Mystery of the Capitol Cake

Dear Family and Friends,
Yesterday morning Zing! and I were the only ones on Capitol Mall so we decided to walk down the middle, on the lawn, not the sidewalk. After a few steps we came upon a cake sitting silently amid  the dandelions -- double layer, frosted and studded with strawberries. It looked like one slice was missing, although that part had melted into itself. We circled it as if it was a wild thing -- it was real and strange. Zing! didn't try to eat any and neither did I. Maybe it was an offering to the gods. We didn't want to mess with it. This morning there was no trace of cake.

Are you stumbling on such wondrous surprises?
Love,
k

Zing! and the Capitol Cake

Talking and painting and hardly alone

Dear Family and Friends,

I just left a Zoom conversation with my friend Lesley in Philadelphia. The app intimidated me at first,
And here are the last two pieces I painted in Este MacCloud's online watercolor class.

Love,
k

#exploreshapes
#quarantine

12" x 16"
I have to give Este MacCloud credit for this countryside scene. I was practicing techniques -- the scene is hers

10" x 14"
Este MacCloud also directed this picture; it feels more like me than the one above

Doing great, Right?

People ask me how I'm doing and I say Great, but there's a rumbling underneath that reply, like earth before a quake. I feel the uncertainty. Is it the same for you?

Here are some photos, including more paintings from the watercolor class.  I'm still working on the final project, a simple landscape.

Mixed media
10" x 14"

Watercolor
10" x 14"

The golden poppy is California's state flower
It's blooming now
This is near the American River

Zing! this morning on Capitol Mall

A neighbor left this thyme plant at my door today

Painting keeps me off the streets

Hi!
I've been taking a three-week online class about watercolor. The artist-teacher is Este MacLeod, and I am learning plenty. As a retired teacher, I can see that MacLeod has got this online class stuff down perfectly. I signed up for it before the little world-wide breather we're all taking, and timing couldn't be more perfect. Keeps me busy and off the streets.

Here are some pieces I've painted in the last two weeks. The class is about materials and technique, so I'm really just following Este's directions. She encourages free gesture, putting aside the inner critic, and having fun -- all the while layering colors, working with wetness, and getting to know different  brushes.

Love,
k
#exploreshapes  #explorecolour

26 hats

26 mushrooms

weaving letters

my favorite so far

Love this kind of graceful azalea 

supposed to resemble Polish embroidery

The sun

my second-favorite so far