Where did the hummingbird put her eggs and where is she watching over them? Here?
OR HERE?
Here’s the answer: she first got the nest on the wind chime ready (see video). But she was dissatisfied with something. So she moved parts of the nest over to the oleander tree and rebuilt it there. That is where she laid her two eggs and that is where she now sits. As you see her, in the still photo.
***
Art journals. I am still trying to improve my art journal pages. I haven’t reached the improvement point yet, but I am still learning new things. (By the way, son and DIL gave me a gift certificate for Mother’s Day to Amy Maricle’s online art studio for a class or two). Because my pages are very complicated and messy (which is my preference), I decided to try to make something more conventional and in keeping with the season. This is my May Flowers page. It’s also the very first time I ever tried alcohol inks. I have a lot to learn haha. The background is a transfer from a scene sketched by my MIL because I can’t leave things TOO uncomplicated ;). (I know, I know: less is more hahaha).
But then I had to go back to the messy art/junk style. This one is called “I want . . . . I want . . . .” It comes from a poem in Pleiades 41.1 by Jennifer Lynn Krohn called “The Scar Will Look like a Face,”. The center envelope is a 50 year old photo and negative envelope from the film developer that I found in my MIL’s things. Two images so you can see on the other side of the envelope when you flip it up.
On the left page, which you can see in the bottom photo, the transfer is the Bremen Town Musicians, a Grimm Brothers fairy tale. The donkey, dog, cat, and rooster had their own wants, but they were defined by the wants of others and how they responded to the stress of dealing with those wants. They were heroes.
***
Just assume I am gradually working on the memoir, and I won’t mention it too often. I don’t want to drive you crazy.
Have a great week ahead! XOXO
Your creativity is in full flow and full flower.
Thank you. I hope that yours is, as well!
Loved learning about the lives of your hummers. Fascinating artwork. I’m here in grandmother heaven with my two grandkiddos (who live in Rancho Santa Fe, CA)- Cameron turns 10 today, and we’re celebrating!
Thank you, Elaine. Oh, you are so blessed! Tell Cameron HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
That humming bird made a wise choice to put the nest in the Oleander rather than the wind chimes. Fascinating! Love the messy journal. You can assume I’m working on my memoir as well. It’s going to be titled “she was gonna” and be full of blank pages. Somehow I never get there. Too many other things calling. I’m sure you are having better luck. Sounds like you had a lovely Mom’s Day.
I am astonished how smart that hummingbird is. I am reminded that the one who raised two nests in 2015 here was so patient and kind with her slower baby. She spent a lot of time teaching him or her how to fly from the nest and away in its own life. What wonderful little animals.
I had to laugh at your memoir comment. Hilarious the way you worded that!!! You are living your memoir, my dear! I did have a lovely Mother’s Day. I hope you did, too!!! xo
Enjoy your bird family. It’s so fun to watch them grow. Your work is amazing! Love the colors.
Thank you, Kate! It’s so much fun and they grow up so fast. Hummingbirds are little marvels of the world.
They are amazing.
Your art journal is vivid and unique. I couldn’t believe the hummingbird had built her nest on the mobile, I’m glad she moved it somewhere more stable!
Thank you (I think it being unique woot)! I think her heart and mind were in the right place because she thought she could hide out in plain sight because of all the wooden birds. But then she must have realized either that there was no foliage for cover or that it moved too much. Or both. Pretty smart little mama.
What a wonderful gift from your son! Taking an art class will be fun and inspiring. I love that May day page…so pretty in this season, and just a day past Mother’s Day. I love pink and lavender…Your pages are coming along, just like these spring days! Hope your eyesight is doing better with the floaters. You seem to be thriving…and no bob cat in sight! 🙂 Lovely work!
I am trying to decide which class to take. Very fun! Thank you so much, Linda. I loved working with those bright colors, and alcohol inks are so vivid. Once I understand them better I hope to use them more often. I got new computer glasses so although the floaters are still as bad, the rest is better, so it’s do-able for the most part. i got this type of blue blocker for the glasses? Very nice! Have a lovely week, my dear!
I’m glad to hear that your eyes are a little better, Luanne.
Thank you, Liz!
You’re welcome, Luanne.
This journaling business looks like a LOT of fun! Looks great. The hummingbird nest pics are a treat too. Have a good week, Luanne.
Thanks so much, Anneli. You have a great week, too! xo
A lovely post, Luanne! 😀 The hummingbird looks well settled on its rebuilt nest and it will be exciting as the eggs hatch and you see the little ones! Please share with us here! Love your art work but wondering about alcohol ink? Ahh … a thoughtful present for Mother’s Day – enjoy the course. Happy Memoir writing too … can’t wait to hear more! xx
I hope I can. I wish she were near the window. I have to keep going out to check on her haha.
