At a snail’s pace spring is . . . slowly . . . creeping . . . into view. It came and then it went, and now it’s coming back, veiled in fog and mystery. When will it really come to stay? I keep telling myself it’ll be here soon enough and I’ll fondly think on winter, perhaps even with with a wistful sigh. (After writing a few posts on contentment you’d think I’d have this whole patience thing down pat, right?) While I’ve been waiting for spring to arrive, you’ve probably guessed we’ve been busy. Here’s an update on what we’ve been up to:

New Prints—I have some new prints in my shop! “Adventure Awaits” and “Story-time with Mama” stretched me a bit.

Daisy and Rose

Watercolor should be light and more free-flowing. I err on the side of being too dense, so that’s definitely something I want to work on. I also over-planned them both, but “Daisy and Rose” was very spontaneous and I think I like it more than the other two combined.

Painting—After a few years of neglect, it was time to break out the water-soluble oils. I love how small and detailed watercolor can be, but I’m becoming quickly fascinated by the bold, impressionistic brush strokes of water-soluble oils.  I also appreciate that they clean up with water!

I’m cooking up some ideas for more prints, and I’m curious—what are your thoughts on black and white? I love working with black and white because it not only frees me from my color theory insecurities, but allows me to focus on line and value. Think E. H. Shepard and Doré.

Also, I’d like to write more about art and aesthetics . . . but we’ll see.

Robe á l’Anglaise a la Polonaise—Several weeks ago when we started planning to attend Liberty Day, we thought it’d be a great excuse to finally start building our historical wardrobe. Emily Rose and I settled on J.P. Ryan’s Robe á l’Anglaise pattern. (Hopefully there will be pictures soon.) I was happily surprised at how easy the patterns were to follow. We spent about two weeks sewing and finished the hems and ruffles in the car on the way to Illinois where we attended. . .

Liberty Day—We attended Liberty Day (March 35-36), and wow, was that not a wonderful event?? The whole week was filled with sweet fellowship. The music, the meeting of new friends and catching up with old friends, and the talks and dramas and dancing made for a fabulous weekend.

Dr. Joe Morecraft and Phillip G. Kayser gave several excellent talks on the decline of America after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Some of the frayed edges of my history gaps joined into a more comprehensive understanding of America’s philosophical and religious history. Exactly what I’ve needed, and I can’t wait to learn more.

Quilts—Years ago I started a very basic quilt, but I’m just now finally putting it together. I’m discovering that I don’t know as much about quilting as I thought I did! There are worlds of detailed knowledge I didn’t even realize existed, but I’m very blessed to have an Aunt who is an experienced quilter.