The Beauty of Small Things

Small Gestures, 6 x 6 collage by Leslie Avon Miller

First morning light subdued by high overcast backlights the forest out the east windows. Coffee is made and we slide into premium seats and become immersed in warm water under the morning sky. No conductor is apparent yet the symphony is in full swing. At times this is the most contemporary of music; the beep, beep, beep of a back up alarm sounding bird song in stereo, along with the harsh squawk of the Steller’s jay. In other movements, the lead soprano sings the refrain “pretty birdie, pretty birdie, pretty birdie” accompanied by the caw, caw of Raven, and percussion of the woodpeckers. The backup singers are peeping in a variety of tones and notes. The mourning doves softy inquire “who, who, who.” We observe the local mallard duck couple coming in sharply for a landing on the neighbor’s pond. They have been fondly named Fred and Ethel. Overhead, a couple of Canadian Geese honk as they whoosh by to land in a near by cow pasture.

The sky darkens and Winter gestures with a light snow fall, looking like spilled powered sugar on the frozen patio table, and melting in the warm tub water. I notice the garden rhubarb buds red, the first color in the vegetable garden. Talk turns to power tools. Yesterday we had a field trip to another artist’s studio, having been generously invited for a lesson on stretching large canvases. A planer is required; available in small, medium and fancy. The efficient spiral cutting head is explained to me; envision a rolling pin, with three spiral stair sets of cutting heads, called knives or blades. This is the superior device, with the largest price tag. “Perhaps” I think, “I should sell some art. Power tools are so appealing to the resident woodworker.”

Meanwhile, back inside we have poached eggs and grapefruit, watching a warm fire luring the cats to sprawl and doze. The hummingbird feeder has been filled and hung, awaiting the first visitor of the season.

I planned to write of beauty today, the beauty of art, and creating. Perhaps I have. My morning has been about the beauty of small things, and everyday moments, of nature, companionship and a perfect Sunday morning.

To see rich vibrant colors painted on silk depicting large exotic flowers and other elegant subjects, I suggest a visit to the web site of Karen Sistek. Some of her images have been transferred to lovely jackets. I tried one on during our studio visit, and found the jackets as comfortable as they are beautiful. Karen and her husband Rick shared with us their process for stretching large canvases. And to see contemporary work, I invite you to visit the blog of a new follower of this blog, artist Ian Macleod. His blog is new, and filled with visual posts of his work. I'm off to the studio.