Flagstone progress

The weather has not cooperated with us getting much done outside. But we have done what we can and are making progress! At this rate, I will be so happy just to have it all down before the snow flies...here are some images to show where we are..

Top shot shows where we were and where we are as far as the front goes. Stones are almost all in place. Just trying to go thru the pile to find the pieces that will fit into this last area. The deck will be going back up on this very front edge. There is a corner section which will be deck that is about 3 ft wider then the flagstone on both sides so it will be protruding some. Another deck will be built off this little deck that will wrap around the pool we will be putting up next year. The flagstone out front that you see above will be level with the deck. The flagstone that will go around the corner(images below) will have a 4" step up from the deck.

Top photo shows where it was and the bottom one shows today. The lines show the area left to do here. At the top of the photo is an area completed. This comes down 4" off the patio area and is about 4-5' long then will have a 4" step about 14"wide and then another step down to this level. The deck will be at the front end of the drawn line and will step down another 4" to the deck height..if that all makes sense. It has been difficult to come up with the different heights as the back terrace door on the patio is a very different height to the front door. We didnt want to have regular 7" steps incorporated as they would not be as comfortable to walking around on all the time. As well we also had to consider the height of the pool and the deck needed that will go around it to decide the height of the small square deck on the corner. I think all this figuring took most of the time we have spent on this but hopefully we figured it out right..

This is the same area but taken from the patio. Here I have shown where the flagstone will be-toparea closest to us is the area done and then the double lines are the step down and then the lower area that will be 4" higher then the deck drawn in blue

And this is the back patio area. Not much done here accept filling in dirt about 8" and putting up the ledgerock wall. The dirt we have been digging up from down below and bringing it up in the trailer on the tractor so not fun, a lot of work but gotta be done...

To help make this all a little easier to understand, Ive scanned in a drawing that I did of the whole area. It shows the house, where the flagstone areas are,the two decks and the pool & gardens. Hope it all makes sense.. The ink area is going to be the covered roof area that will be over the flagstone...one day...lol

Summer Run Down...

Fall is apon us and I am slowly getting back into the cyber world. The last few months have been dedicated to home and family life here on our ranch and have given us experiences, joys, changes and challenges.

The end of the school year in June, gave us all the wonderful feeling of summer approaching, but not only us but also some of the furkids. Four of our furchildren started to experience the great outdoors and loved all the new sights, sounds and smells that it brought. They have been amazing for remaining at the house even though Im sure the river and woods just beyond would offer much, much more. Our one boy did however get over confident with his new found freedom and started to venture to parts of our property that really were too far for comfort. He then lost his freedom and became confined to the interior side of the glass. One Sunday early evening, Sunday June 25th to be precise, we experiences a fairly heavy rain. Thinking that no creature would want to be venturing outside in that when they had the dry, safe comforts of home, I opened the screen door to let in some of the sweet smells of rain not thinking of the hole in the screen the dogs had created with their nails. A few hours into the evening I sat comfortably on my bed and then came to the realization that my Shai was not. This was a highly unusual event. Shai is ALWAYS on my bed or realatively close to it...not far out of vision. No where!

Shai was gone for almost a month and it was the longest, most stressful time I have encountered. He returned early morning and nothing more then skin and bones. His purr never stopped and he would let me out of his sight for almost 3 weeks upon his return. It took a while for his weight and personality to return...but it all did. I thank the Powers-That-Be every day for keeping him safe and guiding him back home to us. I just couldnt imagine life without him..

Mermaid & Barn Swallows

I continue here not to share my art but rather the reasons I love living where I do. They all give me such joy-the birds, critters, my own crew of rescues and of course my deepest love, the girls Cherokee and Lena. I have to admit they do all keep me away from my easel more then I care to admit. But we only live this life we were given once and I dont want to miss a thing my wee corner of the earth has blessed me with....I do still get to my paints for short bursts every day, well, almost everyday. Along with the Gypsy commish, I have also been working on an 8x10 Mermaid(my first with a Merman!) painting depicting a ballet amongst the ruins of Atlantis...this is a progress of where it is at...hope you can see where it is going...:)

Well as promised yesturday, I just snapped some pictures of our Barn Swallows. They have definetely set up residence in the barn and let us again shut them in last night. One has taken to sitting in the nest, while the other perches himself on the pile of boards we have located on a shelf above the main door. Im calling that one a 'him' but it could be the other way around..not sure with this bird who actually is the guardian of the nest. Just being stereotypical in my thinking I guess...lol Think I will go do a bit of research on these extremely handsome bird..:) The first image of the nest, her tail is slightly visible on the left front corner. As I was taking pics, she turned around and this time her tail was visible in the front right..:) He was out flying around for a while and returned..

