June 2021 Exhibit: Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
On June 12, from 10 am to 2 pm I’ll be on the grounds at the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History painting. There are lots of things on their grounds that I’ll like to attempt. It’s my first time doing a public painting thing, so wish me luck! If you’re in the area, please do …
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2021 April | Wild Ozark Musings | Monthly Newsletter
This is a website version of my monthly newsletter that goes out to subscribers. If you’d like to get this in your mailbox each month, just head on over <click here> to sign up. Sometimes I may post it here to the website, but maybe not always. The best way to be sure you get …
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To my website subscribers: Just in case …
I’m deleting all of the users from my website’s database. There are so many spammers/hackers and bots attempting to leave comments and registering as users lately, that I have to wipe the slate clean. When I’m done, I’ll have to add one of those irritating Captcha things that make you choose pictures to identify yourself …
Hermit Journal Updates | Early Spring Activities
It’s been a busy past couple of weeks here at Wild Ozark. Early spring and warmer weather brings a flurry of activity here at Wild Ozark. I’ve been working on our garden, grinding more rocks, and generally just enjoying the warmer weather. The temps are still cool enough for a jacket mornings and evenings, but …
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Making Smooth Paint from Rock Dust (Earth Pigment)
Since I wrote my first post on ‘how to make handmade watercolor paint‘, I’ve learned some things. That first post is still a good starting point for anyone starting out. It just doesn’t go into how to make *better* paints. Either way, whether you stop at the rough version, or go on to refine it, …
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Monthly Hermit Musings | A Glimmer of Spring
A few green things are peeking out, and I’m beginning to see the glimmer of spring. Yesterday I sent out my monthly newsletter to subscribers. Each month I try to write up a summary of all that went on out here since the previous month. And also each month I have a little giveaway and …
Stones to Grind | A Fantastic New Interview and Publication
Lisa J. Tomey interviewed me way back in 2019 for an article to be published in Okra Magazine. Just when it was about time for it to run, Covid struck and that article got pushed back on the publisher’s to-do list. Well, I’d almost forgotten about it, but Lisa did an awesome job of keeping …
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Showy Orchis (Galearis spectabilis) in Ozark pigments
Originally, I had planned to do a series of my favorite woodland plants in grayscale. But that was before I found the stone that gives me a sort of green pigment. So changed up the plans a little. Now I’m doing a series of our orchids in my full palette of pigments. First is this …
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Are you on Clubhouse?
My daughter called me the other day to tell me about Clubhouse. She had gotten an invitation to join it and after trying it out, thought it would be something I might be interested in. At first I groaned. Not another social media, please. I’m trying to get *away* from being online so much, not …
SOUL OF THE OZARKS | The 5th Painting
My 5th painting was a special request by my sister. She loves pelicans and wanted me to paint one for her. This is the story of my journey into the world of being a watercolor painter. My angle on this is a bit different than most other artists, in that all of my paints are …
Winter in the Ozarks | Musings on a Very Cold Day
It was -12F when I woke up this morning at 0500. This is the coldest I think it’s ever been since we moved here in 2005. There hasn’t been many really cold, snowy winters in the past several years, it seems. However, in the first few years here, we had an incredible ice storm (either …
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SOUL OF THE OZARKS | The 4th Painting
After the second kestrel, which was the third painting, I thought I’d try another kestrel. I had another good photo to work from and I’d come to really love the colors and form of kestrels. By this time I was back home and could make more paints. I hoped I would make better ones – …
Is Art made through Magic, Intuition, or Knowledge?
I once heard it spoken in one of the great (virtual) hallways where educated artists gather, that an ‘intuitive artist’ doesn’t exist. That an artist only uses knowledge and conscious decisions to know what to do on their canvas – no mystery involved. The idea, of whether that is true or not, lodged like a …
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Cow Portrait | Whisper, the Brahman cow | Painting Process
The first painting of 2021 is also the first of its size, and the first using a single source for pigment. But it is my second Brahman cow portrait. ‘Brahman Baby’ was the first. This is my progress page, for those who like to see the progression of how a painting looks from blank canvas …
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New Win: Wild & Scenic Film Festival
Virtual Art Show I’m thrilled to report that A Curious Pair and Destination Unknown were accepted to the virtual art show of the Wild & Scenic Film Festival. Update 1/15/21: A huge THANK YOU to Consuelo (Chelo) Montoya for choosing Destination Unknown as the third place winner of the paintings category.
My 2021 Outlook | A Loosely Defined Path
This is probably the first year that I didn’t go through a reflection of the previous year while making plans for the coming year. In some ways right now, it feels like it doesn’t really matter anyway. No matter how much I plan things out, life inevitably has a way of undoing the strands. Then …
Natural Ozark Beauty on the To-Paint List
It snowed over the weekend for the first time this season. This always leads to me taking a lot of photos of our natural Ozark beauty, most of them not shared because they’re just too repetitive. But I can’t help but take them, because I see so many beautiful sights. It’s not a habit limited …
SOUL OF THE OZARKS | The 3rd Painting
Still in July 2018, and still in Qatar visiting Rob, I decided to try a 3rd painting. I’d do another kestrel and see if I could do it better this time. Because it was so hot outside during daylight hours, there wasn’t a whole lot else to do all day other than read or watch …
Thanksgiving 2020
May your day be filled with abundance and gratitude. I have a lot to be thankful for, and the love and health of family is at the top of my list. I have a husband who is my anchor, best friend, and companion even while on the other side of the world. It’s hard to …
Book Review | Tree Beings
Tree Beings, by Raymond Huber and Sandra SevergniniForward by Dr. Jane GoodallExisle Publishing This book is a review copy from the publisher. I chose this book to review because of the title. Right away, I identified with the concept of ‘Tree Beings’. This is a book about the beings that live within the trees, the …
SOUL OF THE OZARKS | The Second Painting
Honestly, while I was delighted that my handmade watercolors worked alright for my first try, I wasn’t real pleased with the painting itself. So I decided to try a second painting. The Second Painting I was still in Qatar. It was July 2018, and the daytime temperatures outside were so hot I didn’t want to …