New Foster Park Gazebo Illustrations

I've been working on drawings toward my 2014 calendar, and just completed the drawing for my May page of the Foster Park gazebo. This  is a scene of Foster Park on a past Memorial Day.If you look very closely, you will see my parents, waiting for the parade and onlookers to fill the park eventually. Memorial Day is an honored tradition in Afton, complete with a featured speaker, band music, taps, blessings and a special ritual honoring our war dead  (  notice the white crosses in the foreground, awaiting the wreaths placed on them by the scouts, honoring each member of the community who died in service of their country).


I've completed this drawing in time to donate a large, colored print to a benefit, honoring a valued member of our community, Afton Electrician, Mike Sickler, who will be greatly missed, not only for his work ethic and dedication, but also for his quiet friendliness.

Current projects

The quilt I've been working on is finally in the mail to a friend in Nebraska who lost her home to fire over the Christmas season. Another friend offered to machine quilt it, which made it look like a "real" quilt! She also chose a different backing material which complimented and added a little extra "life" to my pieced front. Thanks, Cindy K!



I also have been working on a new drawing of the gazebo at Foster Park in Afton. It will illustrate my May page of my Farmhouse 2014 calendar.


Today, I will print notecards for a new order from Walt Nicke Company: I may need to dash to Binghamton to get more cover stock to complete the order.  Need to think about new cover ideas for their  W. Nicke's Garden Talk catalog, too!

Eagles

I'm happy to report several sightings of eagles this past week! They are steadily gaining in numbers and we've spotted them over our Susquehanna region between Bainbridge and Nineveh. Last weekend, I went on a nature walk at Chenango Valley State Park in the town of Fenton, hosted by the local Sierra Club and led by BU Biology professor, Julian Shepherd. We saw lots of tracks, a trio of whitetail deer, a great blue heron, a pileated woodpecker, and yes, an eagle, soaring overhead as we walked along the old Chenango Canal towpath. There were a few small, wooden signs, indicating the location of an eagle's nest overlooking the river, but none of us could figure out the cryptic signs.