Vernal Equinox

Texas isn't much for seasons, but after years of being in an extreme drought we are finally getting large doses of rain and the wildflowers are loving it. Tuesday was the first day of Spring, the Vernal Equinox. Butterflies are fluttering all over the place and bees are buzzing to and fro. I try to get pictures of them while they last. Looking over them makes getting through the long, hot summers a little easier. In 1932 the Texas Department of Transportation hired its first landscape architect to preserve and maintain the growth of wildflowers and other native plants along the Texas highways. The view varies from year to year depending on the conditions. One year Bluebonnets may dominate while another year it's a sea of Gaillardia. It's always such a beautiful sight.

Nature grounds me and calms me. I, like many artists, talk about nature inspiring me. I think it influences me in subconscious ways. I don't typically delight in trying to recreate a flower in silver, but I do love regularly exploring my yard and nearby trails for plants, flowers, trees and rocks. I spend a lot of time looking at the lights and shadows, the lines and curves, and the patterns in nature. The texture of bark on the different trees, the changes from bud to bloom to seed in many plants, and the way a branch dances in the breeze. I grew up in the woods and am drawn to nature. When I lived in Manhattan, I loved getting to Central Park and soaking in the feel of The Mall, a line of glorious American elm trees. There is no doubt that my first eighteen years of living in the woods has some influence on my designs. I'm grateful for this connection to nature. I think it makes me a better steward of this planet because I know everything is connected, even if I don't see exactly how.