Welcome to my blog about Nature, Art with Ozark pigments, Rural Real Estate, & my Hermit Homesteading Life. Oh, and sometimes I write about my philosophical observations.
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It feels like winter
Well, sooner or later ever year there comes a point where it feels like winter has arrived. This week here at Wild Ozark marked that point. It’s been 19*F some mornings, but this morning was 24*F and that is plenty …
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My Growth as an Artist
My first painting was in summer of 2018 while I was visiting my husband who was working in Qatar at the time. I didn’t have many art supplies on hand – only the first set of paints I’d ever made …
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Old Shed with Red Sunset | Painting in Progress
This old shed is one of my most photographed subjects. I take pictures of it in various weather, lots of sunsets, and throughout the seasons. Now it’s time for an Old Shed with Red Sunset painting, using my Ozark pigment …
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Making a Tube of Earthy Yellow
I have a painting project stalled for lack of paints. Before I can get back to work on it, I need a few fresh colors. One of the pigments I use from my palette often is a dark, earthy yellow. …
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!! BLACK FRIDAY ART SPECIAL !!
One day only, Nov. 29, 2024 from 8am to 3pm, get 1/2 Price on all available ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR PAINTINGS (unframed). It’s my first annual Black Friday Art Special 🙂 Here’s the link to all of the watercolor paintings (discount won’t …
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Caulking the Chimney & Terraced Garden Path
This past weekend was one of cleaning and organizing my office/studio (still not finished), and tending to some homestead tasks that needed doing. One of those was caulking the chimney. The other involved a load of floodwater gravel to make …
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Disorganized Space | Time for Studio Cleaning & Organizing
Today I’ve started working on a task that’s been on my to-do list for the whole year. It’s one I procrastinate for as long as I can, it seems. But it just can’t go on like it is any longer, …
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The Creaking Wheel of Life
This post is being filed in my category for off-topic Musings. I’m sixty today, and the feels I’m feeling today are taking me by surprise. The wheel of life isn’t just creaking on this revolution – it’s nearly kicking and …
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Natural Art Supplies | Osage and Rocks
After a flood is an excellent time to look for my natural art supplies. On my way home from the office yesterday, I saw the roots of an Osage tree. Of course, I had to stop, and then I couldn’t …
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Hermit Musings – Rainy Weekend
Is it strange to be actually looking forward to a land-locked weekend? We have a rainy weekend ahead of us, and we certainly do need it after the drought that just broke a couple of days ago. We’d gotten 2-3″, …
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What Comes First? The subject, or the palette?
I think I work opposite of most artists when it comes to the way I do certain things. What comes first the subject, or the palette? For most painters, I would imagine the subject is chosen and then whatever paints …
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Earth Tone Wall Art to Bring Nature Inside
Earth Tone wall art brings a sense of calm, peace, and connectedness to a room. How does it manage to do this? Nature itself features earthy colors. So when you see them reflected in your surroundings, if you love being …
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A sampling of the art that I’ll have at the Bentonville Fine Art Festival
Mark your calendars for this event planned by Arkansas Art Shows. The fair will be held at the picturesque Orchards Park in Bentonville, Arkansas, across from the entrance of the renowned Crystal Bridges Museum. I’ll be there with my art …
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Little Things can Make a Big Impact
It’s so easy to get caught up on the big things – the huge projects, major hurdles, or life in general. Sometimes it can get overwhelming. I think that noticing those small accomplishments, moments, and experiences that make up the …
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Check the Spring Tank
When it’s a drought, we monitor our water usage more closely than when it isn’t so dry outside. When it gets like this, before I do anything that uses a lot of water, like washing clothes, I take a hike …
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Checking the Spring Seep
The ‘Seep’ is where the ground stays wet on the far end of the horse’s field. Since it’s been so dry, I wondered if it had dried up too. Because if that spot is dry, then the creek is going …
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Northern Lights in the Ozarks
I’d always wanted to see the aurora borealis, and this year I’ve seen it twice. Northern Lights in the Ozarks are pretty rare to see. How did this Happen? These colors are the result of the electrons from the sun …
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2024 Ponca Color Fest
Join me this year on October 25 & 26 for the 2024 Ponca Color Fest! Last year the weather was misty rain and the event was cancelled. Cross your fingers for a weekend of cool, autumn weather and blazing colors …
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Making Pickles, Pickerel Frogs, and Washing Soot
Add to the list of things I’ve done this week planting lettuce, and starting a painting. But washing soot has to come before I can get a lot more done on the painting because I’m out of black paint. I …
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The Things I See at Wild Ozark
The other day as I was driving to the office for work, I saw a beaver at the second bridge. I stopped to watch it and took some video. Then on the way home that day, I saw deer, mostly …
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Paintings from Earth Pigments
My path to becoming a painter was sort of traveled in reverse. I found the pigment first, but wasn’t sure how to make use of them. After some experimenting and research, I made a set of watercolor paints. And then …
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Hognose Snake: a Master of Deception
While I was watering my garden the other day, one of the usually reclusive garden residents came out from beneath one of the boards propped up behind a bed. It was a hognose snake, also called puffers, or puff adders. …
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Char the Bones
Winter and fires in the woodstove are just around the corner. And that means it’ll soon be time to char the bones and antler I use for making a velvety black paint. It’s a good thing I don’t have to …
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Experiencing Nature and the Rule of 3
There’s a technique for dealing with anxiety that involves observation. It goes by many different names, but the one I know by is called the Rule of 3. I’ve found it to be excellent, not only for anxiety, but also …