This is an index of posts that fall into my “Musings” category. Usually it’s on a topic that has no other defined focus, but sometimes these are also my philosophical-type posts. Subscribe to Wild Ozark™ » Musings by Email
I’m at an ‘in between’ time at the moment. Between rain showers and rainy days, between things scheduled on my calendar. And since I just finished a painting, I’m between paintings, too. But this is a great time for an Ozark nature artist to get out and enjoy some nature.
There are other plant walks in Arkansas, but this one is probably a little different. The trails we’ll follow are deer trails and logging roads. The drive to get here is gorgeous. And the biodiversity here at Wild Ozark is incredible. Our 160 acres is far off of the beaten path six miles from pavement. …
I got an invitation from Google to test out the new AI chatbot called Bard. So far I’ve tried it out for a few different things, mostly to draw up outlines for potential blog posts. Today I asked it to outline a blog post on the topic of whether a creation story for artworks is …
There are days when I’m not painting, usually when I’m between paintings or stepping back from one in progress. On Saturdays when I’m at the studio in Alpena, I always like to at least get something small done or started. And right now I’ve got three almost dry paintings in my cramped home office/studio, so …
When I’m not Painting, and Something Woo-Woo About Me Read More »
This morning I walked over to see if there’s grass growing in the horses’ field yet. After crossing over rocks in the creek, as I walked up the hill out of the creek valley, I found this fossil. It looks like the spiral of an ammonite. If that’s what it is, it’s the first one …
The image associated with this post is a single screech owl, but two photos taken successively. In one shot the owls’s eyes were closed and in the other they were open. So I put them together because there’s a lot of symbolism in there that applies to my approach for 2023 art goals and life …
Art Goals | Life Goals, and my Word of the Year – Wild Ozark 2023 Read More »
Happy Solstice Day! It’s that time of year again, when the longest night of the year is upon us. Which in turn means that today is the shortest day of the year. After this, the days will incrementally grow a little longer until Summer Solstice rolls around. I’m so ready for the days to get …
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 …
Is Art made through Magic, Intuition, or Knowledge? Read More »
mermaid in a sea of swirling air Gloria drops her leaves litter like silk puddles around her on the ground She’s nearly nude now * The wind rolls in like waves breakers on hilltops It spills, crashes into the valley I feel like a mermaid In a sea of swirling air
This morning I wanted to go to a granddaughter’s Kindergarten graduation, but the bridges were flooded, so that was nixed. Then I decided that I’d wait for it to quit raining and then go out to get some better photos of one of the wild Ozark orchids I’d seen the day before while we were …
Maybe this isn’t a very interesting post, lol, but it’s what I’m doing today. It’s yard-work day. All week is supposed to be rain-free, so the whole week is outdoor work-week. With all the rains we’ve had, the grass is growing fast. Mostly weeds, but some grass, too. We have very little flat ground and …
It usually gets noisy when it rains in the Ozarks, with the roar of water rushing down hills. Here’s a video of our waterfall and the creek.
Every morning I feed the horses and chickens. Once it gets close to spring, I also begin my ‘get-in-shape’ program. Come along with me to feed the horses before I head out for a jog and walk early on a March morning. I’ve fed the chickens already. The time is right after sunrise, so light …
The weather is torturing me with spells of warm, sunny days followed by days of bitter cold and wind. I’m so ready for spring. But it’s been busy around here and I haven’t had a chance to make a blog post in a while. So here’s the Wild Ozark Hermit Report of what’s been happening …
Just a little update on what I’m creating and how our lives as hermits in the Wild Ozark hills are going these days.
Oh my, what a huge case of mistaken identity. The tree I’d assumed was sassafras is definitely not. It’s an Osage orange. And yes, I do know those two trees look entirely different, but all I had to go on were roots and a weathered trunk.
This post is the same as the newsletter email that just went out to subscribers. A long time ago, maybe a few years, I’d sent out a poll asking if subscribers were also subscribers to my website. Most of the responses were no, so that means posting the newsletter here shouldn’t be too much repetition …
Rob came home from his overseas gig at the beginning of Dec. 2020, so 2021 was the first full year of him being home we’ve had in a while. It’s been busy! Here’s the Wild Ozark 2021 Year in Review. I know a lot of folks would probably like to sweep 2021 out the western …
Wherein Madison Woods interviews Jarrod Cluck, another nature artist of northwest Arkansas. Click through to learn more and see his art! If you’d like to be featured next, click through and find more info at the bottom of this post.
Encroachment goes both ways. Sometimes humans go too far into nature, but there are times when nature invades too much on humans, too! Click through to find out what I’ve been working on toward striking that balance.
Usually our trips away from the homestead amount to a weekly errand run. Because going ‘to town’ takes up most of the day, it feels like a cross-country journey. We’ve had and still have out of state travels this month. Next month, we’ll be back to our hermit lifestyle – but not at home. I’ll …
So far the only firm date on the spring schedule, or all of next year, is the Master Gardener’s Convention in Springdale, AR. It’s time to plan what to do with 2022!
There are some hidden treasures in the Ozarks. The tiny little town of Kingston, Arkansas in Madison county is one of them. It’s been my adopted home-base since 2005, when I moved up here from south Louisiana. Take a Slow Dirt Road Drive | Guided Tour During summer, I’m offering Nature Experiences that include hiking, …
I hate needing this anti-theft software, but my entire website is being scraped and republished on other sites. If you'd like to use photos or content on your own website, go to my Contact page and let me know. I'm almost always happy to allow it.
