Spring has been epically wonderful on the new farm.

Our first spring on our new farm.  This time last year we were filled with anxiety and worry wondering if our old farm would ever sell in order for us to have this place that is beyond our wildest dreams.  I'm still pinching myself that 75 glorious acres are what I call home.  Here are a few updates: 


Delcy had a little bull calf, we named him Dudley.  She was an absolute dream to milk compared to Nanbert (who took to aiming at my skull and kicking her little heart out).  Now the calves are taking it all, and my milking stool is put away until Lola calves this month.

The chickens have settled in nicely--I had to go six months without home raised eggs...never again.

The walls are going up in the old Amish Hat Factory for our future home.  My bedroom will be directly across from my giant studio!  **Swoon**

This is the old farmhouse we are currently living in on the property.  It's about a hundred feet from the Amish Hat Factory building (which you can see a tiny bit of on the left).  I'm hoping to renovate this little cutie to house guests someday for art retreats and homesteading workshops.  The glass porch on the front is my favorite place to be.

The garden is coming along nicely.  Still have a few more plots to plant, but it all seems to be growing.

And it's that time of year.  The neighbor called for me to pick his blueberries for him to take to farmer's markets.  I picked for about five hours yesterday.  It's quite relaxing, truly, and I get to listen to amazing podcasts like "Art For Your Ear," "Garden Dine Love," "WTF," "The Moth," and lots more.  If you're looking for something to listen to while you work--definitely give these a listen.

Nanbert had a little bull calf.

I'd been checking Nanbert multiple times during the day and night since about April 1.  I'd moved her to the birthing stall from the pasture, and it then it was just a waiting game.  A very sleep deprived waiting game.  Early Saturday morning, when I went to the barn, I found her in labor.  Soon after this boy came into the world.

 My daughter has named him Nitroglycerin.  We call him "Nitro," and he is very high energy and living up to his name.  He worries his first-time momma to death, and doesn't listen to her at all.  Most of the time he's zooming around the stall with his tail over his back.  It's been raining all week, but looks like the weather should be clearing.  That means they should be able to venture out to the pasture soon.

His ears are enough to make my heart swoon.  Can't beat the Brown Swiss ears on a cute little Hereford face.  It officially feels like spring now that there is a baby on the ground.  Next up should be Delcy (Nanbert's half sister), then it will be Lola (Nanbert's mom) to calve last this year.  If the goats are bred, they will round out the birthing season in July at the earliest.  Never a dull moment around here.

Farm Life Recently.

It's been awhile, but spring has had me busy. Started some seeds, found lots of wild critters, planted some fruit trees, bought some goats, and now I'm awaiting the arrival of the first calf of the season.

Rhubarb seedling poking through.

Salamander that was in the ground I was digging to plant some daffodils.

Crawdad, Tadpoles, and Salamander-tadpoles from the front pasture "swamp."

Peach and Apple Trees. We planted Plum too.

Our lovely barn.

New goat Daisy.

New goat Macy.

Husband put up a NetCam so I can check on Nanbert, the heifer, from my phone.

December Life Update.

     December was a blur.  That's putting it mildly.  However, my favorite part of the year is just around the corner.  New Year's--fresh start, new beginnings, and a giant goal list.  2016 is going to be epic.  2015 was pretty impressive: moving to the farm of my dreams, the kid starting Kindergarten, a bit of art made, cows calving, etc. and so forth.

Here are a few watercolor and ink drawings I made for Christmas presents this year, they are always a lot of fun:

A Cat Named Pickles.

A Dog Named Millie.

A Horse for the Mother-in-law.

   The woods always provides with lots of nifty finds.  The kid especially liked this big ol' snail that was on some logs we were hauling in for the wood burner.

Snail on a six year old's thumb.

Then there was this nifty fungi on one of the logs.  So intricate and pretty.

Fungi Prettiness.

It's a shame my kid hates the woods so much.

She's a dandy in her sparkly boots.

     I also found a Ferguson (local artist) original in the thrift store this week for ten bucks.  The kid instantly swiped it for her room.

Thrift Store Score!

    Another awesome steal were these three school-sized (4'x8') blackboards.  They are magnetic and were in pretty crummy shape, but with my pocket knife and some WD-40 they look brand new.  Did I mention they were FREE.  I'm going to hang them up in the lower-building-soon-to-be-our-house.  One in my studio, one in the Joelee's room, and one in the living room.  There will be chalk-drawing mayhem everywhere.

