Color Changes, mosses, bogs, and Campobello cobbles

We are beginning seasonal color change here in the Canadian Maritimes.  The first place it become very evident is in Eagle Hill Bog which has lots of color now.  We visited on a foggy day which makes the colors glow and the tamaracks (larches) which are deciduous conifers which seems like an oxymoron.  They provided a wonderful backdrop to the scene as they were just beginning to lose their green color.  I went to take pictures of spider webs with moisture drops, but was rewarded with so much more subject matter.

Campobello Island Cobbles
one image can give 1000's of different kaleidoscopes

 

Grew lots of sunflowers this summer and the bees are appreciated them now!

This will be my last blog entry before the cross country trip begins.  I have house painting and landscaping chores to complete now!  Our houses in Lubec, Maine (128,000) and Campobello Island, NB (199,000) did not find their new owners this year, but 2016 will hopefully be the year of changes for us.  We will be moving next door on Campobello Island into the BARN once the houses are sold...! If you are looking for your next great place, contact me for details...

Santa Fe wisteria gives way to lilacs now giving way to irises

I am enjoying my 3 weeks of Spring in New Mexico most of which I have spent in and around Santa Fe.  I could totally see myself living here.  I would miss the hiking in Sedona, but the cultural and art opportunities are astounding here.  Just look at this calendar:  http://santafecreativetourism.org/calendar/.

Yesterday I took a walk in the South Capital neighborhood I am currently living in and saw 6 or more colors of irises in full bloom, many of the them had rain drops on them.  So here are some kaleidoscopes I couldn't keep myself from creating.  My next topic will probably be gates and doors as they is an amazing variety here:

More Fiddleheads and Gallery Opening

We had our Gallery opening on May 25th for the 2013 season of http://friarsbaygallery.com/.  This is our 8th season!  We actually sold a small painting to a student of Michael's who took a one day workshop in Sedona, but has recently moved to Maine!  The weather was pouring, but it was still good to be back in business on Campobello Island.  Please stop by and see us.  Until July 1st, we open when we feel like there might be customers in the area.  However, you can always call us or drop us an email and we are happy to provide a private viewing during the month of June.  In July and August we have regular afternoon hours(Tuesday-Saturday) from 1-6PM Atlantic Time after http://www.paintcampobello.com/ morning workshops with http://www.michaelchesleyjohnson.com/.

I took lots of fiddlehead pictures on our one day of sun last week! The colors of spring foliage are magnificent!  Please respect my copyright to images.  If you would like a print of one of my kaleidoscopes, they are for sale framed or unframed.  Contact me for pricing.

Fiddlehead Colors

Fiddlehead Dance

Unfurling Fern

Fiddlehead Ferns and Forsythia

Fiddlehead ferns and forsythia are the current showy plants of the week here off the coast of Maine.

Fiddlehead Ferns--one variety, but there are many others

Forsythia Hedge Adds Color to the landscape

Brian Bieberle and  and I are working hard on the http://artistretreatstudiosandgallery.blogspot.ca/2013/03/1-bedroom-apartment-available-july-1st.html.  I believe I have a tenant for this part of the home, but am now looking for someone to rent the main part of the house beginning in July.  It will be sparsely furnished, but you would have ocean views and several bedrooms to choose for studio space!  Walk to http://summerkeys.com/ activities, bank, restaurants, grocery, beach, docks, and shops.  You could actually just leave your car in the driveway and take the walk on ferry to Eastport or get a tour of Campobello Island with these tour operators:  http://islanddiscoverytours.com/.  Also, Michael Chesley Johnson has space left in his http://www.paintcampobello.com/ plein air painting workshops held during July and August.  Come to Lubec, Maine and Campobello Island, NB this summer and your life will be transformed by the experience!

Tree Forms

Michael and I have decided to focus on tree forms right now.  Once you start focusing on the trees, you begin to appreciate all the various forms.  We have huge trees down by our rivers here in Arizona.  My favorites are the ancient cottonwoods and sycamores.  With the recent flooding, it is easy to appreciate how the trees stabilize the river banks.

