Pages

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Spring Commences

eI'm such a homebody. Today was the perfect day; just knocking around the place with John and Hermanito. John got real productive and planted a persimmon tree in our front yard. The variety is Hachiya, the one that is shaped like an acorn and is astringent. Tonight in yoga class another person told us that if you freeze or dry the persimmons in their immature stage, they will lose their astringency and be perfect to eat. But I think my favorite way is to pick them while they are still hard and then watch them daily until they become glassy and soft and perfect. I love persimmons and this is our favorite variety.

A year ago December we visited our friends in northern California and their neighbor had a persimmon tree that was bare save for a few lingering fruits. Those jewels attracted crows that were quite dramatic against the brilliance of the persimmons; I later did a painting of that. Fall and crows and ripe persimmons seem quite far away from us now however. All around us is spring and fragrance and new lambs (and goats!) and balmy weather. To wit:

Pale yellow daffodils. The owners before us planted them in clumps in all the beds. A wonderful gift from them that cheers us every spring.

And this variety. Is there anything more uplifting than a clump of nodding yellow blossoms?

I finished this painting last night. It is a painted on top of a puzzle with collaged papers, tarleton, encaustic and finally all mounted on a stretched canvas that has been equally abused. Layers and layers of fun.

10 comments:

kelly rae said...

oh, oh, loving the wine angel!

Linda O'Neill said...

Hi Judy! Love the Wine Angel...I could use some of that grape juice today!:)

Your daffodils make me happy. Wish we had some in Colorado...but spring hasn't quite sprung yet.

katie said...

wine angel - she fabuloso!! i loved the artwork in the previous post too - the girl in the raven...
yellow, yellow daffodills, spring is almost here :-) i bet you and john did have a wonderful day, outside in your beautiful yard. i've never tasted a persimmon, i must!

Chris said...

Cool angel.....what is tarleton?

Judy Wise said...

Tarleton is the stiff cheesecloth type material that printmakers use to remove ink from metal plates.

turningwheelfarm said...

Does the wine angel travel? Probably since she has wings :) She's very nice. And we planted a persimmon last year I think and it's Nikita or something like that. We are still awaiting the fruit but the tree seems to be healthy so patience, patience.

His Office, My Studio said...

Love the Wine Angel, great idea to use a puzzle for the background.

I am waiting for spring here in Chicagoland. My spring flowers are just poping up out the the dirt.

Ro Bruhn said...

Another fabulous painting, I love your work.

Daffodils are my favourite flower, they grow wild in the part of England where I was born. They're in the hedgerows, old church yards, all along the roadsides, such lovely heralds of spring. I grow them here but they're not as prolific with our warmer weather. Ah,
such nostalgia

Donna, The Decorated House said...

Beautiful daffs, and beautiful art. I so enjoyed my visit at your place.

violette said...

Oh i love your angel! She is gorgeous!

And the photo of the daffodil.....it makes my heart glad that Spring is almost here!

love,
Violette