ANEMONES

being on the road so often, I've gotten to come across many interesting side trips...Battenfield's Hybrid Anemones in Red Hook is a great stop for any flower lover....from May to September, the greenhouses on the property harvest app. 7,000 anemones every other day....they are wholesalers, but one can get the best anemones by stopping at their self-serve store...definately a bright spot to get thru these long winter months....www.anemones.com...interesting site

SKI SHOP

living in a ski area, I've gone in & out of ski shops, as ski shop goes, Mt Otsego Ski Shop is as quaint as it gets, it's on the backroads of Cooperstown, NY, the owner was most helpful...if one wants picturesque village, cruising around Cooperstown is delightful

BLUSTERY

out of luck...the frozen tundra was starting to melt....it's back to blustery, windy, snowy, icy kind of day in the mountain

MOONRISE

the full moon was pretty bright when I got home yesterday..the moon rise over the silent fields, casting shadows in shades of ebony....this combination of full moon & snow only happens in January & February...pure magic

SUNRISE

way too cold to get out of bed this morning, spend the morning sketching in bed before the house warms up...splendid vistas of mountains & rolling hills make for inspiring subject matter....packing up for a warmer road trip

CONTRAST

another frigid day, not a cloud in sight...SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE finally came to our local theater, art film does not stay long...I can see why it's nominated for best picture of the year...I hope it wins, a really well made film can transform & inform....that's the magic of film...the world would be a very boring place if they never invented film making..the color & texture of India is a stark contrast to a february day in the mountain

WINTER DESPAIR

an average day in february: dark,damp,frigid & bad light...makes it harder to see what I'm painting

BROVETTO DAIRY

spend Sunday at Brovetto Diary at Harpersfield, NY, for a cheese making class....a nice winter diversion with some interesting people, our biggest thing in common is FOOD....it's alot of standing around & waiting...perfect opportunity for some quick sketches