Late Spring

 "Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male)" - photograph © Bruce A. Morrison

Spring is nearing its end and the work is mounting here! I am always pulled in many directions at this time of the year; need to get out and photograph the landscape, need to stay in and finish artwork on the easel, need to pick up work from a closing exhibit and take work to a new one, need to get work framed for customers, get new prints processed and hung in the studio...even finish patching the barn roof! The list goes on; like all of us - too much to do after that long winter and wet/cold spring!
 

The photograph above is part of another exhibit I'm participating in at the moment. This new art exhibit is at the Witter Gallery in Storm Lake, Iowa and runs through most of the month of June.
 

This exhibit is the first Artisans Road Trip showing for the 2013 season - the tenth year of the Artisans Road Trip in NW Iowa! You may recognize the A.R.T. open studio tour held each fall during the first weekend in October; the Artisans Road Trip also puts on exhibits during the year with current artist members and the Witter Gallery showing is the first of the 2013 A.R.T. season!

I have 4 pieces in the exhibit - 3 photographs and 1 oil pastel. But there is so much more to see as well. There will be an artist's reception Thursday - June 13th, from 5 - 7p.m. Hope to see you there!

"June Morning Music" - Nature Audio - © Bruce A. Morrison

Here's a playful respite for all of you out there under the pressure of work that is never quite finished or caught up. The Image above is from the house here and our kitchen home entry and garden...it is from a color pencil drawing done a year or so ago. I have used it here as artwork to go with some of nature's music here on the acreage.
 

I do occasional video and audio work for my own use and for some natural resources client projects on contract. This short "get away" is just for myself and my friends. Just click HERE or on the image above and listen to late spring out on the prairie. Enjoy!  

Hope you enjoy the rest of spring!

In the Middle

Sun Dogs here at Prairie Hill Farm

(click on image for a larger view)

We're in the middle of many things here at the studio and Prairie Hill Farm - winter for one!  A couple days ago our digital thermometer went offline...it stops at 19 below zero fahrenheit.  It popped back on again at 19 below a little after 8 a.m.  I'd been out in the yard filling feeders for the birds and squirrels...it can get a little oppressive for them, out in the open in this weather.

I stopped before going into the studio and took just a quick shot of the sun dogs across the valley...nothing elaborate, just using my small camera.  I've often wished I could find the perfect landscape "nearby" to photograph sun dogs!  

We've also been in the middle of a lot of snow removal lately...that happens at this time of year!  I remember a neighbor speaking to me about the winter snow issues in the valley here a few years back.  He eluded to the fact that since we moved here, we hadn't had a bad winter...I took all the credit with a grin!  :)  Well, that ended last year and we've since gotten pretty good at moving snow on our own.

 Winter Goldfinch at the studio

(click on image for a larger view)

I'm hoping that this is the break in our winter weather for the duration ahead, a nice weekend appears to be a reality!  Any day in the 20's or 30's (faherenheit) is great winter weather!  (I know the birds would appreciate it too!)

I've been in the middle of painting and drawing projects as well.  Some have been extremely taxing...I hate to move onto something else when a piece is unfinished but that is a reality at times.  Sometimes a fresh "face" can help recover from painters block.  Oh ya...it happens.  :P

I've also been in the middle of marketing and business planning.  This is not something I relish but a necessity for any artist that is working out there as a freelancer - a full-time studio.  I am planning on beginning a newsletter in the near future...this is for my collectors and other clients that have purchased work here at the studio or other galleries I sell through.  If you are someone that would be interested in being included as a studio newsletter subscriber, watch for future news about this.

"In the Middle" is a time of transition or just a place you find yourself often as you move through life.  Here's hoping you're in the middle of something very good!

Digging Back In

"After the Storm Passed - Study"

2 1/2 X 3 1/2" (6.4 cm X 8.9 cm) color pencil (sold) © Bruce A. Morrison

(Click on image for larger than life size image)

It's been a time of digging back in here at the studio; the hours being spent printing up jobs and framing for clients is winding down from the aftermath of the Artisans Road Trip in early October.  Now it's November!  (How does that happen so quickly - someone please explain it to me!!!)

Now I am mustering up the mental stage to get back into creating new work.  This is the time (that comes along almost any time all year long) for me to go through my jointed and disjointed thoughts and begin new pieces.  How this comes about varies wildly here!  It either hits me like a 2x4, or I go back through recent and past "studies", like the small color pencil image under this blog's title...or I spend hours perusing through image files on the hard drives or the film file drawers until something talks back to me.

I'll be frank...this can be a frustrating process!

In the meantime we're at no loss for work around Prairie Hill Farm; we just finished patching cedar shingles in the barn roof, picking seed on the farm's native pasture, trimming down broken trees from the year's storms, and putting gardens to bed for the coming winter.  Never a dull moment!
  

Bald Eagle along the valley here below the Prairie Hill Farm Studio

© Bruce A. Morrison
(Click on image for larger view) 
 

The wildlife around the farm has been changing from summer to winter residents also...this makes things more interesting.  Certain yard birds become more numerous and our winter residents return; like the Bald Eagles in the valley here.  We've now had eagles for the past couple weeks.  It's pretty cool when a bird flies over your head when you're out and about the place, or when one passes by the living room window when your going about business in the house!

It can be pretty inspiring stuff!  Guess I should get busy!

 

Evening Bliss

Cope's Gray Tree Frog
Hyla chrysoscelis

We've had some great evening ambiance here at Prairie Hill Farm this late spring. Each evening around dusk the Tree and Cricket frogs begin serenading below the north pasture. This makes for wonderful sleeping here when the serenade lulls us into that blissful state.

I love the sounds of nature as well as the sights and smell. And I like to save the sounds and savor for other times - like in 3 feet of snow at 25 below zero! Ha! What better time to bring it back and listen to...warms up the soul!

But it's great now! We're savoring it each evening we can, and we want to share it with you.

The Cope's Gray Tree Frog is found here in the yard too, so I can occasionally get photos of them here. The Cricket Frogs are more secretive and are in the wetlands nearby here. They are the noisy ones...sound like a "steelie" tap, tap, tapping together constantly. The tree frogs are more mellow...a brief quick trill...not to high or too low. It's hard to describe, but I find it very pleasant.

Frogs don't call all summer long; they call, sing...whatever you like to call it, only for a few brief weeks...it's for procreation and then it's over. They're still out there, but we'll no longer hear them after their "time" is through.

Well...occasionally one will get a bur up it's hinny and sing out of the blue, but for the most part - when they're done, they're done! Too bad - they're fun to listen to!

The tree frogs are almost finished with their singing season now, but the Cricket Frogs are at their peak and the Bull Frogs will begin their reign soon.

Please scan down to the video player below (it kinda gets lost on my black background blog page - if you are on my email list, the video/audio link will not show up - in that case please come to the blog site itself to listen in).

I'm attaching an audio file for you to listen to of the chorus here last week. Hope you enjoy!