Things To Come

I have not been writing my blog as much as I use to, not that I don't have lots of things going on in art. Maybe too many things, nah that's not it, just been struggling with finding my flow lately. I have, as I am sure you have too, been getting lots of notices on privacy settings on anything computer related. Some different things like my web site will no longer support a connection to my blog. Thought that was interesting. It started me wondering if I should keep writing my blog???

The blog has been a way to share my art, teaching, techniques, travel and photography. Life has a way of changing things, moving us forward, even if we are not ready. I do have a lot of things coming up over the summer and into the fall. I think I will keep writing and putting the information out there in cyber space. As the year comes to an end I will see if it is time to change, to let go of the blog. I will still write an article here and there on LinkedIn. I try to do those every other month. My plan is to get back to writing at least one blog post a week. 

With all that being said, here is this weeks art info!

Saturday, May 26th you can find me plein aire painting at the Desert Ridge Market Place. Sponsored by Soutern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance. This is the same location I have done the street murals. There will be 17 artists on site. Stop on by and see what we are creating. We will be there from 11:00 to 3:00. Award winners will be announced between 2-2:30.

This is the last weekend my art will be up at the i.d.e.a. Museum in Mesa, AZ. If you are in Mesa area, check it out but be prepared it is a Museum designed to inspire kids creativity. Plus, go by the Center for Arts check out the exhibits there. If you are interested in classes they have lots to offer.

There are still spaces open for classes at Common Ground on the Hill. They have expanded to three weeks this year. Check the web site under Traditions Weeks to see a listing of all the classes. I will be teach Art of Nature, Week II and Art of the Bird, Week III. http://www.commongroundonthehill.org

Okay, think that is enough for today! If you have any question about classes or art work you can always e-mail me at: lharrisonparsons@gmail.com

Here are some pretty pictures to go along with the blog.

detail of oil painting handing at i.d.e.a. Museum, Mesa, AZ

me plein aire painting

heron at i.d.e.a. Museum 

Art Lessons

Putting the title down made me smile a little. This post was to be about Common Ground on the Hill and the upcoming workshops, I am teaching: Art of Nature and Art of the Bird. It is also about those things we take away from art, the lessons we learn and the traditions.

Common Ground is rooted in Traditions, music, dance, visual arts, and so much more. This year there are three weeks worth of classes. You can come and stay at McDaniel College, Westminster, MD or commute. Pick out things you would like to learn, improve on what you may know or develop new techniques. The evenings are filled with artists talks, and musical performances. The options are up to you as to what you choose to explore. 

If you are intrigued check out the web site: http://www.commongroundonthehill.org
Go to: Programs-Workshops, Traditions Weeks-Home, Visual Arts, select 2-D for my workshops - Weeks 2 and or 3, followed by Registration. If you have any problems please call the numbers on the web site and they will be happy to assist.

Here are a few pictures of things you could be doing this summer. My workshops are Week 2 July 2-6th and Week 3 July 9-13th. If you have questions for me regarding the class, supplies or skill levels please email me at: lharrisonparsons@gmail.com

My Trees Are Humming

Spring is filled with music in nature. The birds are singing, the hummingbirds make their own unique sounds and the bees are humming happily away. My trees are in full bloom, the bees, birds are singing and humming. You walk by the palo verde the trees sounds like they are humming because they are so full of bees. It is a wonderful sound, the bees are very happy. The saguaro cactus seemed to be blooming a little early this year and on top of that because of low rain I think the stress has caused it to focus on putting out as many flowers for propagation as possible. The result is beautiful.

I know I have been taking lots of pictures of trees, birds, bees and cactus. Don't look for that to stop anytime soon. They are just too wonderful not to take photographs to document this moment in time. I am pretty sure that the cactus flowers, birds and bees will end up in art work very soon. There is a plein air event coming up May 26th at Desert Ridge. I will be there painting from 10-3, with this type of event it is meant to try to include what you are seeing while painting outside, I would think there may be birds and flowers involved, maybe even a bee or a tree. I will post the end result at the end of the month, until then here are some pictures to enjoy of AZ in the spring-time.

#saguaro  in bloom with #bees

#bees in the #palo verde #tree

#flowers of the ironwood tree

hummingbird in the #mesquite tree

 

May-Day-May-Flowers-May-Babies

This morning started out with birds, and it just kept getting better. The hummingbirds that come to the backyard are fearless. They have come to the feeder before I get it hung. I thought they might be open to coming to one of the handheld feeders. I put it out on a table near one of the feeders last week. When I go out in the morning with my coffee I would put it on my hand. Yesterday, a female came to check it out and I am pretty sure it was the same female that came back this morning to give it a try.

Early this morning, Rick and I took a drive to see if we could find a baby great horned owl. The first location the nest was empty but the second spot, we found the baby. He/she appeared to still be sleepy and waiting for mom to come back with breakfast. We did not see mom but I did get some pictures of the owlet.

Continuing with our bird viewing this morning. Rick took me to a location where there are burrowing owls, no babies but they are small and cute. I got a few more pictures of the burrowing owls. They live underground and sometimes share their space with ground squirrels. These owls have long legs which make them look a little different. They also look at you very intently.

That completes our morning adventures and it is not even lunch time yet. It has been a pretty amazing day so far...will just have to see what this afternoon brings.

great horned owlet

burrowing owl

hummingbird

Big Day

Today has a lot going on, with it being May 5th, Cinco de mayo, the celebration of Mexico's victory in 1862 during the Franco-Mexican war. The Kentucky Derby runs today, with such horses as Vino Rosso and Magnum Moon in the race...oh my. Who would you pick as your favorite? To top it all off it is Big Day, counting all the birds that you see in a 24 hour period. The record stands at 431 birds sited in one day.

We will observe all of these events today, check out the race, see what horse wins, celebrate that with a margarita this evening and here are a few birds that came to the backyard recently.

I believe this is a curve billed thrasher

White winged doves, courting

Flicker bringing a present to his lady on a nest in the saguaro 

little hummer (could be female Anna's or Costa's)

hummer just as she was landing

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