You've seen this before - Lost in a Memory

Back in October when I posted this picture, I proclaimed it a masterpiece.  Of course that was just my personal opinion, but I had enough faith in it to enter it in the Annual Spring Show at the Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Winery in Acampo.     Judging waa on Monday with a panel of three highly respected judges.    The good news is - they unanimously liked it too, enough to give it a second place in the mixed media division.     I cleaned up the edges, mounted it on white with a buff colored mat and framed in about a 2 inch black wooden frame.   I'm happy. 

   Here is the original post site:    http://bookartsandalteredbooks.blogspot.com/2014/10/my-new-masterpiece.html

Pop over to my garden for a sneak peek

 I posted a garden theme post to my old blog.   If you'd like to peek at my garden in Springtime - just go here.
http://janenesartsngardens.blogspot.com/2015/03/springtime-pleasures.html

Mid March

The other day I heard one of my good friends fell and broke her arm.     I asked the mixed media group to help  make a string of pennants/prayer flags for her to cheer her up, as this will be very hard on her.      Here is the one I made - she loves all things cowgirl, and bling.    

 The sun was so hot yesterday that my poor deck plants suffered, so I moved them around - putting the geraniums where they can get a little reprieve from the sun.     Here they get sun most of the day, but are not backed up against the house where the heat is reflected.   A lot of the little spring things suffered as well, so I cut them back.    I'm getting one or two strawberries every day and  love having them close at hand.    Temperature hit 80 degrees yesterday - in mid March this is very strange.  It will shorten up our Spring season.  It will me in the mid 70s all next week according to the latest news.  And no rain forecast. The drought is going to be serious business this year.       I'm glad I have the succulents, as we will have to watch our watering carefully.

The white lilacs are all in bloom again.   I've been waiting and watching.      I had to water behind the studio last evening as it gets little attention there.  I did not notice the french lilac blooming over my head, but this morning when I was surveying the landscape, I noticed the lilac behind the studio is blooming away.    I'm glad I didn't miss it.    I usually cut some for my DIL.     

I worked out in the studio for a few hours yesterday, mostly putting things away and looking for a mixed media project for the group on Thursday.   I had a couple ideas, but not settled on one yet.     

Now, to get outside for some gardening.      Art will have to wait.

Mixed Media group show reception

I took some pics last Friday evening when we had the joint reception for Frances Scott and the Mixed Media Group.   Here are some pics.

You can see we were having some fun.     

What's happening in Lodi? Group show and Country Living.

The opening reception for the Mixed Media Group Show and Frances Scott's show are tonite.     I'll be wearing jeans and a cowgirl hat, and toting along western music, as well as 6 bottles of drinkables.      I ddn't volunteer to bring food.     My granddaugher is going to drive as none of  those going in my car are night drivers.     Candis is excited about the reception, she helped there the other day when we were logging in the artwork - and she met the gals, then we went to pizza with them and she got to know them a bit better.      She just started a new job, but has today off, so it works perfectly.  Also, being grandma's girl - she still loves to dress up too.      I'm sure she'll be a beautiful cowgirl!     Frances is excited about the evening and can hardly wait.     It's going to be a long day waiting for time to pass.  I've alreay had the car washed and done other errands.  It's not even noon yet.    

The pictures here are of my friend Sandy's new shop in Lodi.  Country Living has moved down to the Valley from Amador City in the foothills.      They are only a block away from the gallery, so I can sneak over and say hello whenever I want - instead of driving for an  hour.       It's fun to have her here, but Amador City will never be the same.    She's had her shop there for close to 40 years.       My little shop was right down the street from hers many decades ago, and that's how we got acquainted.   I wish her all the good luck in her new location.    

Is it art, or is it a garden?

Why not both?      You decide.    

 My spring garden is full of glorious volunteers.  I let them have their way - it's like a wonderful gift.     these are the yellow oxalys and the cobalt blue borage.   

 Here and there are some of the geraniums just starting to bloom.

 This is the little fountain that I repaired the other day.   It's burbling away right now.    

 A pink geranium right outside my door.   Next photo is johnny jumps ups ready to plant.

 One of my favorite geraiums.  Always a bright spot of color.

 A little bulb was accidentally planted in this little miniature garden.   It towers over everything. 

 Here's my dessert for tonite.      Yum.     

 Here is a mother plant for succulents.     She really put out little ones this winter.     I've already moved a lot of them to other pots. 

 I had this plant stand planted with geraniums and herbs last fall, but with another dry year and water restrictions, I planted succulents there now.    They don't look very French - but they'll live.

 Here is a quirky, funky little miniature garden.    A fly, a toad, a grandmother, a shark - are all living peacefully there.

 Nearby a little yellow bird watches.

 A corner in pathway overrun with yellow oxalys.    


I promised some pics.  Here they are.  I hope you like visiting my artsy garden.

Can Spring be far ahead?

Temperatures in high 60s today with sunshine.   Perfect for grooming the dogs and working in garden.  But first - I had to take apart the small fountain on my deck which had stopped working at the end of last season.     I emptied it, brought it in for a scrub - it fits in the sink - and ran clean water through the hoses.   This part works, now for the pump.    I poured water through it and it was not blocked, the solar panel worked when I put the pump in a bucket of water, so it had to be the connecting link between it and the fountain tubing/hose.    It managed to seat properly and alll is good.    I love the sound of the water on the deck and since it is solar powered it needs no electricity and can be left on all the time.   Of course it only pumps when there is direct sunlight on the little panel - but it sits where it gets sun most of the day - and with only a little turn now and then we can capture all the daylight.   

I felt so good about that one, I went down and cleaned out the bigger fountain, a few leaves were in it and some water and bleach.     It's all fresh and clean now, and the little glass floats are once again bobbing about on clean water.     

I planned to plant the strawberries today, but during the afternoon two of them picked up a lot of color, so I figure another sunny day tomorrow and they'll be ready to pick.   Then I'll plant them for the next ones to ripen in their own strawberry pot.       It's really odd I have had this strawberry pot for over a decade, maybe two - and I have never  planted strawberries in it.    I've had succulents in it the last few years.        But, I'm going to give it a chance and am excited to get it done soon.      I used to grow my strawberries in an old wine barrel - but two seasons ago, they got really covered in aphids and mold.   So, I never replanted them there, but succulents grow well there and a citronella geranium.    

 Speaking of geraniums, they are blooming.  Every day there is a new cluster.   Salmon colors, red ones, pink ones - just beautiful.      I will take the camera out tomorrow and take some pics.  The borage is blooming like crazy too.   I pulled out most of the seedlings, but the big one next to the path is just lovely.      I also potted more succulents for the plant stand that holds half a dozen or more pots.     That way I don't need to water it as much as the geraniums were there last summer.      

I want to keep the geraniums closer at hand to control the caterpillars that eat all the blossoms after the first flush of blooms every year.      Hopefully I can keep on top of the because they certainly don't require much other care, and it's the least i can do when I enjoy them so much.      They sat outside all winter on the sunny side of the house - no problem.    I don't think we really had more than a couple days of frosty weather all winter. 

Farter afield, the vineyards have a yellow carpet of mustard right now.   Trees are starting to bloom.  First the white flowering pears in the parking lots, and now the pink  blossoms on ornamental trees.    Soon the orchards will be blooming and the spring breezes will be blowing.       I love this season.      Despite a cold that is hanging on - or may it's allergies now - I can hardly keep myself inside.     LOL   

Those pink oxalys line the pathways with their lovely pink flowers.  Also the more aggressive but shorter lived yellow oxalys is blooming away.    Pics tomorrow, I promise.