Spring time Birds

Baby Robins!!

The last couple of weeks have had the new fledglings of spring leaving their nests. It is both an exciting time and one filled with anxiety especially with cats and dogs running around the grounds. Last week I discovered a fledgling still with pin feathers in the garden out front. He had fallen a fair distance down from his nest Mom had built high up in the antenna tower. Not sure what to do, I brought him in and made up a baby formula (one I still have on hand from my days as a Wildlife Rehabilitator) and kept him for 2 days. On day 2, I discovered a second fledgling from the same nest out front, this time with a cut on his head. In he came to join his nest mate. Now I had a decision to make. Keep the two and feed them and hope upon release they would survive, or, construct a makeshift nest and set it back in the antenna tower and hope that Mom would return. I opted for choice two and made a nest out of an old Margarine container. I pierced holes in the bottom and lined it with soft toilet paper, placed them inside and secured it snuggly in the metal pipes of the tower. I stood outside in the rain for hours about 35+ ft from the front garden and watched and waited. About 4 hours later, a Robin appeared and hoped about the garden in quisitive and cautious. In no time she was at the makeshift nest. This was mom. What a relief to see her return time and time again with food and leave with poop. I had made the right decision..:) 2 days later, one of the fledglings was standing on the side of the container now visually investigating his world. A little while later, he was back down on the ground where I had originally discovered him talking to Mom as she flew back and forth to care for the two. That night we had tremendous weather and I did carry much concern for our little fledgling but had to keep in mind this is a wild bird and not one with 'our' comforts of home so he would do just fine. The next day(Saturday), the second fledgling was sitting on the edge and by day 3 I discovered both on the ground a ways away from where they had started.

By Monday, the first fledgling was long gone into the wooded area beyond our home but the second is still around the house-on the ground.

The poor dogs cant understand why they are not freely running the acreage here the past couple of days. I cant help but wonder how I handled other years? We have had nests around the house many, MANY times and never have I fretted about the babies as much as this year. With this one baby still in the front garden, I fear for him. Has Mom abandoned him? I hear her calling as he certainly answers one particular bird but her voice is off in the location of Fledgling one Im sure. I have yet to see her return to this one. I broke down yesturday and did feed him a worm(although I will add that he was still pooping giving me indication that he is still eating. Perhaps Mom is visiting when I dont see?) and I certainly last evening contemplated if the safety of our home was in order. Right or wrong I opted to leave him where he be in the hands of Mom Robin and Mother Nature.....

Also this past week we have Barn Swallows take interest in our barn for the very first time! This has proven to be such an exciting experience to see them flying in and out and checking out an old nest that has been in the rafters of the barn since we bought here 5 years ago. A little skittish of the people, they leave when ever we are busy in there. I have also been driving my family crazy with having to make sure the doors are open early and keep things quiet at the barn..lol last evening though for the very first time, they came in and remained and allowed us to close the barn doors for the night while they roosted high up on the ceiling fans we have in there for summer circulation. Could it be they are beginning to trust us? I can only imagine what I will be like when THEIR fledglings are ready to leave the nest! Pictures to come....:)

Progress with Gypsies

This is a long time coming and not as far as I would like but progress is progress. Ive added the white tone to Slainte(horse on far right) and also to Cobalt(far left). More blue white tone needs to be added to the whites before I continue to give them definition.. I also worked on the background tree...tomorrow the whites will be completed

Some of my favourite Spring Birds!

Where did the time go? I cant believe I let 4 days go without writing here...not a lot new but some. Our spring birds are starting to arrive! THAT is always a highlight here come spring. This year is the earliest I have seen them. Friday a yellow Warbler appeared, Saturday the Baltimore Orioles and yesturday I spotted the Red Breasted Grosebeak.

No hummers as of yet but I have all the feeders out just waiting for them! This is the Indigo Bunting. One of the richest of blues I have spotted in a bird. My very first glimpse of one I thought my eyes were playing a trick. Indeed one for everyone to see as it is true eye candy!

