Art Of The Card

Have you ever meant to send a card and the time came up on you too quickly? Do you want to send more than just a e-card? People do still send cards. I am one of those people and I have started setting up some of my art images as cards. You can go to Handmade Cards From Signed Cards and personalize your own card, they will mail the card for you for just $4.95.

I will put more cards on for other special occasions but for now there are Mother's Day Cards, which is just around the corner and cards that are blank on the inside for you to write your own personal note.

I hope you think this is as fun of an idea as I do and give it a try.

Here is the link to the web site: http://www.signedcards.com

If you are looking for some gift options and you are in the Middletown, MD area drop in at Willow Oaks craft cider & wine, 6219 Harley Rd., Middletown, MD. They have some new hard ciders, jewelry, pottery, handmade booklets, sculptures, photographs, and paintings in the art spaces on the main floor and the upper loaf area. Along with some wonderful fines in the Farm-stand from their organic farm.

If you are in Scottsdale, AZ area you can check out my web site or come by my studio to pick out a little something special for that special someone. Just email me lharrisonparsons@gmail.com

Here are a couple samples of cards and some art at Willow Oaks.

Prints available at Willow Oaks matted 8x10 $25.00
also set up as a card.

E-Z Going, original at Willow Oaks

Hide-N-Seek

Saturday I stopped by the Phoenix Zoo. I had been there about a month ago and saw that there were birds on nests and building nests. I wanted to see if I could find baby birds. Oh my! It was not the easiest photography I have done but it was worth the wait. There were lots of hide and seek moments. These birds are not part of the zoo's exhibits, they just happen to be passing through and thought those trees near water look like a good place to build a nest. I am not sure how many years they have been nesting there but will check again next year.

There were two different birds in this one tree: Snowy Egrets, many of them and a Black-Crowned Night-Heron with 2 babies. The heron was not making the egrets happy, which made it hard getting to those inside branches where the nest was hidden. The Snowy Egrets made their nests on the outer edges of the branches, still tucked in a bit but much more exposed.

If it had not been for the Heron jumping around, flying around, I would have missed the nest. The babies are brownish with a black mohawk. The nest is secured in the shadows of the branches. While Mom was slowly figuring out how to approach them without the egrets getting too upset I was able to get a few pictures of the babies. They made me smile and hope they do the same for you today.

The Snowy Egret babies were starting to try their wings. They are still a little bit from leaving the nests. It was kind of like watching a child take it's first steps. The wings would go up and out and they fell over on the branches.

I am planning to create a few new pieces from my photos. I am thinking the charcoal technique could be interesting or maybe a blue toned paper using the reductive process...who knows maybe there is an oil painting waiting to happen. Keep checking back to see what the future brings.

If you don't want to wait and you are in the area come on by next Saturday, April 28th 10-5 to the Verde Valley Birding Festival at Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Cottonwood, AZ.

Black Crowned Night Heron baby

Black Crowned Night Herons - can you find the second baby look lower right.

Black Crowned Night Heron

Hide & Seek...herons

Heron and egrets

Breakfast Time - Snowy Egrets

Mom & babe Snowy Egrets

Snowy Egret testing out those wings

Earth Art

Sunday, April 22nd is Earth Day. I will be honoring this day making recycled paper in the wooded area of Boyce Thompson Arboretum. I thought today's post should be positive, not a lecture, you know what needs to be done to take care of our planet. Here are some quotes and pictures to inspire you to take a walk in the woods Sunday, to look at how you can better understand our connection to this world or if you are in the area come up-cycle and make recycled paper with me in AZ.

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." Albert Einstein

These two pictures were taken at our friends farm, Eric & Lori Rice, they own the oldest organic farm in Maryland. This little birds nest was built in their fruit trees orchard. This organic fruit is used in the making of their hard ciders and dessert wines. Willow Oaks craft cider & wine just celebrated a one year anniversary. You can find them on FB http://www.facebook.com/willowoakscraftcider or check out the web site http://www.willowoakscraftcider.com

They are open Saturdays and Sunday 11-5, might be a fun thing to do on Earth Day. Located at: 6219 Harley Rd., Middletown, MD

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir

Yesterday, on my way home from dropping Rick off at the airport, I stopped at a little park to check out the palo verdes in bloom. I could not stop thinking of Elton John's song, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" as I walked along the path. It made me smile and the John Muir quote seemed a prefect fit, as I did receive far more.

I'll end my little walk through nature with some of my favorite subjects.

#Sedona, #AZ

#Sunset #Scottsdale #Arizona

Me providing fibers for a #hummingbirds nest in #Tucson, AZ

#Poppies in bloom Tonto National Forest

And of course we end our day with a full #moon.

