As I write, I can hear the crew working on our street to remove the giant Oak that came down yesterday in the aftermath of Hurricane Zeta. Fortunately, no one was hurt. We just lost power for a while…In the photo above you can see an adventurous neighborhood cat exploring the fallen tree after the wind and rain passed through.
It’s always exciting to dive deep into new work after an exhibition…I am now 350 hand-cut beetles (bee flies, rhinoceros beetles, and tumbling flower beetles, to name a few of my favorites) into a project on pollinators…I will share just a few work-in-progress images with you. Some will be mounted in entomological cabinets and display cases (Riker mount boxes) using #2 insect pins.
This piece is based on research I did last fall in the entomology collection at the College of Idaho Natural History Museum while I was an artist in residence at Surel’s Place in Boise…Also on the wonderful private collections of a retired entomologist/scientist couple who were very supportive of my work.
I have set a goal of 1,000 insects for this piece….so I am making some headway…though all of the individual pieces will need additional work and care as the piece develops.
It is wonderful to finally be in full swing on this piece after lots and lots of thinking and planning…
On the garden front, I have planted some fall bulbs…Blue irises, tulips, and peonies…The raspberry canes I put in are thriving, as are the three new blueberry bushes.
I have been busy baking and making autumn stews and soups as the weather begins to cool…Some of the best were pumpkin scones, Challah bread rounds, homemade blueberry jam, roasted butternut squash waffles, dill-pickled brussel sprouts, and homemade applesauce…
I also made a pit of Artsoppa (Swedish yellow split pea soup) with fresh thyme. Perhaps the most unusual (for me) was a batch of burnt leek whipped butter (Rachel Khoo has a great recipe.)
The leaves are falling fast these days…I took this picture of bare-tipped branches after a storm. The quality of the light is changing too…Time for more candles…
The cardinals and chickadees have been feasting on dogwood berries…It has finally also turned cool enough for the first birdseed of the autumn—a time I always eagerly await!
The Black-capped Chickadees always seem to be the first to find the sunflower seeds I offer…I can hear them now…
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