Every day I pull a few weeds in the garden. Sometimes for as long as an hour, but rarely beyond that. The spring garden is for dreaming and not just laboring. Painting is sometimes for dreaming too, especially now when we need a break from the monotony of sheltering at home.
When I want to do a seasonal painting that isn’t a sketch or landscape “painting” of some scene before me, I start with textures, like acrylic mediums that have dried on the paper. Then I start squirting inks and spritzing them and watch what happens. If I use greens and pinks, I know I’ll get something suggesting the spring garden, and if I use iridescent inks. . .well, here’s what can happen.
gesso and mica flake textured w/c paper with inks and chicken feathers (fluff)
This garden’s a bit wild
the way I like it.
One might run into Oberon
King of the fairies
or his wife Tatiana
I imagine she’ll be wearing a gauzy gown
with a dandelion fluff border
and her hair spun with spider thread
I’ll ride a lizard’s back into the undergrowth
where insects and birds lay their eggs.
or hop on a swallowtail butterfly
for the ride of my life!
When the wind sneezes
on that big pink puff,
I’ll hitch a ride on a seedpod
and ride it to the fairy kingdom.
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