Happy Earth Day!

Sunny Yellows Make Orange

Yesterday, Rick and I took a early walk around the Desert Botanical Gardens. A very nice way to start the day. We have been back east with cooler spring temperatures. Even with those cool temp's there are trees blooming, flowers are popping up looking for that sunny day. Here in AZ it is warming up quickly, spring flows right into summer sooner then back east.

Yellow - a main character in the trees and flowers of the Southwest. Last year the poppies came out because we had lovely rain in the winter. This year, not much rain, so we shall see what wild flowers will be doing over the next month. The saguaro cactus is even starting to bloom. The one in our backyard is filled with buds. The birds and bees are very happy.

The prickly pear cactus at DBG are blooming, they vary in color from yellow, yellow-orange, pink and purple tones. The Adenium multiforum, a desert rose, is blooming too, they are usually on the red-pink coloration but I saw one called "Sabi Star" oh my, it is variegated with red and white patterns. Plus, Sabi, reminds me of Africa. This plant originates from Africa. It does well in the desert but does not like temperatures below freezing. We have a small one in our garden and this year it too has flowers.

While at the gardens we were in hopes of seeing some of the owls that make it their home. No luck, but did see some interesting cactus references that I can use to do a painting from and add a little owl from other photo references. If you like bird art coming next weekend I will be up in Cottonwood, AZ doing the Verde Valley Birding Festival. The art show is Saturday from 10-5 at Dead Horse Ranch State Park. I am sharing the space with fellow artist Gary Binder. He won this years competition and his image is being used in all the PR for the event.

Here are a few photos from yesterdays walk through the gardens. You can find more photos on my FB page. http://www.facebook.com/LindaWildlifeArtist

Cactus in bloom

Wildflowers at the Desert Botanical Gardens #DBG

Palo Verde in flower

Mesquite tree blooms

Prickly Pear

Sabi Star

Summer Art

Time to register for those Summer Workshops! Registration is open for Common Ground on the Hill, held at #McDaniel #College in #Westminster, #Maryland. It has gotten so popular that additional classes and an extra week have been added on for you to attend.

I will be teaching two workshops this July. Week one is July 2nd to 9th, Art of Nature. It will introduce and review techniques with charcoal, pastels and some mixed mediums. We will work from life and from photo references. The art of nature, covers a lot of material and is geared for all levels. Week two is July 9th to 13th: Art of the Bird. This class offers more technical information, some knowledge of drawing and pastels is helpful. We will again have live raptors in the classroom. Drawing from falcons, owls, hawks and or eagles. Students will have opportunities to take photos of the birds but the focus will be on drawing from life. Photo reference will be used the remainder of the week to create finished works.

Both classes will have an art exhibit on the last day of classes. Art reception Friday evenings, July 9th and July 13th from 5:30 - 7:30.

If you are interested in taking one of these or other workshops check the website:  http://www.commongroundonthehill.org  look under Traditions Weeks, scroll down to find visual arts. You must register through this web site, contact them if you need help with registration.

For general questions about my class or the events that go on during the Traditions Weeks you can always email me at: lharrisonparsons@gmail.com

Hope to see you there!

Art Workshops And Shows

Now that the Spring Cleaning Print Event is over, let's move on to art shows and workshops.

What's currently going on: The AZ Pastel Artists Association, National Juried Exhibit is on display at the Sedona Art Center, Barn Gallery. The Show will be up till April 10th open 10:00 to 5:00 each day.

What's coming up: The Verde Valley Birding Festival, April 28th from 10:00 - 5:00 at the Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood, AZ. This is a four day event, with the art show on Saturday. Check the web site for information on speakers, field trips and workshops. http://www.verderiver.org

Workshops:
 Just around the corner is July workshops at Common Ground on the Hill, Westminster, MD.
I will be teaching two different workshops.
Art of Nature, July 2 - 6th, this class is geared to all levels, reviewing technical aspects of drawing and painting from nature. We will work from both real materials and from photo references.
Art of the Bird  July 9th - 13th, working again from live raptors and reference photographs. This class is geared for those who have worked with pastels, charcoal, or graphite. Advanced techniques will be taught during this workshop.
To register for these workshops go to: http://www.commongroundonthehill.org Look under Traditions weeks for details.

Look for more shows and workshops on my art facebook page at  http://www.facebook.com/LindaWildlifeArtist
or check my web site under workshops and shows listings at
http://www.lindaharrisonparsons.com


That's a lot of information! Hope to see you at one of these events.

"Over My Shoulder" Red Tailed #Hawk #pastel on exhibit at #Sedona #Art Center, #AZ

#Art of the #Bird, workshop at Common Ground on the Hill #CGOTH