August 12, 2012 Mini Residency at Fair Oaks

Holy Ground Field

8x10 inches

acrylic on panel

Oak By the Pond

Notes From My Residency Journal

Today was one of those perfect Fair Oaks Days.It was sunny and hot but quite pleasant in the shade. My canine friend Shane joined me today. His daddy was out of town so I was a second choice for him. Whenever his daddy is home, no one else matters. We had a good time driving around the farm together. We found some Armadillos deep in the woods, watched them for awhile and then moved on. One of my Fairy Houses was destroyed by the last storm so I took the pieces to the trash. It was a cute house but made of cardboard so it did not last very long. I am glad to see that the ceramic and wood ones I made are holding up well. They should hold up for some time.

I can see the beginnings of the seasonal change more and more now. There is a little cypress tree across the pond that is already beginning to turn. The purple flowers are still pretty but already beginning to fade a little. The grasses are less emerald green with tops beginning to brown a bit and the Fairy Circles are beginning to brown. 

I saw several beautiful birds today including Blue Herons, Egrets and a large Red Tailed Hawk that I flushed out right in front of the cart..It was wonderful to watch him fly so close to me.

I found one of my favorite scenes near Sebastian's Trail in Holy Ground Field to my liking so I settled in for a couple of hours, enjoying the quiet beauty of this place I love so much. Not too hot, a comfortable cart to paint in, a lovely canine companion snoozing on the seat next to me and the sounds of birds and buzzing insects in the distance. What could be more wonderful?

Lunch was delicious pulled pork and baked beans with salad. The  farm manager and I enjoyed lunch all by ourselves today.  After lunch I headed back to my spot to finish up the painting. As I finished up the clouds rolled in with a shower.It was time to go home with memories of lovely Fair Oaks to savor.

Fair Oaks Mini Residency - July 1, 2012

 The fairy houses are placed around the fields.

These are natural fairy houses. I'll be decorating them as time permits.

Golf cart stuck first. Tractor stuck trying to pull it out.

 Big tractor pulling the little tractor out.

Rick in the tractor going back to the barn.

View of Field Three

5x7 inches

acrylic on panel

Notes From my Residency Journal

Today was very interesting and fun for the most part. Not so much for the staff though. Fair Oaks has been very dry for a long time and I have forgotten how to navigate there in the wet season. The recent tropical storm left a lot of water there. The pond has come back and is lovely. I counted several white egrets and a blue heron as I drove by. First on my agenda was going around the fields and placing the little houses I made. I got three settled in their new homes and decided to go back into the woods to place the last one. All was fine until I saw the large tree across the path. I decided I would just skirt around the tree and get back on the path. I often drive all around through the woods so I thought it would be a snap. It wasn't until I got half way around the tree that I noticed I was in ankle deep water. At Fair Oaks, water means sticky mud.  I bogged down and could not get out. I tried to push the cart out but I wasn't strong enough. 

I called the house and the boys promised to rescue me. In a little while Scotty came driving along in a tractor. As he backed in he got stuck too. Off he went to get a bigger tractor. He pulled out the first tractor but could not get in a good spot to pull the golf cart out. We gave up temporarily and headed to the house for lunch. Will made a shrimp sausage rice stew that was delicious. I made a coconut crusted cheesecake for dessert, so we ate well at least. Of course I had to endure many jokes about my driving ability.

After lunch, Rick helped the boys to push the cart out of the mud. I promised to be careful and not get stuck again. Famous last words. I stopped for a little while to do a little painting and then decided that I'd  move to another location.  I skirted the edge  a plowed field carefully.It seemed high and fairly solid. I got so close to the lane where I would have been safe and boom, there I was, buried in mud again. Rick and the boys were very busy, so I carried my supplies back to my truck, left a note apologizing and left for home. I was so frustrated with myself for being so dumb, not once, but twice.

 I'm sure they would like to hang me with onions and shoot me for stinkin!!

A Fair Oaks Project- Fairy Houses

Notes From My Residency Journal


Being an artist in residence is not just about being a painter. Being a steward is part of the package. I roam the  land every time I go to Fair Oaks, looking for trees down, trash left by a careless visitor and checking that the neighborhood livestock have not wandered onto the property. The owner and staff have so much to do, they don't have as much free time as I do. I like to help them in small ways when I can. My next Fair Oaks project is to build some Fairy Houses around the woods and fields. Fair Oaks has long had fairy residents in Holy Ground Field. They make fairy rings in the grass and I can feel their presence there from time to time. I think some homes for them would be a good idea. Thankfully, Rick is a patient man who allows me to do fun projects on his land.

My favorite fairy houses are the all natural ones. I'm not crazy about the fancy store bought varieties. I have begun to gather materials to build the houses. My father was a wood worker/machinist. I think he instilled the love in me to do projects. I'm  not skilled with tools, but I have figured out how to use pre-made construction, like bird houses, baskets, and cardboard boxes as the buildings and cover them with natural materials for roofing, walls, doors and windows. I can use a hammer and nails and wood glue, so I have the plan.

Here are some materials I use for the houses:

tree bark
pine cones
dried and pressed leaves like Sycamore,Magnolia and Maple. Large leaves that can be dried flat work the best for wall covering, floor rugs, and roof tiles.
pebbles
sticks
popsicle sticks
seashells
Spanish and decorative mosses
grapevines
cardboard
wood scraps
clay pots
tape
hammer
wood glue

These little houses are left in the elements to gradually break down, so they will need to be rebuilt from time to time. That is part of the fun. I'm looking forward to building these houses as a project. I will leave a tiny painting on an easel in my favorite one.