Summer Garden Painted Tiles

New mini-artworks by Maureen Shaughnessy of Brown Bird Studio … on sale now. These small artworks are created with ink on glazed ceramic tiles, and are suitable for framing, or displaying on a shelf. Take a look at the colorful abstract designs, evocative of tropical reefs, undersea scenes and vivid flower gardens.

The Color of Zero Degrees Cold

it takes a day like today:
wide open skies,
not a single cloud,
an almost
(imperceptible)
mist hanging close
to the frozen earth.

it takes this kind of day
to remember
how many different blues are inside the cold,
… how many
different
colors belong to white.

Snow. Is not. White.
(You knew that.)

My Hometown: Color Hunt in the Rain

Even when Nature is putting on her less-brilliant winter colors, there is color if you know how to look. When the rain comes, go outside with your eyes and your camera — take a closer look at the subdued landscape and you’ll see a tapestry of brilliant colors. Here’s something I might have missed if I hadn’t been looking where I was stepping today.

My Hometown: Coil

I shot “Coil” in a pasture on the edge of town. I waited for the light to be just right so the colors of the rust and peeling paint would be their richest. Check back weekly for what I hope is an extra-ordinary view of an “ordinary” Montana town. I hope I can encourage you to see where *you* live with different eyes — and maybe you will go out with your camera and document your own neighborhood.

My Hometown: Blue Chevy Map of Earth

My Hometown: First in a new weekly photowalk series on Water Earth Wind Fire. I shot “Blue Chevy Map of Earth” with my cell phone camera in a back alley close to our house. Check back weekly for what I hope is an extra-ordinary view of an “ordinary” Montana town. I hope I can encourage you to see where *you* live with different eyes — and maybe you will go out with your camera and document your own neighborhood.

July Garden Variations and Color Combinations

Midsummer is a glorious time for a garden. Our garden is filled with little vignettes of beautiful colors, textures and shapes. The bees are hard at work collecting nectar from the many insect-friendly flowers. After our rainy June, this month is hot and sunny, just right for sensual flowering — and nectar gathering among the colors.

Paint Sample Art — Butterflies Celebrate Summer Solstice

Find out how to make an easy, do-it-yourself art project from free paint samples, paper punches and a large piece of foam core. This colorful butterfly swarm is a kid-friendly activity. We made it in a couple of hours, including time to get the paint samples at Home Depot.