Flora In Winter

The Worcester Art Museum (http://www.worcesterart.org/) provides a winter break by giving the museum aspects of a spring flower show when winter seems to be at its worst around here.

Area floral designers and garden club members decorate the museum, and a number of works are selected to have floral accompaniments. The goal of these is to draw inspiration from, and complement the works.

The two shown are from the pre-Columbian gallery, and the American impressionists (I believe it is a Frank Benson painting).

And snow again

I am getting tired of "snow postings", but you have to work with what mother nature sends us.

Yes, snow is predicted again. Best we can hope for now is an early spring.

Deer in the Back Yard

Deer (and other animals) have become accustomed to development, and are becoming less fearful about approaching. With the severe weather this year, they seem to be more fearless, and this group here were out at dusk (usually they wait until dark). Some of our shrubs have been pruned down quite a bit as they forage for anything remotely green and tender.

Darn cold

Well, it snowed again, and we are in for some really cold days (followed by another storm), so I don't plan on seeing the bare ground again until Spring. Every winter we talk about moving some place a tad warmer, but this year it is not the usual mid-winter kvetching - I think we are seriously going to consider the Richmond, Virginia area.

In any event, I don't feel guilty about missing gym, since I get my excercise with the snow shovel. Classes have started again, and even though I had not planned to, I signed up at the Worcester Art Museum (www.worcesterart.org) for another painting class.

Working on more projects (to be posted later), and just sent off a large order for composition ornaments to use in frame-making, etc. (www.bomardesigns.com).

Another Framing Project

As part of my New Year's resolutions, I am trying to pick off the many unfinished projects that have been hanging around. This is a frame made for an oil painting on panel, owned by one of my brothers.

I gilded the lip of the molding, and for the remainder, used a black, distressed finish with casein wash.

First Big Snow of 2011

The first major storm of the year left over 12" of snow. It looks lovely the next day, especially when a marshmallow appears on top of the birdbath.

Some Antique Shop Finds

As is common in New England, when you don't know what to do on the weekend, and the weather is decent, you go poking around antique shops. This time of year, the pickings can be slim, and many shops run big sales in order to move stuff. We wanted a day out, so went to southern Maine, where I found some more projects.

The mirror has damage, and a previous bad repair. I wanted the reverse glass painting, since, although broken, it was original, and I will now make a replica. I though the division of space with the blue side panels was awkwardly interesting.

The frame is actually a nice early frame, and has not been worked on. Well, except for the fact that someone decided they would keep the components together by pouring glue into the back. This should be fun.