses. (OK, Bill said I jumped and shrieked.) Apparently a Bewick's Wren has moved in! I haven't seen a wren since I was around 6 years old in Illinois.

I've now seen a pair of wrens sitting on the back of a porch swing, the female having a bit of food in her beak. So I'm wondering if there is a baby inside?

yesterday's sketch, La Grange jail

Continuing to explore our new environs, we recently drove south-west to the small town of La Grange. In Fayette county, named for Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (that I just read about in Diana Gabaldon's latest Outlander book), the town is named for the general's home.

We were searching for the Texas Quilt Museum so I can later take my mother there when she visits later this year, her being an avid quilter. We came upon this old county jail -- which happens to be the visitor's center now. Amazing old structure with quite a history!

Also lots of info about the infamous Chicken Ranch, the local bordello that inspired "Best Little Whore House in Texas", but the local town people would just as soon forget that part of their past.

a few summer wildflowers and butterflies

 

In my wee wildflower sketchbook (3" square), I've been continuing to draw wildflowers found near our new home. Summer seems to have mostly yellows, with a few leftover white prickly poppies and orange Indian blankets. Not much difference between black-eyed and brown-eyed susans, sharing the same Latin name, but one has tiny brown markings near the base of the petals.

I also drew a few of the butterflies we've seen in our yard. Lots of black swallowtail caterpillars have been eating my parsley and dill, but I'm wondering if the birds are in turn eating them.

Freedom Biker Sunday

Yesterday was Freedom Biker Sunday in Somerville, Texas. There was an awesome gathering of believers at our church, Jubilee Christian Center and a great message!

Judah concentrating

Grandson Judah was totally concentrating on his game . . . but still managed to roll around, changing position as soon as I caught a line or two. Luckily, he returned to the upper position often enough to get a reasonable sketch.



Pentel pocket brush  and aquash pens in Stillman & Birn Alpha sketchbook.

Quen time

Our grandson Quen (otherwise known as "Q") has been visiting us this week. Very busy . . . but at the end of each day, we can barely remember all we did. Sign of getting older? Or not being able to keep up with a very active 7 year old?

Today, after a trip into Brenham for a little shopping, we went out to the lake. Bill and Quen swam while I tried once again to paint the view.

 

some random sketching

Another week with a grandchild -- Quen this time -- and we are finding ourselves worn out on a daily basis!

Quen is my budding artist who loves to sketch, but I don't seem to be doing much sketching with him. Maybe tomorrow . . .

Meanwhile, these are some random bits from last week and Sunday.

a different paint arrangement

Recently I was exporing Jane Blundell's blog -- she is so knowledgeable, besides being an extremely talented artist! I especially found her arrangement of paint interesting, separating each color group into cool, warm, earth, and dark. (Most of her paint choices are from Daniel Smith; I happened to have their sample sheet to replicate her choices in my sketchbook.)

So I tried the same arrangement using my current 20 paints. (Actually, I added phthalo green and removed Hansa yellow light. And I added my own mixed dark gray as Jane does, using my quin. burnt orange and ultramarine.) --- A bit messy, but who cares?

* I just noticed that where I originally planned on sap green for my warm green and undersea green for my earth green, I changed these at the last moment to serpentine green and sap green. Then forgot to correct it in ink. I also changed burnt sienna to quin. burnt orange.

Dallas road trip

For my birthday (not till next month), our daughter invited me to join her friends in going to Dallas to hear our favorite author, Diana Gabaldon, on a speaking tour promoting her latest book "Written in My Own Heart's Blood". What an amazing, generous, and beautiful woman she is! A highly entertaining story-teller, both in print and in person.

It was an amazing time just hanging out with Kristen and her friends. Lovely young women! These are the same friends who, along with their husbands, went to Scotland together last year, sharing a rented house on Loch Ness. In fact, one of the husbands said to be sure and thank Diana Gabaldon for their trip to Scotland --- it came about after reading the Outlander series.

Before leaving for Dallas, I had a large cup of Earl Grey green tea and one of Mikala's lime cookies.

I sat in back so I could try sketching Kristen.

playing at Lake Somerville

Jayna and Bill swam in the lake the other day while I sat on a picnic table trying to paint the landscape. Not very happy with the results . . .

The local drought seems to be over, the lake up to its normal level. Lots of grass can be seen in the water from when this part of the lake was dry ground. Strong winds caused lots of waves to come this way.

Many of the sites along the lake are heavily wooded, but this eastern edge is more open.

 I soon gave up on the landscape and waded out into the water. Found lots of interesting bits of "flotsam and jetsam" washed up by the waves along the sandy, grassy shore. The remains of several fish that had fed local vultures, a T-shirt someone lost while out boating, a soda can . . . and this bit of driftwood and some old fishing lures.

I love Stillman & Birn bound sketchbooks . . . but I wish they were Coptic-sewn like those I make myself -- to lay open flat when working across a 2-page spread or when photographing it.