Thought this was one of the most beautiful videos on pollination I’ve seen.  It starts out beautiful and just keeps getting better.  Enjoy. . .

Buzzing Among the Lilacs

Doesn’t this watercolor epitomize Spring, I am so looking forward to the smell of lilacs and watching the bees flit about from one tiny bloom to the next. Below is a portion of a poem, When Lilacs Last in the Door-yard Bloom’d ,  by Walt Whitman (1819-1892):

In the door-yard fronting an old farm-house, near the white-wash’d palings,

Stands the lilac bush, tall-growing, with heart-shaped leaves of rich green,

With many a pointed blossom, rising, delicate, with the perfume strong I love,

With every leaf a miracle……and from this bush in the door-yard,

With delicate-color’d blossoms, and heart-shaped leaves of rich green,

A sprig, with its flower, I break.

August was yet another busy, creative month on my artistic voyage. I am so blessed to be working with beautiful people. These were the highlights of last month.

• Finished murals in the lobby of Dr. Tonia Sabo’s offices in Broomfield, Colorado
• Created ideas for signs for The Boutique at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs
• Designed signage for the new Broadmoor “Christmas House”
• Took the time to organize my office
Wall Pocket Mural

You might remember last month I painted a cluster of nine foot tall aspen trees with poppies, daisies and critters adding to the finishing touches of Dr. Sabo’s office. Dr. Sabo worked at the Denver Children’s Hospital and recently started her private practice. She specializes in headache prevention for children and adults. I returned for two more days of painting the first week of August.
Painting wall pockets has been a solution to many a decorating dilemma for clients in the past. I will talk about some of the reasons for this creative solution in a future issue.

Rather than hanging more framed art in her lobby Dr. Sabo chose to add a bit of whimsy by having a hand-painted wall pocket filled with poppies and daisies. The same elements as I painted at the base of the cluster of aspens. The simplicity of the wall pocket itself ensures the flowers will be the focal point. This is the first time I was blessed with a smooth wall for painting a wall pocket full of flowers. Oh, how I love to paint on smooth surfaces. The design measures approximately 30″ x 40″.

As I was finishing up the wall pocket Dr. Sabo asked if I thought a weeping willow tree would work in the area. She felt that it would feel so relaxing, I agreed. I painted the trunk and limbs with a few pliant branches before leaving that evening and finished it up the following morning. As we were leaving the Doctor’s home that morning she was showing me her beautiful flowerbeds. Besides yellow daisies it seems she also loved morning glories. So climbing the willow tree is a vine of glorious over-sized morning glories with a hummingbird delighting in the nectar of one of the blossoms.

Getting Organized

This was huge! My office is always the last place I tidy up. Maybe because, like many creative people, bookwork is the least pleasurable chore I do. Once I start it isn’t bad. I tend to leave files on my desk along with other paperwork, articles and piles of business cards that I accumulate far too long. I don’t know if the full moon had anything to do with it but I started the day before the full moon and continued throughout the following day. I threw out paperwork that no longer served me, filed away folders of completed projects, found places for articles I want for reference materials, organized CDs, unsubscribed to ezines and blogs that no longer held my interest and subscribed to a few new ones that better serve the direction I see my business going. There is nothing as freeing to me as having a clean desk, filing drawers that are up to date AND there will be fewer emails in the morning. YES! As I mention this happened on August 13th, the night of the full moon. Now let’s see what I have made room for in my life.

On a Personal Note

It always seems true that everything happens for a reason. I thought I was just organizing my office, now I know there was more. While sorting through piles of papers and file folders I found a letter from my late husband. I remember when he gave it to me, our first Christmas, he said, “I will write you a letter every Christmas.” Little did we know that would be the only Christmas letter he would write to me. The words on the outside of the lovely card that accompanied my letter were . . .

“The Power of Love . . .transcends distance & time.”

Inside he wrote . . .

Such a Joy To Spend This Life With You!

