"Dogwood Heart"
Alas, Spring is rapidly fading from my region. The grass and weeds are turning to dusty brown. The wild lupine rise up now as a final tribute to spring, and the hillsides are awash with purple and white. Those, too, will soon dry up in the hot sun.
"Lupine and Rust"
It was beautiful while it lasted.
"Sheepish"
"Bleeding Heart Light"
"Lavender Door"
"New Leaf"
"Major Mini Rose"
"Poppy Power"
"Looking out"
"Blossom Time"
"Country Road"
"Flowering Quince"
"Blooming Clematis"
"Pear and Redbud Blooms"
"Poppy Explosion"
"Lilacs at the Ranch"
Welcome to the Flying Aardvark Ranch Studio
Hi, I'm Lori Ann Cole. This is a series of Photo Galleries of my Arts and Thoughts here at FAR.
My goal is to share with you the unconventional beauty and hidden magic of the world around us.
"Wild Flower Field"
The Flying Aardvark Ranch is located in the flyspeck on the map known as Ahwahnee, California. It's near the town of Oakhurst, just a few miles south of Yosemite National Park and an hour north of Fresno.
"Iris Symmetry"
The Spring Theme pictures were all taken over the course of the past few weeks from this area. There's so much to show off around here.
"Bootjack Wildflowers"
Spring is a time to renew your spirit. Make a point of walking in a garden soon. Let the beauty energize and awaken the creative soul with in you. Besides - who couldn't use the exercise?
"Blossoming Clematis"
Busy Work May 13
It's been a busy couple of weeks since I last posted. The Art Show has come and gone, and I didn't sell one of my pieces of art. The sadder news is that no one sold any art. All those beautiful pieces, but either no one wanted them or no one could afford to buy them. That's a real shame.
I've been very successful at finding good photo subjects. I've spent one late afternoon hunting down wildflowers, and you can see some of them here. Most of these wildflowers are less than the size of a dime. I took a daytrip last week to Calaveras County (of Mark Twain and Jumping Frog frame), which took me through the former mining town of Hornitos in the middle of nowhere. The Bleeding Hearts are from Bass Lake, the rose is from Oakhurst. All in all, I've colected about a hundred photos worth keeping since I last posted here. How I love digital cameras and virtual film!
My First Official Art Show April 28
I just joined the "Yosemite Western Artists" group as they were holding the Tri-County Open Art Competition in Oakhurst. This gave me the excuse to actually print a few of my photographs and get them framed. Up to now, I've mostly been satisfied with my art being virtual. That way, it only clutters my harddrive.
The art competition has a variety of categories. This year, they had more photography than any other category. I, alas, failed to win a prize. On the other hand, first place in the photography category went to Jon Bock, a professional artist who worked on our computer games when we both worked for Sierra On-line. Third place went to another friend of ours who has been a photographer for years. (Nothing like living in a small community like Oakhurst.) So my art was in good company.
Iris Farm April 19-20
Saturday, I took a class in watercolor painting taught by Joan Brumley, a profession artist who is one of the finest of local artists in an area teaming with fine art talent. We spent the morning learning techniques and painting at the Hillside Iris Gardens in Coarsegold. The day was a cool and bright spring day, perfect weather for being outdoors. The Hillside Iris Gardens lives up to its name - it's nestled on the side of a hill with terraced beds of flowers sculpted into the landscape. It is the creation of Bill Tyson, who specializes in hybridizing "for the unsual." The Garden was such a treat for the senses that I came back on Sunday to take some more pictures.
April 18
Spring really blossomed in California this month. The daffodils are fading, but irises, lilacs, and a thousand other flowers opened to take their place. I'm going to an iris garden this weekend for a watercolor class (but it's really an opportunity to add to my collection of iris photos). The following weekend, I'm heading up to Yosemite for the Dogwoods in bloom for a photography class taught by Christine Loberg. Christine is a professional photographer who has taken some breathtaking shots of Yosemite. I'm looking forward to this particular learning experience.