One of the reasons I enjoy my Morning Mile so much is because of the walk back to the house. It’s my time to wander. It’s the wandering that feeds my soul and spirit, whereas the jog out does my body good. I need both.
After a few days of not having the time to do the morning mile, I am nearly back to starting point with endurance. So the jog didn’t last as long and I didn’t make it to the mailbox. It’s so irritating how long it takes to build up the ability to get a distance only to observe how quickly all of that work dissipates.
Anyway, I did go out this morning. And I did thoroughly enjoy my time to wander. These are the sights that caught my eye. And even if I never actually paint these specific scenes, it is time like this that inspires me to make art. I do from time to time go through my photo files to see if I want to paint any of them, though. Mostly the time to wander is a time to commune with Nature. It’s a renewal of spirit, a visit with the muses, and just pure distraction from the ever-present to-do list that awaits me back at the house.
Leaves
Autumn isn’t quite technically here yet, there’s another week before it’s official. But the leaves on the trees don’t know that yet, and they think it’s time for them to wander, too. These might actually make it into a painting one day.
Mushrooms
I love to look at the mushrooms I encounter during my morning walks back to the house. These were the photogenic ones I found today. Most of the time I don’t bother to identify them. Mainly I just like to see all the various shapes and colors, and this morning’s shrooms even seemed to have a bit of personality.
Time to Wander is Time to Look for Rocks
It’s always time to look for rocks, even if it isn’t time to wander. Sometimes I find the ones that make great pigment. But other times I just find rocks of interest. This one had a vein of some other material running all the way through it. As much as I thought about it, I didn’t break it to get an inside look. It just felt better to put it back where I found it and wander on.
Other Posts about My Wandering Around
- A day in the life of a pigment hunting nature artist
- Driveway Flowers in September
- Long Dirt Road: Why it Takes me an Hour to Drive 12 Miles
There’s Even a Song
This song celebrates the need to wander and I like the instrumentation in it.
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Author/Artist Info
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Madison Woods is a self-taught artist who moved to the Ozarks from south Louisiana in 2005. In 2018 she began experimenting with watercolor painting, using her local pigments. She calls them Paleo Paints. In 2023 she began her journey into the world of oil painting with those same pigments. Her paintings of the Ozark-inspired scenes feature exclusively the lightfast pigments foraged from Madison county, Arkansas. Her inspiration is nature – the beauty, and the inherent cycle of life and death, destruction and regeneration. Wild Ozark is also the only licensed ginseng nursery in Arkansas. Here’s the link for more information on the nursery end of life out here.
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