I doubt the love ever wanes but you learn there is room for another, if that is what you choose. You file that love away in a special place in your heart to be visited whenever you want. The surprising gift I received from this full day of organizing was that I didn’t shed a tear when I read my Christmas letter. I did have a smile on my face and a warm feeling in my heart the rest of the day and I slept so well that night. How I love beautiful surprises. Here are two of my favorite photos of  Bob and I.

Q & A

This is a new section. I usually answer questions privately unless they are on my blog. It occurred to me that others may gain insight from the question and answer.

Q What is your process for working with clients?
A For me, there is no singular process. Each client is different. Some have specific ideas as to what they are looking for and others want what comes to me, usually in dreams, for the space and feeling they want created. These are the most important things that come to mind right now.

• First and foremost Listen Carefully. It’s important to understand the look your client is wanting to live with. They have put their trust in you and you are working for them.
• Research, if there is any doubt in your mind figure it out before you start. There will always be unexpected things that come up but the more prepared you are up front the more “in-the-flow” you’ll be while working.
• Things come up and clients have new ideas. This can take more time than originally planned. Make sure your client understands up front that if it takes longer because of their changes you will be compensated accordingly.
• Since I don’t repeat anything identically each project makes me stretch. It’s good to get out of your comfort zone.
• Have a contractual agreement in writing explaining your terms, to include terms of payment. Give a short description of what you will be doing with pricing and a time frame.

It’s not fun to be defined by someone else’ terms or put into a box. For me each project is different, that’s what keeps me interested. If you have a question about what I do or how I do it, please ask. I’ve worked a long time at my craft, I would be delighted to share what I have learned.

Bella’s Insights

Hi Everybody! Thought I would introduce you to a couple of my new friends (seeing as how mom made me stay home when she went back to paint in Dr. Sabo’s office last month. Now I can’t tell you more about that adventure, waaaa!)
This little white beauty is Shelby. Doesn’t he look just like the dog in that dog food commercial on TV? Mom called him a Westie. Shelby’s dad told mom and me that he was named after his race car. Mom said that Ford made a model of Mustang called a Shelby in the 60s & 70s and they are making them again or maybe they always have and she hadn’t noticed. I’ve never seen a race car but is sounds exciting.

Now meet my new neighbor, Kimba. She is a gigantic (to me), stunning white German Shephard. I’m not really sure that Kimba is my “friend” YET because she still barks at me when I go out to my grassy area across from her home. Mom doesn’t let me bark back, that’s a tough one, but I still get in a fearsome growl.

One day mom was working in the garage. She was in and out, in and out then she forgot to shut the door to the garage and the garage door was up. Well, I decided it was time to visit my grassy area. I sauntered through the garage with my “tail feathers” swaying back and forth over my back, to my grassy spot. All of a sudden I hear a deep baritone WOLF, WOLF, WOLF. It was Kimba! How startling, I couldn’t help it – I just couldn’t help it – I went into my Big Dog stance and barked back. Boy, did that start some barking on both sides of the street.

Since mom didn’t know I was coming out in the first place, there was no leash to hold me back, watch out Kimba. Mom couldn’t stop me; all seven ponds of me charged across that drive and I peed in the grass under the window Kimba was barking from. Now she knew I wasn’t about to be intimidated and I was ready for anything. Well, about this time, mom came to get me, geeeesh, she picked me up, how tough did that make me look? She kept telling what a bad girl I was. What the heck was she talking about, I didn’t start it.

Mom told my big brother Rich about that little adventure and he said, “Oh yeah, Kimba was watching and thinking . . . you are dog meat little girl.” What do you think he meant by that?!?

Life is an Adventure!
Unrepentantly, Bella

Blessings of the Season
Each season has its own blessing. For me, one of the blessings of Spring is new life, new beginnings, i.e., beautiful spring flowers leading to summer flowers and on to fall flowers. You get the picture. Will I ever get tired of flowers? Doubt it. And with Spring comes the urge to clean house, what ever that means to you. To me, it is letting go of things that no longer serve me. Those things could be clothes, accessories, books, what ever. Letting go of old or not so old things is a wonderful gift to you and to those who receive them. For you it is lightening your load. To others, well that is obvious, good, new to them stuff.

