August Is the Gestation Month

Here's part of a succulent garden in a wooden box, down in the next inner patio at Spanish Village. Lots of the succulents are blooming. I took a number of photos late this afternoon and resolved to take more, some closer up, too. That little round plant in the front is about the size of a golf ball, maybe a little smaller. That give you an idea of how tiny the whole garden is. The artist who grows many of the plants around the Village says the succulents are so prolific and multiply voraciously. I love them myself, but I'm afraid I would over water them. I'd rather just admire his.

A friend came by to visit today and to sell me a camera that he has since replaced with a newer one. I'm delighted to have it for photos, especially jewelry which doesn't show up very well with the camera in my cellphone. However, now that I've realized that I get much better photos by holding very still, I'm happier with mine. I just assumed the poor quality was the camera. I didn't realize how much I was the cause of the out of focus results. I'm amazed really at the difference.

I spent a large part of the day working on a piece of brass that I intend to etch. Yesterday I was reading about brass in one of the "new" books I got. It says brass takes longer to etch, but it give a very fine line. I noticed that myself. Also, the brass I etched has almost no false biting on it. I'm thinking about going back and getting more of it to use for prints. Most printmakers use copper or zinc, but brass might be just what I'm looking for.

My visitor sat in the studio with me for about an hour, talking and soaking in the ambience. He said he felt very comfortable sitting there, that the studio is so nice. It looks pretty now, but it's more than that. I have felt it, too. He said it has good karma. I agree and I think all the semi-precious stone beads helps with the positive energy in the air as well.

When everything is cleaned up, I'm very happy with it. Of course, I have to pull things out and make a mess if I'm working on some projects. I'd like to make a rule for myself, promise myself, that I'll clean up once a week or something. I've already decided that plant watering day is Tuesday. That's because the artist who's plants I have blows glass right outside the studio on Tuesdays.

All of my major projects have had their inception in August. This August I'm going to concentrate on my new series of etchings, possibly with accompanying poetry. I really would like to find ways to use my poetry in conjunction with my artwork. When I read the poetry I wrote most recently, I find that it parallels my artwork to an amazing degree. That is my artistic voice I guess. I want to take advantage of it. So that's my plan for August: find a way to do so.