Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Disappointing Trip

Artscape at the Dallas Arboretum had a lot of potential. Unfortunately the weather precluded any good news. Saturday was cold and rainy with very few patrons braving the miserable conditions. Sunday morning found about four inches of snow on everything. Thank goodness the tent withstood the weight of the heavy wet snow! Everyone was discouraged and we all packed up in the cold and wet and mud. The lovely flowers at the Arboretum took a real beating!

Despite the disappointing turnout and limited sales, my two new items were well received on this trip. It's always nice when my vision is appreciated by others. So now birdbaths and shepherd's crooks are on my to-do list.

I checked the migration sighting page (www.hummingbirds.net/map.html) today and the ruby-throated hummers are making progress northward. It's really an amazing journey that they make!

Looking forward to the Art Show at Queeny Park in April. And just received word that we're accepted again for Artsfest on Walnut Street in Springfield, MO, in May. Yay!

Hummingbird fact for today: The beauty, fearlessness, and near-magical qualities of hummers have long attracted human admirers--from the Aztecs, who believed fallen warriors were reborn as hummingbirds, to modern Americans, who view them more as fairy tale characters than as wild animals.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

They're on the Move!

For others like me who suffer from Hummingbird Deprivation Syndrome during the winter, take heart! The Ruby-throated migration has reached the southern part of the United States. You can watch the migration progress at http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html. You can also record the date you spot your first hummer of the season on this page.

We've been traveling. We set up in Little Rock, AR, for a few days and again in Killeen, TX, for a few days. Right now we're sight-seeing in San Antonio before we head to the Dallas Arboretum for Artscape. We meet so many wonderful hummingbird enthusiasts! And in our travels we find new sources of inspiration as we comb through little back-road stores looking for glass items to use in my art.

We've not gotten accepted to a few shows we applied to. That is always disappointing. But we're excited to again be a part of Town Art Show in Leawood, Kansas, in June. This show was not held last year and we missed attending. There is a LOT of excellent art at this show. It's Father's Day Weekend and we encourage all in the Kansas City area to come out and browse.

I'm working on a couple of new items and so far I'm pleased with the results. I'm using larger glass items incorporated in copper art to make delightful birdbaths. And I'm also developing an intricate copper shepherd's crook on which to hang a feeder. So far, these have been received well. I'm anxious to get back to the studio as we have found some beautiful glass pieces in our travels that are begging to become garden art.

Hummingbird fact for today: Male hummingbirds migrate northward as much as three weeks earlier in the spring than females.