After all that work I always like a little something new for my home. A new piece of art that really speaks to me can give a room a whole new attitude. This month I am celebrating a glorious Spring after a long, snowy winter in Colorado Springs. Since this is Easter weekend it seems fitting to showcase the Lily, in this case the Day Lily. The name of this painting is “Tranquility”. As I finished this painting I had an assistance packaging some orders for me. When she looked at it her comment was, “It looks so tranquil.” I said, “Ooooo perfect, I’ll call it Tranquility.” And so it is.

By next month I should have a new website up. It will be Mickey Baxter-Spade/Just Flowers or Flowers, Flowers, Flowers, or All About Flowers. Needless to say you will find my floral paintings and interesting info about flowers. Why don’t you leave any ideas you might have for a name in the comment box. If I choose your idea I will send you a complimentary box of my fine art note cards.

Bella’s Insights

Happy Spring Everybody! Boy, mom and I are ready for nice weather – you know, no more shoveling snow for awhile. I get my exercise when mom shovels, back and forth, back and forth across that driveway. If it’s not windy I have a lot of fun bouncing in the snow. If there is a blustery wind I would rather be under the bed, and I’m not kidding.

Hope you all had a nice Easter. I found a new friend Easter morning. A big bunny holding a basket with treats was here when I got up.  The treats were delicious so I gave the big bunny a kiss. I’m looking forward to his visit next year.

You just never know what mom is up to. A couple of weeks ago she found something new. Carrots, nooooo, carrots aren’t new to her but purple, yellow, red and white carrots were new to her. She is kicking herself for not buying them – she thought she would wait until closer to Easter so I would have a special treat, you see I love orange carrots! Well, she chose poorly, no more colored carrots. What was she thinking?!? Then she told me all about colored carrots. . .

Mom read that carrots have a storied and murky history. Carrots were originally purple and yellow. Purple and yellow carrots originated about 5,000 years ago (What!) in present day Afghanistan according to England’s Carrot Museum. It’s thought that mutations and natural hybrids derived from both cultivated and wild varieties of the purple and yellow carrots producing an orange “mutant” carrot. Oooooooo, is that a good thing?!?

It was around the 16th century that the Dutch took these mutant orange carrots and created a sweeter, more practical modern orange (yummm) or “western carrot.” It’s said that the modern orange carrot was invented by Dutch growers to honor the House of Orange, the Dutch Royal Family. Though we love our orange carrots we can be thankful for their purple and yellow roots. (roots, hee, hee – get it?)

Color means something when it comes to carrots.
* It’s beta carotene and alpha-carotene that give orange carrots their color and their reputation, lots of Vitamin A.
* Not only are purple carrots higher in beta carotene than their orange cousins, they also possess the anthocyanins which provide the purple pigmentation. These powerful antioxidants are good anti-inflammatory agents and also help prevent heart disease by slowing blood clotting.
* Red carrots derive their color from carotenoids. Carotenoids are made up of lycopene and B-carotene which are effective cancer fighting agents found in Tomatoes. Depending on the color, each variety has individual health benefits that your body will thank you for.
Well, that was a little different, huh? You just never know what mom will come up with. Stay tuned next month. This is Bella “the food expert” signing off.

Ta ta for now,
~Bella

DayLily
The lily, especially during Easter time, also symbolizes ‘new life’. Day lilies belong to the genus Hemerocallis and are not true lilies. “Hemerocallis,” derived from a Greek word meaning “beautiful for a day.” The day lily is aptly named due to the the fact that their flowers open at sunrise and wither at sunset. A lily is seen, as a graceful flower symbolizing all that is elegant and graceful.

“Life’s not about waiting for the storm to pass . . . It’s about learning to dance in the rain.” — Vivian Greenered

You are a Priority

Somewhere on your list of priorities should be you and things that make
you smile. For me filling my surroundings with things I love is part of taking
care of me. Some of the things I like to surround myself with are photos of
family, remembrances of special times and art that I enjoy. Things that make me think, things that make me feel and things that bring a smile to my face.

