~ Circled Cross in the Ancient Birch ~

~ Circled Cross in the Ancient Birch ~

~ Circled Cross in the Ancient Birch, full tree view ~

~~~~~

With only hours left of 2015, I look back and see a very good year.

Still fresh, new, and only hours old, it rang in with a 100th year birthday party for an

amazing great aunt.

The summer was exceptional, including two very beautiful family weddings, a reunion, educational

equine adventures, much needed projects completed and more,

then continued into a gorgeous fall!

Along with the amazing and exceptional, 2015 rounded itself out with a few life lessons,

something any good year should have. :0)

And with all that was included, nature and it's Creator continue to reveal mystery and wonder!

The images above were taken by me this past summer...no alterations.

This is the ancient birch I have often talked of...

the very same tree,

in the very same place,

in the very same field,

that appeared in a dream I had when I was very young.

We have looked upon this tree for more than 3 decades, and this summer it revealed an

amazing

circled cross.

Quite awesome I must say!

:0)

~~~~~

~ Wishing you a very happy, very healthy, amazing, and wonderfully whimsical New Year! ~

~ Two Days Before Christmas ~

~ Whimsical Winter Trees ~

~~~

These snow laden whimsical looking trees were from two winters ago.

But after our last winter storm the trees look like this once again...

heavily flocked, just in time for Christmas!

Wishing you all a beautiful and very merry Christmas!

~~~  

~ Meet Bell ~

" My New Equine Buddy "Bell" ~

It has been a few years since a horse has graced our pastures.

But just last week delightful equine sounds were heard once more!

"Bell", a  beautiful dun, registered paint mare has joined our family,

and we are so happy to have her here!

:0)

Renaissance Wedding Cake and Cupcakes ~

~ Renaissance Wedding cake ~

                                               

~ Renaissance Wedding Cupcakes ~

~~~

Instead of artwork, my daughter and I worked on designing,

baking, and constructing a wedding cake and cupcakes

for my brother and his new bride's renaissance/midnight summer's dream wedding

this past weekend.

The dagger at the top of the cake is real, which the groom pulled out so he and his bride could cut their cake.

What fun we and the guests had at this beautiful wedding! :0)

~~~~~

~ Wishing you a wonderful whimsical day! ~

:0)

~ Thought Lost, But Not, Iris ~

~ I was SO happy to see this iris bloom this year! ~

One rhizome was gifted to me by an old friend over 30 years ago. Years later I thought I had lost this iris, but during weeding 3 summers ago I found a tiny solitary 1/2" rhizome hiding beneath the foliage of a Butter and Sugar Siberian iris. After careful lifting and special tending in the greenhouse, watching, praying, but not quite sure who I had in the pot, this spring I saw a wonderful stem of 5 blooms appear!

As the flowers slowly unfolded I could tell the color pattern was one I hadn't seen for nearly 17 years! Indeed...this was the iris I hoped I had not lost! For you see, this friend had gifted me an iris she had collected from her mother's garden, an iris variety she had been treasuring, but alas had lost when an ancient pine blew down and crushed all she had.

I now hope that this beautiful sweetly smelling iris will grow strong healthy rhizomes I can separate, and return to an old friend a flower that once was her mother's. :0)

~ Wishing you a beautiful whimsical day! ~

:0)

" Blue Eyed Pinto " ~

 ~ Blue Eyed Pinto ~

When I decided to draw this 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" ACEO illustration "Blue Eyed Pinto" I realized

it has been over 40 years since the last time I had created a horse with plenty of "chrome".

Even then, there were not many.

I can think of only two others, both when I was in my earlier teens.

The first was an oil painting of a Native American Paint Horse pulling a travois across the plains,

the second was of a beautiful chestnut and white pinto rendered in oil pastel on velour paper.

I'm not sure why most of my art has gravitated to the solid colored equines with white only appearing on their faces or feet.

Hmmmmmmm...these paints and pintos are rare indeed!

~~~~~~~

~ Wishing you a wonderful whimsical day! ~ 

:0)