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
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 …
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. Something’s up in Kingston these days, though. It’s end of December 2021 as I write this, and I’ll …
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 …
Showy Orchis (Galearis spectabilis) in Ozark pigments Read More »
I made a new website just for the ginseng information. You can find it at ginseng.wildozark.com. Email me if you can’t find what you’re looking for. Thanks! madison@wildozark.com.
The first painting off of the easel this decade is a bald eagle, and it’s the first of the eagles in my series of raptors in Ozark pigments.
So I’ve done a good job of making sure the water is dripping on the cold nights and so far so good with not letting the lines freeze. But this afternoon my water at the kitchen faucet surprised me with only a very thin stream. Not even enough to rinse out my coffee cup. After a hike up the mountain to see where the problem was, I found that we don’t have a frozen water issue. We have a bear issue.
You’d think by now I’d remember to do that when the first true cold snap arrives. But no, I always forget, just like I forgot last night.
If you like decorating with nature, oh boy, do I have some artwork for you. Think earthy colors and natural tones: ochres, umbers, and siennas. Yellows, reds, browns, oranges, and shades of black and gray. I mean, literally, shades of nature. Nature paintings made with earth pigments are a great way to decorate with nature. …
Decorating with Nature: Paintings Made from Ozark Pigments Read More »
Fall is my favorite time of year. I absolutely love all the autumn colors in the Ozarks. Each year I usually take a lot of pictures and post them to my blog, but last year and maybe the year before that, I didn’t do much with my pics. This year I’m going to post some …
Blood of the Ozarks no. 1, The first of the fall Driftwood Palette collections at Wild Ozark will be available at the Heart of Rogers show on Oct. 18.
What gifts did the water bring this time? A whole gravel bed! Once I’m done gathering earth pigments, I can put some back on the driveway. Click the title to read more.
I make paint from rocks. Join me on a forage and make your own handmade watercolors. Cost is $75 and all materials are included.
The pigment hunting trip was successful. Nothing really new or different in the colors, though. The rocks I found that would be easy to make pigment from were very similar to the rocks I find around home.
I didn’t intend to check the fences on the steep side of our property this evening. I say the ‘steep side’ as if there is only one. Ha. No. Most of the sides on our square-shaped 160 acres are steep. At the very least none of it is level. Anyway, the plan was to feed …
This morning before I left the house to go to the post office, I briefly thought about whether I should grab the camera or not. I decided to not. It had been a few days since I’d last caught even a glimpse of the screech owl that lives by the gate. So I didn’t have …
Every year the same flowers bloom in pretty much the same order. And although I have hundreds of images in my files, I can’t help but start heading out with the camera. The blooms start in early April in the ginseng habitat. The first flowers that bloom are usually the toothwort (formerly of the Dentaria …
Wild Ozark will be at Terra Studios tomorrow. But with the rain we might get overnight and in the morning, the odds are looking poor. If I can’t make it there on Saturday, then on Sunday I should be able to make it. Springtime in the Ozarks usually means more rain. UPDATE: I made it …
If the Creeks Don’t Rise… Springtime in the Ozarks Read More »
Set aside the last weekend in March to do the art tour of South x Southeast! Wild Ozark will be set up at Terra Studios 🙂
We’ve had some rain lately, but not enough. The creek that runs through our land is nearly dry now. Thankfully, there are still a few constantly refilling pools here and there, or else I’d have to carry water to the horses. Even the spring puddles on the way to the back gate are completely dry. …
Here’s a little inspiration to get outside on this beautiful sunny day and enjoy nature. Phlox is blooming and casting joyful purple splashes all around the Wild Ozark hills and woods, and the fiddleheads are unfurling.
I titled this photo “What’s Not to Love?” because I love (almost) everything about living back here in the middle of nowhere. Heading home is always a pleasure. Once I turn off the pavement, the half hour it takes to get to my house from there is pure sensory overload. I drive very slowly, looking …
It’s mid-March 2018 and I’m watching for the first native flowers of the Ozarks to start blooming. I particularly love the ephemeral blooms of early spring, like the bloodroot and Dutchmen’s breeches. Scroll down to see pictures and keep up with what’s blooming at Wild Ozark. If you’re looking specifically for the ginseng unfurling/blooming, you’ll …
2018 Spring Awakening Watch – First Native Flowers of the Ozarks Read More »
Today I went out to take cuttings from the Ozark Witch Hazel in the hopes of rooting them. I wasn’t looking for an American Hazelnut, but that’s what I found! I found the Witch Hazels, too. But I already knew those were there. New finds are always so exciting to me, but I think most …
The harbinger of spring is one of the earliest blooming native wildflowers here at Wild Ozark. Others of us plant-watchers have been reporting seeing them, so I thought just maybe I’d find one too. But I wasn’t disappointed in the day’s collection of pretty images. Even if they’re not harbingers.
