Bittersweet Cauldron

Recent Work; “ The Mermaid”

Recent work; “ The Storyteller “

At any time you can ask yourself: At which threshold am I now standing? At this time in my life, what am I leaving? Where am I about to enter? What is preventing me from crossing my next threshold? What gift would enable me to do it? A threshold is not a simple boundary; it is a frontier that divides two different territories, rhythms, and atmospheres. Indeed, it is a lovely testimony to the fullness and integrity of an experience or a stage of life that it intensifies toward the end into a real frontier that cannot be crossed without the heart being passionately engaged and woken up. At this threshold a great complexity of emotion comes alive: confusion, fear, excitement, sadness, hope. This is one of the reasons such vital crossings were always clothed in ritual. It is wise in your own life to be able to recognize and acknowledge the key thresholds: to take your time; to feel all the varieties of presence that accrue there; to listen inward with complete attention until you hear the inner voice calling you forward. The time has come to cross.

JOHN O'DONOHUE

Excerpt from his books: To Bless the Space Between Us (US) / Benedictus (Europe)
Ordering Info: https://johnodonohue.com/store

Co. Clare, Ireland
Photo: © Ann Cahill

Oh nooooo

Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth, dead at 99

Two prints out of the studio this week

Who knew?

Winter is a great time to practice winter tree ID! Check out this graphic comparing acorns from oak species from the Flora of Virginia project. The illustrations are by Lara Call Gastinger

Here are the common names of the species listed:
Q. alba – White Oak
Q. bicolor – Swamp White Oak
Q. coccinea – Scarlet Oak
Q. falcata – Southern Red Oak or Spanish Oak
Q. ilicifolia – Bear Oak or Scrub Oak
Q. imbricaria – Shingle Oak
Q. laevis – Turkey Oak
Q. lyrata – Overcup Oak
Q. macrocarpa – Bur Oak or Mossycup Oak
Q. margarettae – Sand Post Oak
Q. marilandica var. marilandica – Blackjack Oak
Q. montana -Chestnut Oak
Q. muehlenbergii – Chinquapin Oak
Q. nigra – Water Oak
Q. pagoda – Cherrybark Oak
Q. phellos – Willow Oak
Q. prinoides – Dwarf Chinquapin Oak
Q. rubra – Northern Red Oak
Q. stellata – Post Oak
Q. virginiana – Live Oak

I’ve been very busy in the studio this week. Prepping for a Halloween showcase