Ultimate Free Find.

And with that I'm excited to see what the new year brings.  Hopefully lots of new artist interviews, and farm tales, and time for myself to make more artwork.  It's pretty exciting around here.

What a Summer.

If you would've asked me at the start of this year what life had in store for me, I sure never would've guessed where I'd be now.  That simple Sunday drive earlier this spring that had us stumbling upon a forgotten "For Sale" sign, the roller coaster of trying to sell our farm, the heartbreak and anxiety that comes with offers falling through, the impossible hopeless feeling of having to wait through four months of unknown outcomes, it all leads to this happy statement of:  The new farm will be ours soon!  In just a couple weeks we will finally close on seventy-five acres of pure bliss.  A long, long driveway, a creek, woods, and lots of solitude and wilderness to hunker down in.

Something I'm looking especially forward to is the fact that I get a large studio space.  A very large, only for me, studio space.  I've got big goals to work toward in that space.  It will be splendid.

We should be closing on my daughter's birthday which adds a bit of extra specialness to the whole transaction.

So here's to a future full of new art, a large garden, and lots of additional livestock to add to the mix.  I can't wait.  Excited doesn't even begin to cover the level of happiness that is coursing through my veins.

So Much Change!

So, I realize I've been absent for a couple months, but it's been crazy around here.  We went for a Sunday drive about a month ago and stumbled upon a for sale sign on a much larger farm (like seven times larger).  We got the owner's number, called, looked around, AND SIGNED A PURCHASE AGREEMENT in very quick order (like a week).  That meant we had to sell our farm, so that same day we listed our house with a realtor.  That began a tailspin of chaos.  We cleaned and tidied and straightened up around here, had people coming through to look at it, and had multiple offers.  We accepted one of the offers yesterday, so we are almost able to breathe a sigh of relief that the new farm is ours!  

An aerial view of our new property:  the blue outline is the boundary.  Seventy-five acres of paradise!

All this is going on while I'm on cow-calving duty.  Lola calved without issue, a beautiful white faced heifer that my daughter named Lizzie Ann.  Reba was doing great, over due by a couple days, but nothing of concern and suddenly she went downhill (one day fine, next day dead).  The vet came up when she first seemed off, and mentioned it might be a twisted uterus or gut--he gave her some medicine, but it was of no use.  I was heartbroken that I lost both her and her unborn calf, but that is the reality of farming.  I stayed by her side almost every minute between Saturday night and Monday morning.  I even pulled a straw bale over next to the gate to be able to lay down a bit and still keep an eye on her.

Lola and a just-dry Lizzie Ann.

Lola has been making lots of extra milk (I milk her morning and night to relieve her udder of the excess milk the calf can drink).  I had been just dumping it (which is a horrible waste), but a buddy had a bottle calf, so I bought him to fatten.

This is Wimberly, the new bottle calf.

Told you it's been a whirlwind around here.

Winter is a Jerk.

Hello all!  So, we are stuck inside because the temps are currently about zero.  It is set to be below zero a few times over the next few days.  Yesterday wasn't bad.  We played outside in the snow, sledded, etc. Tuna tried to help Joe when she was making a snow angel in the pasture.

Joe in a fit of giggles.

Joe has been drawing a lot more lately.  The other day she drew an amazing bulldog, so I mounted it on a canvas and hung it on the wall.  She was thrilled.

Joe with her bulldog drawing.

I've been trying to get some daily practice in lately.  These fun floral studies have become rather common.  A nice distraction from the winter whiteness happening outside.  If you're interested in any of them, leave a comment here or on Instagram, and I will get back to you.  I'm planning on listing them on Etsy after they dry, but they seem to be selling well just from Facebook and Instagram (yay!!).

SOLD "Magenta" 6x8 inch on unstretched canvas.  Oil with knives.

Available.  "Old Fashioned Pink Roses." Oil on Unstretched Canvas 6x8 Inches. $50.

"Pinkie" 6x8 inch, Acrylic on Unstretched Canvas.  Available $45.

SOLD Blue Vased Pink Roses.  Oil with knives.

Available.  "Yellow Beauties" 6x8 Inch Oil on Unstretched Canvas. $50.

SOLD "Yellow and Purple" 6x8 Oil with knife.

Available. "Valentine's Day" 6x8 Oil with Knife on unstretched canvas. $50.

