February 14, 2022

Valentines!

February 14, 2022/ Gwen Morrison

I used Valentines Day as a prompt for some Zentangle® tiles. At first it was all about heart shaped patterns and red coloring.

My fascination did not last long with the shape…but I did like the red coloring. I started another project with everything the same except for the ‘string’…keeping the red coloring for Valentines Day. It is surprising how different the tiles look with that one change in the frame – string – patterns + coloring - appreciate process.

The Zentangle® Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. It was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. “Zentangle” is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Learn more at zentangle.com.

June 11, 2020

Sycamore in the Morning

June 11, 2020/ Gwen Morrison

Unique activities for yesterday:

Sycamore in the morning. I was out on the deck before 6 AM. The temperature was already in the 70s and the sun had come up a few minutes before. It was the best time to be out since it was already humid, and the temperature was only going up. I ate my breakfast while enjoying the birds waking up in the forest. A squirrel came up near the bird feeder and looked through the screen at me – leaving again. Our cat was keeping me company. The sun came up enough that the top of the trees of the forest started catching the morning light. I took some pictures of the sycamore: the leaves that had blown off, the leaves damaged by low temperatures in May (or maybe something else), bouquets of perfect green leaves against the blue sky, Virginia Creeper growing up the twin trunks.

Window into the forest. I was back in the house about 7 and happened to look out the kitchen window at the prefect time to see the sun stream into the interior of the forest – the red maple and tulip poplar and black walnut in the foreground. It happens for a few minutes every morning.

A Zentangle Prompt

It’s tangler’s choice today. Instead of trying a new pattern – pick ones from the last week to make again – in a new combination or as a monotangle. Take your pick from: FAUX WEAVE, FEATHER FALL, MEER, ROSCOE, SAND SWIRL, SAFFLOWER, SQUID, TRIADZ, GINGO, TUMBLEWEED, TWISTEE, and UNDLING. Or maybe decide to take a break and just admire a mosaic of your tiles made over the past 6 days. Here is a mosaic of my tiles for the past week.

The Zentangle® Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. It was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. "Zentangle" is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Learn more at zentangle.com.

June 10, 2020

Blue Jay Photo Shoot

June 10, 2020/ Gwen Morrison

Unique activities for yesterday:

Blue Jay photo shoot. I was in my office early and responded to a nearby blue jay call by grabbing my camera and going to the window. The bird was on the deck railing but on the move before I could get my camera turned on. It flew down to check the seed scattered under the feeder. Unsatisfied with that, the bird flew into the sycamore and started some great moves…quite the model bird. There were times I thought that he saw me through the window and treated me as an audience.

The temperature was still in 50s and the bird sported fluffed out breast feathers to provide more warmth. It is surprising how much fatter a bird can look when they are cold – all with a small reorientation of their feathers.

It all happened in just under 30 seconds. The bird flew off to the left.

A code orange air quality day. I spent an hour on the deck reading before the temperature climbed into the 70s (and kept going) …. already aware that there was an air quality alert for our area. I opted to not work in the yard. My husband took a walk in the neighborhood a little later and came back saying that it felt hot and humid even though the temperature was only about 75. We stayed indoors for the rest of the day. I wonder what caused the air quality issue. I heard pre-pandemic level traffic noise while I was out on our deck; our part of Maryland is in stage 2 of COVID-19 recovery as of last Friday at 5 PM. I’ve been at home since then so the traffic noise from outside my neighborhood is my first direct observation of the change.