DIY and projecting...repeat.

GoodNESS I've been on such a projecting path of "re-use, re-purpose and re-organize" of late. I make myself laugh some days because I add to my own "honey-do list" WAY more than my honey does.
And thanks to the BEST Christmas gift EVER (kudos to Chris and yes I DID ask for one)...a Dewalt cordless drill...I'm a projecting mo-fo! Amazing to me how having the right tools to complete a task makes life SO much easier!
I absolutely LOVE creating new things...and projecting is kinda-sorta creating depending upon the project. Some of my most favorite things involve decoring in the house such as painting, hanging shelves, hanging artwork, rearranging furniture and the like.
Although sometimes these things may have a price if we don't take the necessary precautions to do things safely and in a common-sense-sorta-manner (pointing finger back at myself).
It's been FOREVER since I've have to visit the E.R. so I guess I was due a trip. Needless to say, cutting plastic shelf-bracket-housing with smith-and-wesson pocket knife and slicing big gouge into left hand, dumb. And yes, much trucker-like-language poured forth from the closet where I was attempting to hang that shelf. A visit to the E.R. and four stitches later...Ouch! Yep, I do dumb things. But as we say...so long as we LEARN from said dumb things...hopefully we won't repeat them. And now, along with the scar on my left hand, shelf is hanging all purposeful and new.
Yet another DIY project I'm very excited about is re-constructing the layout of the inside of our animal barn to house our new flock of laying hens. Chickens yeah! Chris and I had loads of fun wacking away at the previous wood stall fencing with the sledgehammer and now we're working on re-building new stall fencing more functional for small animals.
I'm sure you'll see me writing much more about our chicken adventures here in the near future as these feathered friends do some of the most hilarious things in the barnyard. (Barnyard politics are alive and well too...which I'm SURE there is MUCH to learn from there.)
In the mean time, I'm confident that many of you are jumping into spring and re-organizing and cleaning and freshening up your space in preparation for summer! What DIY projects are you into? I'd love to hear about them.

Peace.

I think this might be typical behavior

It's February and this isn't any really big news.  However, maybe it can be better described as "cabin-fever-season"...or "PLEASE bring on Summer already season".

So I thought it appropriate (and Chris suggested this actually) to paint a robin. And WoW what fun this Male American Robin turned out to be! I swear I could smell cut-grass the whole time I was painting this piece! (all the while it was freezing rain outside. hah)

Check this out in full array. Just click here.

In the mean time, stay warm...and bring on Summer!

Sites and Sounds of Owls!

Shown here to the left...the Eastern Screech Owl. Also the most recent wild bird that I've opted to paint.

Let's face it...owls are cool! They're like "the Fonz" of the bird world. Well respected in nature (probably because they can do some serious damage to rodents and other birds) these mysterious birds are worth researching.

Take a listen to my most recent audio blog where you can hear sound bites of the Great Horned Owl, the Barred Owl and the Eastern Screech Owl.

To view and purchase "Patient in the Woods (Eastern Screech Owl) click here.

To learn more about artist Rachel Dickson visit racheldickson.com

To listen to Rachel's audio blog click here.

who Who WHO!

It's often the things we haven't seen before, or something that we rarely see that excite us! As if the world has smiled down upon us and hand-picked us to be the one to witness something. Like a deer approaching us in the woods and gets so close we can actually reach out and touch it. Or like a flock of birds that swarm some pattern in the sky but only for a split second.

I've had the pleasure of witnessing the wild in ways that made me feel like I was the only one on earth who had seen such.  (And then of course you want to tell the whole world what you just saw!!)

Owls fall into this category for me. I've only seen or heard a few in my lifetime, and I cherish each and every memory of owl encounters. These birds are amazingly quiet and to actually SEE one with your own eyes is rare.  To HEAR one is the most amazing experience too!

For me, owls carry a sort of mystique in the woods. Probably why they have a reputation as depicted in the entertainment industry as wise, (you know...the wise-old-owl theory) as if they hold some secret knowledge of the world we live in.