Available.  "Teal and Pink." 6x8 Acrylic on Unstretched Canvas. $45.

I'm working on a new Artist Interview that I'm really excited about--so keep your eyes peeled for that.  I've also got a playlist almost done with some fun tunes to dance to.  Stay warm, and be safe.

Illinois Gallivant and Updates.

When I took my artwork to The Open Gallery last week, I decided to celebrate with a gallivant in Illinois.  One of the first towns I came across was Bird.  It was sort of a ghost town, but still lovely and every street had a bird name.

Road Signs in Bird, Illinois.

I also drove through Palestine, and they had (at one time) and Opera House, how amazing is that?!

Fife Opera House, Palestine, Illinois.

My favorite part about any gallivant are the forgotten and rundown places.  This church wasn't as dilapidated as most that I photograph, but I thought it was interesting.

Abandoned Church on a Back Road in Illinois.

This grain elevator caught my eye from clear across the town of Palestine.

Grain Elevator, Palestine, Illinois.

On the home front, Joelee is growing like a weed.  She has matured so much these past few months.  Most days now she can be found (usually barefoot) outside playing on her swing, or hauling her poor kitten around under one arm.  It is amazing how much I love this no-so-little girl.

Joelee a little over four and a half years old.

And I don't think I ever wrote about it, but directly after my grandfather passed away last year, this Hollyhock started growing near our kitchen door.  It might not be that shocking, except we don't have ANY Hollyhocks on the property or nearby that I know of, and Hollyhocks were one of his most favorite flowers.  It's looking like it might bloom on the anniversary of his death.

My mysterious Hollyhock.

And it happens to be my favorite time of year.  The Catalpa trees are blooming.  They have always been my favorite tree, and seeing them bloom every year makes me so happy.

Catalpa Trees are blooming.

In one week and one day is my Art Show's Artist Reception.  It is such a dream come true to have a solo show, and I'm really looking forward to getting to witness other people looking at my artwork.

If you are in the Vincennes area next Friday, stop by The Open Gallery at 329 Main Street, Vincennes, IN from 5-8pm.  I'd love to see you.

My artwork went to the gallery yesterday.

One of the posters for the show.

I've been working on this collection of pieces since the beginning of the year.  Amongst the "Mommy-Mommy-Mommy"s and the udder-checking of the milk cows I somehow managed to churn out (get that little pun, churn--milk cows, I slay myself) 23 canvases ranging in size from 10x14 to 20x30 inches.  Yesterday, I loaded them all into the back of my vehicle and drove them down to Vincennes to The Open Gallery.

I titled my show "Memories, Back Roads, and Tangents" and that really seems to encompass the soul of it.  Each piece started with one of my photographs, and using found paper ephemera, from photos to handwritten notes, I collaged around them creating a unique story for each one.  Along with each piece I also included a poem that I felt best created a mood for the viewer to respond to.  In all honesty, these pieces are nowhere close to what I had originally intended to create.  However, when I got started, the canvases took on a life of their own, and I blinked and this is what emerged.  I couldn't be happier.

One of the pieces in process on the easel.

I also had some small photography prints processed to sell along side of the big canvas pieces, and wanted something unique to display them and my business cards with.  Enter my husband, and his incredible talent to make things.  He tore off some of the fence boards on the old corral at the barn.

Old fence boards.

He planed them down and revealed some of the most beautiful graining I have ever seen.

Freshly plained fence board.

Then he created these nifty little boxes that seemed to absolutely match the feeling of my photographs.  I'm so glad he "gets" me.



I'm very proud of the little group of artwork I came up with.  I'm very interested to see how they will look hanging on the wall.  It will be a surprise for me, since they were going to hang it up after I left.

All stacked up and ready to be loaded in the vehicle.

Below are a few of my favorite pieces.  All of these are 24x20 inches on stretched canvas.

"Accidental Wild Child"

"The Heart of Summer"

Willingly Tamed

If you don't have any plans, the artist reception is June 6, from 5-8pm at The Open Gallery, 329 Main Street, Vincennes, IN 47591.  I'd love to see lots of people there!  It's been such a fun journey to this solo show, and I'm excited to show it to everyone.

After I dropped of the pieces at the gallery, I decided to have a celebratory gallivant in Illinois before heading back home.  I will blog about that adventure soon.  It was such a fantastic jaunt!