Doesn't Spring remind you of butterflies?

The lightness of the air, the warm sunshine, cool breezes.

I'm still thinking in poetry-speak. Being around young people is another sign of Spring. I seem to see many young women lately who are in bloom.  Would you want to be young again?

SPRING BEAUTIFUL

She stood tall, dark hair cropped short, soft curls full.

Dark eyes, filled with life, newness.

Young body, smooth skin.

Sundress dipping down over the small mounds of her breasts.

I stood next to her.

Comparing.

Thinking myself young still.
I thought, "It's so easy being beautiful when you are young."

“My parents are celebrating my mother’s 50^th birthday,”

She said. 

I knew we were years--a different generation--away.
Her mother was young too.

Wonderful Rainy Day!  
The birds have started making nests in our backyard.

Our two cats love to roll on the floor or snuggle in a box.

My poetry class at Stanford Continuing Studies is finished.  One of the forms I worked on is the Triolet, which just fit this poem.  The poem only works if you live in California!

King Daffodil

The rain comes only in February

To beat the daffodil down.

Yellow head, be wary,

The rain comes only in February.

Spring up, daffodil, don’t tarry

Burst forth quickly, golden crown

The rain comes only in February

To beat the daffodil down.

What's a Triolet?

The form: an 8-line poem with only two rhymes used throughout, with the first and second lines repeating in a particular pattern----

ABaAabAB

---where capital letters represent repeated lines, and lowercase letters represent rhyme words.  (Brittany Pelham, Poetry Process, 2014)

The old forms, such as the triolet or sonnet, are much more mathematical than free verse:  geometry in words.  You have to figure out the pattern as well as something meaningful to say without the poem sounding 'sing-song.'  What a process!

CRAFT DAY

We had a lovely day last Friday for our monthly Craft Day where friends get together, bring a craft each is working on.  We chat, we get things done, we eat, and we encourage each other.   The quilt includes photos of the group as well as each of the postcards we made the first time we met. Now some of us do calligraphy, others make jewelry, some quilt, some make paste papers.  Others knit, stamp, or make paper crafts.What a wonderful way to be together!

I'm back after a long hiatus. 

What a wonderful world this is -- filled with quirky birds and other animals. Hope you enjoy my imaginary and not so imaginary friends!

 Butterflies are some of my favorite things to draw.  These are mixed media  -- acrylic paint, napkins, letterforms, and beeswax.

Don't you like to ride a carousel?

Now, for some real birds

 My Mosaics I made with the help of Big Labs  bighugelabs.com

A Day with a Fine Book Artist: David Esslemont

Sunday, Sept. 15, a beautiful day in San Francisco, just a hint of fall, the America's Cup in full regalia on the Bay, the Bay Bridge finally open and magnificently white.

Five other people and I spent the day at the Center for the Book in a workshop with David Esslemont.  What a wonder!  a printmaker, bookbinder, as well as a chili-cook-off winner, and an Englishman, to boot!  Check out his website!

www.solmentes.com/‎ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/david.esslemont

watch this video and then tell me which coffee cup you choose to drink coffee from.

• http://www.flickspire.com/m/LifeSecrets/LifeIsLikeCoffee

SPRING WORDS:
Vernal Equinox
Clean, light green
cherry blossom snow
e.e. cummings' best words for Spring
mud-luscious

April:  Poetry month, Spring, time to take online art workshops.  I've signed     up for 

LIFE BOOK2013
at http://www.willowing.org/life-book-2013/

and 21SECRETS 2013
at http://21secrets2013.ning.com

and GIVING HANDS CREATIVE COMMUNITY
at http://givinghands.ning.com

All for fun and a great way to meet other artists and see their work.  Get inspired!