And of course, some of my winter favourites still remain with us. Being out here we have very little traffic and one of my favourite things to do is sit out with a coffee and just listen to the chorus of song each kind of bird sings. Simply one of the best things to hear!

And this pic has been posted for Melody..:) Spotted in the pond out back..

Gypsies are starting to appear!

Did NOT get as far as I wanted to today...just got too bogged down with too much stuff. But never the less they are starting to appear and with that I am happy..:) Here I have blocked in the darker midtone on their black areas. When applying detail now I will have the option to go darker and lighter around it to create muscle and depth. Havent decided yet if Im going to detail it first or go onto their eyes tomorrow..will have to see what the day brings with it tomorrow

The lawn tractor broke and we are waiting for the new seal to arrive. One came in the other day and guess what?, they ordered the wrong one, sooo part of my day today was using the push mower to cut a couple of acres. So forgive my late blog and my lack of participation today...

Anyway here is the painting, hope you enjoy seeing its beginning..:)

thanks all and have a Great Wednesday night(whats left of it anyway)

Nighty, night!

Gypsy Vanner & Drum Stallions

This is a large 24x36" commission(priliminary photo to work from above) for a Gypsy& Drum Farm in Pennsylvania. First I went thru a few dozen photos of the individual stallions to get the best positions to make them appear as if they would standing together in the final composition keeping their'hands' in mind for their placement. Next I decided on the lighting and wind direction since their manes, feathers and tails are going to be a very important feature of the painting. I need them to be blowing to really accentuate each individual horse without taking away or seriously covering up their neighbors.

I started painting the actual background on the canvas and then took it into photoshop(took a picture of it and saved it) to apply the horses to figure out how they would go. This is the composition I came up with and drew in the estimation for their manes etc in photoshop before bringing it to canvas.

This is the actual painted background started. I need to add more leaves to the tree in the background still..Im not worrying about creating the tree to precise realism as it is only being done as a suggestion and to create a grounding for the horses..There will be another bush/tree to the left of Cobalt(the white horse) which will be more in focus and contain more detail..

Today I started drawing the 4 horses onto the canvas. It may be a bit hard to see the pencil lines..hope you can see it...

This is the two horses on the right, Guiness the Drum and Slainte the Gypsy. Hardest to pick out Slainte in these...

And this is the two horses on the left, the white one Cobalt on the end and the small black Tonka between him and Guinness. The hands difference between these two is incredible. Tonka is a mere 13.3 and Guinness a very large 17.1. When I originally placed little Tonka on the end, his wee size was too accentuated.

Well this is a start. Now off to get something small done for ebay today as my mermaid ends this evening. Need something to replace her...Been doing mainly mermaids & dolphins for ebay these past few months. Gotta do what sells there right? Ive missed doing the realism and the horses especially so this commission is a really nice treat...:)

Happy Tuesday all!!

And thanks for your interest!

Caron

Introducing some of our Feline Crew

We have a large group of cats here, each finding their way into our home and hearts mostly by rescue. The oldest member of our crew is Shai, a 9 year old Flamepoint Siamese and the only cat we acquired by ourselves, meaning he is not a rescue. He is my baby...:)

Shaisys best bud is Khepera. He came to us from out of the woods out back as a kitten as we sat around a bonfire. A little skittish, it took a few days to catch him.

5 years ago we took in a Mom and her 3 babies who were being abandoned when their owner was moving. They all remain with us..:) This is Shu, one of the babies..

Mom of Shu is Krista. She has two more with us also black, and they are Mink and Tefnut. Krista has often been a subject of my paintings. This pic below is Krista with Mink, Shu's sister..






And this is Tefnut....

The last family that came to us was Shadou who gave birth to 3 as well-Moonette, Stars and Gabi..Here is Shadou...

Meet Stars. She also was the subject of one of last weeks Photo of the Day! She is our bigger girl and thinks she rules....well most of the time..

And here is her twin, Moonette... She is only a twin in looks as her personality is the complete opposite of Stars. She is quiet, hidden a lot and very skittish... The final sister is Gabriella or better known as Gabicat...now THIS one thinks she rules the roost and often will stock and attack our poor Shai. So much so Shai had to be put on a sedative to relax his frazzled nerves.

Well thats it for the feline side of our crew here. They all keep me entertained and busy! Hope you enjoyed meeting them!