Sycamore Splendor

Ancient Cottonwood during the Flood

Sycamore Star Power

Ancient Writing and Archeology in the Verde Valley

One of the things we like best about living in Red Rock country is not the rocks, although they are spectacular, but the river systems and riparian areas surrounding our valley.  We have Spring Creek, Oak Creek, Wet and Dry Beaver Creeks, the Verde River and many other streams.  The ancient peoples also lived in this area as they had water, access to good soils they could irrigate, plentiful game and rocks to build homes with.  There are so many wonderful archeological sites such as Montezuma's Castle and Well, Tuzigoot, as well as many other sites which are still being discovered.  In fact they created many room pueblos every 3 miles or so up and down all the waterways and throughout the region over hundreds of years.

"ancient writing" 

8 x 8 $50 framed

I had the good fortune to hike with a wonderful membership organization The Verde Valley Archeology Center on Saturday to a beautiful site made of odd limestone of a surprisingly large size.  We found many interesting pottery sherds.  Then to cap off the weekend Michael and I went on a hike on Sunday and found interesting petroglyphs and a large unmarked pueblo in a completely different location!

ancient homeland sycamore and water 

8x8 $50 framed

Nice links to the Verde Valley here:  http://verdevalleyarchaeology.com/TheVerdeValley

We still have space in our paint sedona weekly workshops this winter and spring.  We would love to share our knowledge of this wonderful area.

2013 A New Year and Clean Slate Day

I was speaking with a friend about how New Year's was one of my favorite holidays since you get to start over again with all your resolutions and she named it "Clean Slate Day".  So to celebrate this day, I have 2 kaleidoscopes for your viewing pleasure.

One was created from a photo taken just down the street yesterday morning when we he had a dusting of snow on Spring Creek. I have to say that I love that my experiences with snow in Arizona are usually of snows measuring less than 3 inches which is great!  The second kaleidoscope was taken at the Page Springs fish hatchery where they had many four wing saltbush shrubs which were the subject of the second kaleidoscope.

Spring Creek Snowfall

Four Wing Saltbush

Michael started the new year right by teaching today.  Make your plans for taking a plein air workshop in  Sedona or Campobello Island, Grand Manan Island, or St Andrews by the Sea, NB now!  

Michael Chesley Johnson Plein Air Workshops

The End of Fall and My Wonderful Hiking Group

The best thing about Sedona is all the wonderful hiking trails we have in combination with the best Fall climate I have found anywhere.  Several winters ago I joined a wonderful hiking group of women who have been hiking once or twice a week with their dogs since 1996.  This week we ventured out the Vultee Arch Road to the Secret Canyon trail.  The road is not maintained that it is probably the last time I will venture out there in a vehicle.

If you want to buy a few metal prints of some of my kaleidoscopes, please try this link:
http://fineartamerica.com/art/all/trina+stephenson/metal+prints.  You can also use the drop down menu and order cards and other items from this link also.

Isn't Southwestern vegetation great!

This one features the last red maple leaf of Fall in the center area!

the view through the arch in the red rocks where we had our lunch!

Come out and enjoy some wonderful weather and plein air painting opportunities:  

http://paint sedonapaintsedona.com/

The Beginning of a New Season--Fall in Arizona

We are fortunate to enjoy Fall weather and colors from September well into November by travelling from Canada to Arizona.  My last blog was a month ago in Acadia National Park where the maples were rosy red.  Here in AZ, everything is colorful now from willows to cottonwoods even to maples.  Most people think it is just a desert here, but we have lots of familiar deciduous trees at well.  Below is a kaleidoscope done from a photo taken today on the Chuckwagon Trail in Sedona:

Yesterday we took a walk on a trail we have always called the "landing pad" since a helicopter could easily land there, but which now has been named by the Forest Service as the "Secret Slick Rock" trail.  It has everything that I love about the the Southwest:  beautiful rocks, interesting vegetation, distant views, sunny skies, and absolute quiet.  Here is my "landing pad" kaleidoscope tribute:

If you are from a Northern climate, the Sedona area is just becoming nice with temperatures declining from the 80's during the day only to the 50's in the coldest time.  Winter hiking and painting are ideal.  By March, it is becoming way to hot for me, but we tough it out until early April since most of Michael's students seem to like the heat.  If you enjoy 50 and 60 degree sunny and warm weather, come to Sedona in December, January or February and take a http://paintsedona.com/ workshop with Michael Chesley Johnson.