Today it is still quite cool outside. The sun is shining on the snow covered
ground and it looks as though someone has sprinkled glitter on top of the
pristine white snow. Everything is still and peaceful, Bella is napping at my
feet. I’m sipping on a cup of hot water with lemon. I don’t remember how long ago I started drinking hot water but it has been many years.
At first it was a way of assuring my water intake was enough in the dry climate of Colorado. Now I just enjoy it. It’s clean, healthy and feels nurturing to me.  While on a plane flight one time I ordered a cup of hot water with lemon when the stewardess came by. The rather robust lady seated next to me said, “In Michigan, where I come from, we call that Silver Tea.” That sparked a pleasant conversation and it does seem much more sophisticated to be drinking “Silver Tea”, don’t ya think?

Commissioned Paintings are a Privilege

It is such a privilege to have a friend commission a painting. My friend, Linda, is a joy to be around, she is intelligent, spiritual, an avid hiker, a dancer, a movie goer and she has two wonderful canine friends so she also loves spending time in nature. When she asked if I would paint something for her living room I was honored. She had changed a few things since I had been in her home so I stopped by to measure and to see some of the color changes she had made to her decor. Like so many of us Linda loves flowers. In fact, when you visit her in the summer you are greeted by beautiful flower gardens that surround her home. After taking all of these things into consideration and getting measurements I went home to do some sketching.
Columbines kept popping into my head. She accented with a deep red so poppies seemed a good fit although I would have to take some liberties and coordinate them to her accent colors. She wanted an airy feeling to the painting so a pairing of wild flowers on fields of tall grasses were the seeds of my inspiration.

Deep red poppies would add a sense of daring and the columbines created a
quietness at the same time. The first sketch was approved but when actually
drawing it out on watercolor paper to the proper scale a few changes were needed. Since it was to be a vertical painting having the flowers in closer proximity actually made it feel more intimate.

Meaning of Columbine

The columbine was said to have sprung up where the Virgin Mary’s feet touched the earth when she was on her way to visit Elizabeth. The spurred flowers resembled the tiny doves and came to represent the Holy Spirit. The flower also symbolized the innocence of Mary. The petals of the Columbine symbolize the seven gifts of the Spirit. The wild columbine has only five petals.

Meaning of Red Poppy

In Persian literature, red poppies, especially red corn poppy flowers, are considered the flower of love. They are often called the eternal lover flower.

Limited Edition Prints

One of the exciting things about the technology available to artists today is
print-on-demand. As an artist I can have a limited edition series and not have inventory and storage to contend with, not to mention the possibility of damage that can occur in a storage area. The actual size of a good quality giclee can be customized to my client’s decor as well. My giclees are printed on archival canvas or archival watercolor paper. The quality is amazing. What I like about limited edition prints is that they make art affordable to just about anyone. What wonderful choices we have available to us. If you have questions about art or reproductions just drop me an e-mail.

Bella’s Insights

Hey!

I’m beginning to like this writing stuff. Last month mom and I went with friends to the “Paint Mines” outside of Calhan, Colorado, not far from Colorado Springs. Boy, was I happy when I was invited too! I noticed that mom put her hiking boots on – that’s always a sign of a pending adventure. Wahoo!

Lots of mom’s friends were there and I even got to meet Arlo and Muki who turned out to be really nice “for dogs”, they really taught me a lot more about exploring. Oh man, did I get to play in the mud, look at these paws!

Arlo was a real go-getter, he checked everything out and if he got out of site his mom called and he always hurried back, he was really smart and that dog could jump like a kangaroo- What a hoot!

Muki is my other new friend. Muki and I pretty much didn’t stray far from the trail. Of course a leash around our necks helped with that. We were taking in the sites.  I still managed to get wrapped around some bushes and rocks.

The Paint Mines were different than any place I have seen and right here near Colorado Springs. You can’t see them from the highway, the road or even the parking lot. All you can see are the great Plains of Eastern Colorado.  You absolutely must go exploring to find them. I can’t wait to go again. It was an overcast day when we went. Now mom wants to go back when the sun is out and see how different her pics look. Who knows, maybe she will share that place in one of her paintings. That’s it for now, this is Bella signing off. ~Bella, the Explorer