Alcohol ink is very vivid and makes beautiful patterns. It needs to be used over rubbing alcohol or with a blending solution. I used the rubbing alcohol, but I hear that the blending solution actually works better. Thank you re your other comments, too. Have a wonderful week ahead, Annika! xo
I’d never heard of alcohol ink before. (I’m discovering that are a lot of artistic media I’ve never heard of!) I like the purple flowers very much.
Thank you! Me too re all the supplies. Lots of wonderful things–like texture paste, for instance. And my favorite is pan pastels. I love them for their messiness and ease of use.
You’re welcome! You make taking up art very tempting . . .
Start collecting supplies because you quickly want more and more haha.
😀
That little hummingbird has spunk. What a creative place to nest. 😊
She’s such a smart little mama. I really respect her for her hard work, her decisions, and her attention to those eggs.
So cool about that hummingbird! It’s wonderful how much you’re enjoying the artwork, and what a great gift from your kids. Hope you had a lovely Mother’s Day!
I did! How was yours? I hope you saw your daughters? I didn’t see son and DIL, but it was wonderful to spend time with the other two. Thanks, Merril!!!!
Mine was good. We saw younger daughter at the winery where she works part-time, and we’re going to get together with her later in the week. I talked to older child on the phone–now child and they (such an awkward pronoun), not daughter.
I’m glad you got to be with one of them! (Same here, the phone for the other one). They is pretty awkward (for this old person), but I wish there were another word than child because they isn’t (aren’t?) is a child any longer!
I know it’s all very awkward.
xo
Very creative, Luanne. I’m glad the hummingbird moved to the oleander. That chime location looked a little shakey. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, very shakey. Another problem is that there is no foliage to cover there, so while she might have felt she was hiding in plain sight with other (fake) birds, she really wasn’t hiding.
Yes, I can get that too.
What a treat to see the hummingbird at work, and how creativity is at work also.
Thank you, Gwen! Oh, that hummingbird is such a hard worker and cares about her babies so much.
How wonderful to have hummingbirds nesting at your home! I am blown away by your creativity with the art journal. Just wow!
Aw thanks, Marie! The hummingbird is so sweet. She reminds me in her sweetness of my Pear, who btw is not doing so well the last 2 days. (worried)
Oh, dear, poor Pear ❤️😢
It’s her leg and her kidneys. That leg is a mystery. The vet was so sure it’s not cancer, but those lumps came off and the leg bothers her more than ever.
I’m so sorry, Luanne.
Thank you.
Took her to the vet this morning to see if she has a UTI just to be on the safe side, but he couldn’t find her bladder :/. In the meantime, I’m wondering if she finds it too hard to get on and off the couch, but she isn’t liking any alternatives yet.
We have steps (usually advertised for dogs) by our couch and the bed for the cats to use when they don’t want to (or can’t) jump up or down. The steps are well used, even by the able-bodied 😉
I think it would have been a good idea to get them a long time ago so the cats get used to them. Pear avoids anything we put up to help her. And she’s kind of frail for learning something new :(.
Oh, dear.
Your hummingbird is fascinating! I hope we will be seeing more of her. It’s good to hear that the memoir is coming along. (I’ll try not to pester you about it.)
I hope we can follow her through to the moment the babies take wing!!!!
Hah, thank you!
You’re welcome!
Both the hummingbird sequence and your art journals are fascinating
Thank you so much, Derrick! Hope your week is a good one!
That video is wonderful!
Thanks, Amy. Right through my kitchen window! Unfortunately, where she moved the nest I can’t watch the babies from the window (when they hatch).
Aw, what a sweet little hummer! Beautiful artwork! What great ways to spend your time! xo
She’s a little sweetie! Thank you, Carla. I’m enjoying it so much, but it does call for a lot of supplies ;)!
Lovely, Luanne. How birds manage to hide their nests is a wonder. Your art reminds me of Melissa Sweet’s art.
Thank you, Jennie. It is a wonder that they do much work and never complain ;). What a wonderful artist to inspire!!!!
You’re welcome, Luanne. I’m glad you know the artist!
I love so many of the illustrators!
I do, too! 😀
Luanne, you’re so busy and productive, you put me (and maybe many others) to shame! My own big “achievements” today will be going downstairs to do laundry, and reading more of the post-apocalyptic novel, “Station Eleven,” on my Kindle.
Sigh…
That sounds like a fun relaxing day to me. I’ve already been at the vet twice today with my girl Pear. Ugh.
Oh nooo… hope they help her!!
She’s negative for a UTI, so I think she’s just getting arthritic and it’s hard to get up and up and all that. I can relate.
Me too! 😬
Cool post, Luanne! 🙂
Love the pages, Luanne!!
Onward.