DRAWING FROM THE DAY
  • ...a blog on art, creativity, and mindfulness

Plethora and Clethra

8/11/2019

 
Yesterday I asked my neighbor if she knew what the flowering, beautifully scented bush was in our front yard (we didn't plant it) and she said yes:  Clethra.  I thought she said "plethora" and assumed she was referring to the high number of fabulous blossoms.  But no, she was naming Clethra alnifolia, also known as the sweet pepperbush or "summersweet."  I love that last name.

Summersweet is incredibly seductive to honeybees and butterflies, both of which I've seen--a "plethora" of them--since it began to bloom a few weeks ago.  And the scent...oh, the scent is so lovely.  I feel honored to be in the presence of this plant.  I remember it bloomed the first summer I moved here, but not last year.  What a treat to have it make such a big comeback this year.  Here's a blossom from our front yard.
Picture
Clethra alnifolia, aka summersweet or sweet pepper
There were so many honeybees and other cuties drinking from the flowers that I'm surprised I didn't have to beat any of them back to get this photo but this one stem was not being worked just as I snapped the shutter.  Lots of Monarch butterflies and other butterflies around it also this year.  It's a good year for the Monarchs around here--god knows they need a good year.  And the bees as well.
Advice from a Honeybee

Create a buzz.
Sip life's sweet moments.
Mind your own beeswax.
Work together.
Always find your way home.
Stick close to your honey.
Always bee yourself.

--Ilan Shamir
Picture
Inside the front cover of my Zentangle® Project Pack 06 book, which I've been working on in the last few days. The theme of the Project Pack is the Zentangle slogan, "No Mistakes." Black Micron 01, gold gellyroll, white gellyroll.
Picture
From my Zentangle Project Pack 06 book, Day Three.
I hasten to say here that I am simply following along with the Project Pack videos as I draw, so these compositions are copies of what is on the videos, not my original compositions.  99% of what I post here is original to me, but sometimes, when I don't have the mojo--which has been happening lately for unknown reasons--it's just so relaxing to follow along and copy-to-learn-from someone else's work.  I always attribute the work to the originator, as I've done here and for my last several posts.

Comments are closed.

    ABOUT ME

     I'm a textile artist (traditional rug hooking, punch needle rug hooking, and other textile arts), a long-time meditator, a certified meditation teacher and coach, and focused on learning about the interplay of art, creativity, and mindfulness every day. 

    I am also a Certified Zentangle® Teacher (CZT 11) and a student of drawing and of the tarot.

      If you enjoy reading this blog, input your email address here to get an every-other-month notice about checking for new posts.

    Subscribe to Newsletter
    Picture
    Certified, 2021
    Picture
    Certified Zentangle® Teacher, 2013
    Picture
    Certified by AmyOxford.com at The Oxford Rug Hooking School, 2016
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Black Tiles
    Bookbinding
    Broken Wrist Tangles
    Clocks
    Colored Pencil
    Creative Inspiration
    Death
    Diva Challenge
    Drawing
    Dyeing Wool Or Yarn
    Fans
    Frederick Franck
    Gellyrolls
    Gesso
    Gratitangles2018
    Gratitangles2020
    Gray Tiles
    Ims
    Inktober
    Inktober 2018
    Inktober 2019
    Inktober2020
    Iphone App On Tangles
    Joey Challenge
    Knitted Knockers
    Knitting
    Knots
    Mandalas
    Map Tangling
    Marathon
    Meditation
    Neurographica
    No Fail No Learn
    Other People's Work
    Poetry
    Portrait
    Punch Hooking
    Punch Needle Embroidery
    Quilts And Other Art
    Rainbow Lead Pencil
    Renaissance Tiles
    Rug Hooking
    Scratch Art
    Sketchbook-skool
    String Thing Challenge
    #summertangles2018
    Tangles
    Tarot
    Tarot Rug Project
    Truly Miscellaneous
    Watercolor
    Weather
    Zenagain2018
    Zendala-dare
    Zenuari2019

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014

    SITES TO WATCH:

    Insight Meditation Society

    Oxford Rug Hooking School


    Zentangle:  The Official Site

    Green Mountain Rug Hooking

    Massachusetts Tarot Society


    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • ...a blog on art, creativity, and mindfulness