I had a slight miscommunication with A, which had me arriving at our hiking spot first (most unusual!) But of course, waiting is never a problem when you have a sketchbook handy.
in sycamore shade
Images
back to bart’s
After a visit to the bike shop, I stopped in at Bart’s for a sketch’n’browse. These two vintage lovelies came home with me. Both have gorgeous typography on the covers, to which I have not done justice.
Pepsis mildei
Fun times with the nature journal club. Turns out that adult tarantula-hawk wasps eat milkweed nectar, when they’re not catching tarantulas and laying their eggs in the paralyzed bodies. How sweet.
stamp with me
Postage stamps are tiny works of art that represent a moment in time and culture. What a pity that they are used so rarely anymore. Even I, inveterate maker and sender of cards and letters, have greatly reduced my use of stamps this year. Instead, a phone call on a birthday has felt sufficient — but is it really? I want to get back to my practice of sending snail mail. I can’t keep using the fire as a mental excuse.
a good day
Last Thursday, while perusing the Ojai Studio Artists web site, I came across a familiar name, a woman I had briefly worked with 20 years ago. I emailed her, she called me back, and today we hung out and caught up, while visiting the studios of some of her artist friends. A most excellent day. Also, the air conditioning is now working correctly. 😁
ojai valley museum
Ventura County has nearly 40 museums; maybe I’ll get around to visiting (and sketching at) all of them. The closest one is right here in town, and it’s quite charming, with a mixture of history and contemporary art.
if a tree falls
peachy keen
I’ve been wanting a pair of water sandals since the warm weather hit. I looked for second-hand ones for about a month, until finally springing for a new pair.
Calochortus plummerae
We found a late-blooming Plummer’s mariposa in a rocky part of Serrano Canyon, as well as running water! We’d crossed the dry creek bed several times on the way up there, so it was a real surprise to see Serrano Creek blurbling along at this point. It seemed a good place to stop for a while, then head back.
cleaning day
hashiworks 