Not until I began to research the various species of owls did I learn that there are a LOT more versions of these birds than I ever imagined!  (Painting material for a very long long time!)

For my first owl painting I selected the Eastern Screech Owl primarily for its size and color.
Titled, "Patient in the Woods" this original acrylic on wood painting measures 6 inches by 4.75 inches by 1 inch (just slightly smaller than a dvd case) and is affordably priced at only $37.00.

Click here to learn more about this painting.

And what does an eastern screech owl SOUND like? Well...I'll save that for my next audio blog posting.
Until then...get out in the woods and keep your eyes open! You might just see an owl.

to learn more about Rachel Dickson visit http://www.racheldickson.com

Sounds of the red-headed woodpecker

I love seeing woodpeckers in the wild and it seems that it's almost as rare as spotting an owl in the wild.  The red-headed woodpecker is a beautiful bird so naturally I wanted to paint one!

"Static Cling Red-Headed Woodpecker" is currently still available for purchase and affordably priced at only $37.00!!
see http://www.racheldickson.com/rachels_art.htm for details

Want to learn more about the red-headed woodpecker? I did, so I recorded this newest addition of my audio blog complete with the songs and sound clip of an actual red-headed woodpecker!

Check it out!
http://www.racheldickson.com/audio_blog.htm

Resources used in the recording of this audio:
http://identify.whatbird.comhttp://identify.whatbird.com/obj/678/_/Red-headed_Woodpecker.aspx

http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/redheadedwoodpecker.htm

http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Birds/Most-Wanted-Birds/Red-Headed-Woodpecker/

AUDIO BLOG is HERE!!!

 It's HERE!!! I've been wanting to start working with audio again in an effort to create more substantial dialogue with art fans...and FINALLY it's HERE!

Click this link to listen to the first addition of audio. (It's less than 2 minutes long)

 As depicted in this first edition of my new audio blog I recently took a jaunt in the woods with my little side-kick Reeses Pieces. We hiked the Horseshoe Lake trail at Oak Openings Metro Park.

If you listen real close to the audio (by following the link above) you can hear my boots crunching in the snow...and if you listen EXTRA close you might even hear sounds of Reese running up and down the trail too.

I was pleased to see that many had walked this trail before me...so much of the snow was packed tight making walking pretty easy (even for Reese).

We found this cute little snowperson someone built and left on display on top of a tree trunk next to the trail. It stood less that ten inches tall. Thank you for whoever shared their snow fun with those of us who followed.

I find that wandering in the woods clears my head and fills my soul as I seek new inspiration to create new works of art. Nature always accomplished this! Never takes...always gives.

On this particular trek in the woods, Reese spent most of her time running ahead and looking back at me as if to say, "come ON! hurry UP!"
She makes for a GREAT trail buddy.

 Here is more evidence of Reese waiting on me. It took a couple tries for me to capture this shadow image of us both on the trail. Reese of course is in the lower right hand corner of the photo looking back at me...so patient.

So here's to my first installment to the audio blog!! and to walking in the woods to rejuvinate and inspire!

Onward and upwards for the arts!!

To learn more please visit RachelDickson.com

Art do-overs?

High-tech x-ray imaging has proven that some of the old masters simply painted over paintings. (click here for an example) 

No different than music, some songs take to the public and some don't. Art is no different. Some catch on, some don't. Knowing this, I decided to revivify a few paintings I have in my studio. This one here being the first.

Originally titled "Static Cling" the added red-headed woodpecker fits into this name still, perfectly! I love how these woodpeckers cling to trees with ease as depicted here.

"Static Cling" measures 7.00 inches by 5.50 inches and is painted on recycled wood for a rustic flair. And yes, the bark you see is original to this piece of cherry wood. VERY affordably priced at $37.00, this piece would make a fabulous artistic addition to your collection!

Click here to see more about Rachel's painting "Static Cling"