Back yard drama

I have a contract with the universe to care for the birds in my corner of the world.  I live in the end unit of a condo block, and the back yard is surrounded by a fence and a high, thick hedge.  There are also some big dense trees.  In the winter I put out a bird feeder and in the summer a bird bath.  It's  a perfect place for small birds - robins, sparrow, chickadees, finches, nuthatches.  The bigger birds like magpies and crows don't come in much because it's small.  The sparrows build nests under the hedge and the robins in the spruce tree.  There are plenty of fat worms in the garden for food.The pets are all well-fed and belled.
This year, a baby robin fell out of the nest before it was able to fly.  It flopped and hopped in the long grass.  The parents were, we think, trying to build a nest on the ground to protect the little one.  My tabby cat, Holly, walked out on the deck and sat down to survey her kingdom as usual.  The robins began to screech and dive bomb  her.  She crouched down and backed up to the door, wondering, I'm sure, how she lost her position as supreme ruler of the back yard.  We put her inside and the birds calmed down.  But the crows and magpie got word that there was a tender morsel available and they came in, once more causing the parents to go into safety mode.  That little robin went  right after that big crow and chased it away.  I flapped the rug at the rest and they flew off.  Eventually the new nest was ready, predators were averted, and they herded the little one into the bushes to safety.  A few days later the big robins spent lots of time in the birdbath, which is usually what they do once the little ones have found their wings and left the nest.  So I hope they all survived and left to start their own lives.  And Holly can reign supreme over the yard again.
Pen, ink. watercolor pencils in the little sketchbook

A Fresh Start

It's been  long, cold, sunless winter and its left me feeling discouraged and disheartened. It seemed that everything I attempted went wrong - colors smeared under a second layer of glaze, paper buckled unattractively and left ugly blotches, my wireless network was under relentless attack and so on.  I started many things and abandoned them.
One day on a routine mission to empty the garbage, I stood in a rare and unusual bit of sunshine (Ouch, what's that bright light?), and noticed the tulips blooming in the front.  I mean, I really noticed them.  I saw the voluptuous brashness of the yellow tulip, the graceful curves of the red one, the slender pointed petals of the purple ones, the tall straight stems, and the graceful leaves.  And I heard again that quiet, still voice that said "I could draw that".  And so I did, and determined to make a fresh start against the discouragement.  Start with what I've always loved to draw - flowers, birds, nature. Maybe with that simple start, my soul can stand as straight and bloom as bright.

East Gate

The university that I work at is celebrating its 100 anniversary. In the library, we have a small art gallery where we showcase local artists and encourage members of the university community to contribute.  For the centennial, we are highlighting art work that celebrates the University's history.
I've always like the east gate entrance to the main building.  It's tall and elegant and full of windows that reflect the wide open sky.  The spacious walkway in the summer has huge pots of petunias that lead up to the entrance.  This is an exploratory draft of a painting that, if all goes well, I would submit to the gallery in the fall semester for the September celebration.
I really like how the sky is reflected in the windows, and the close up of the flower pot.
Ink and watercolor.

New Library

Last weekend, I attended the grand re-opening of my local public library branch, also known as my personal library.  It had been a long renovation, and they remained open throughout, but most of the books were in storage for the duration.  If you wanted a paperback you could find it, but if you wanted a particular title, you had to place a hold on it.  Our book club had to meet in  other places, and arrange for our own books.  Sometimes you'd get them in time to read them for the meeting and sometimes not.  There was no place to sit and browse books or magazines.  It was trying times.
But now it's open and it's beautiful.  They expanded the back of the library into the green space.  That back wall is now a curved expanse of windows, with a nice padded seating all around.  This plus a skylight means lots of natural light.  This is me standing in front of the new display shelves.  To the right is a beautiful fireplace, and in front of me are soft, buttery leather chairs. We were offered coffee and cookies.  It was nice to see the staff smiling again.  This is a good use of my tax dollars.