Searching for fire agates high up on Saddle Mountain

Things you see rockhounding - Nothing, Arizona

I hit the ground running in 2021, feeling like I was on a roll with my painting. I’ve really been enjoying bringing animal-related puns to life, inspired by the critters and quirky things I see on walks around the neighborhood with my Lola dog. My first piece of the year, Flighty but Mighty, featured a guineafowl and a western diamondback rattlesnake. I’ve never seen a rattlesnake near my current home, but guineafowl do indeed live in the nearby “poultry neighborhood.”

The beautiful, speedy, and slightly weird guineafowl are actually native to Africa. Reading about them, I learned that they are very good at deterring snakes, usually by making intimidating noises. Sometimes they have been known to attack and even kill these slithery serpents. My painting is meant to convey more than a whimsical match between a wacky bird and a well-known venomous villain, though. It is a display of the unpredictability of nature, and the many ways we are stronger than we may believe that we are… sentiments that most of us likely learned in 2020 (p.s. - happy new year!).

Chickens seem to be some of the punniest creatures and I just kept cranking out poultry pieces, including several of my 2x3” miniature paintings. Almost all have found their forever homes, but as of this blog post, I still have three minis that you could call your own - visit my shop to purchase.

In mid-January, I had a house guest for a few days. I stepped into my living room and my eye was drawn through the window to my front yard where a fuzzy friend was making itself at home. I hopped out the front door to find a large domestic rabbit who was more than happy to meet me. Sure that someone nearby would be looking for this creature since it was very well acclimated to humans, I scooped him up and into the safety of my backyard.

Unfortunately, after much searching, it became apparent that Bunnypants (as I named him) had either been abandoned, strayed very far from home, or his owners weren’t looking all that hard. I was tempted to keep the sweet, fluffy bundle of joy, but my doggie Lola couldn’t seem to think of him as friend rather than food or foe. I’m very grateful to the Arizona Humane Society, who came to my rescue after Bunnypants’ five-day stay at my makeshift Bunny B&B and assured me that they would find him a good home.

Inspired by our happenstance friendship, I created the painting Some Bunny to Love. In addition to the likeness of Bunnypants, the painting features a bunny-ears prickly pear cactus in the background, including a few heart-shaped prickly pear pads that they often tend to grow in real life and one lonely but lovely cactus blossom.

I had the opportunity to show my artwork at Mood Room in Phoenix, and my painting Network will be on display at their Park Central locale through February 6. I am very grateful for the extra effort that Artlink is putting into promoting artists during this difficult time.

On a final art-related note, I have some incredibly exciting news! My painting Midcentury Magnate was selected by the Phoenix Airport Museum to hang in a juried exhibition of works by Arizona Watercolor Association artists. They received 165 entries for this show, and accepted just 26. I am truly so honored to have been chosen for this opportunity. The show will be on display at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Terminal 4, Level 3 from February 26, 2021, through September 24, 2021.

Overall the January weather was lovely and in the 60’s - 70’s, with some much-needed rain, some dramatic clouds, and even two episodes of hail, and weekends were spent on varied rockhounding adventures. We explored defunct mining areas near Wickenburg and Superior, continued our search for the largest Apache tear on record, sought out sparkly fire agates, and definitely scored a few cool finds!

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Flighty but Mighty 10x14”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Flighty but Mighty*
10x14”, Gouache on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Mediterrane-Hen 3x2”, Gouache on Paper SOLD. — *Mediterrane-Hen*
3x2”, Gouache on Paper
SOLD.

Egg-Spresso 3x2”, Gouache on Paper SOLD. — *Egg-Spresso*
3x2”, Gouache on Paper
SOLD.

Hot Chicken 3x2”, Gouache on Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Hot Chicken*
3x2”, Gouache on Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Beach Comb-er 3x2”, Gouache on Paper SOLD. — *Beach Comb-er*
3x2”, Gouache on Paper
SOLD.

Free Range O-Ranges 3x2”, Gouache on Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Free Range O-Ranges*
3x2”, Gouache on Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Egg Plant 3x2”, Gouache on Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Egg Plant*
3x2”, Gouache on Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Meditate-Hen 5x7”, Gouache and Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — Meditate-Hen
5x7”, Gouache and Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Some Bunny to Love 10x8”, Gouache and Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Some Bunny to Love*
10x8”, Gouache and Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

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On Sunday, I packed up the bikini and beach towel and boarded a plane back to Las Vegas. With my base tan established, I was prepared for more desert sunshine!

My car had been relaxing at the airport for about six weeks, and I was starting to feel like that was my big Vegas gamble. As the parking lot shuttle rounded the corner, I saw her there smiling at me. What a relief! I assessed the exterior: no flat tires, no broken windows, and no new dings, dents, or scrapes. In the final test, I turned the ignition. Voila! I was on the road again.

Since my time in Vegas had been pretty brief (and I wasn't sure that my car would be ready to roll on down the road), I booked a few days at an Airbnb on the outskirts of town. My plan was to see some of the natural beauty surrounding this land of slot machines, roulette wheels, and poker tables.

Monday, I took a short drive west to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. The park was full of people enjoying a gorgeous, sunny, mid-70's spring day. I drove the scenic loop, stopping at most points of interest to take some short hikes, snap photos, and drink in the beautiful landscape. I was afraid I had missed spring in the desert, but there was still a pretty abundant sprinkling of flowers to be seen.

Following my tour of Red Rock, I spent some time on a more typical Vegas activity - shopping. My hiking shoes were ready for retirement, and probably had been for quite some time. After a few tries, I was happy to be able to locate the same type of shoe (Ahnu Sugarpine Air Mesh), which had worked really well for me for the better part of a year. I guess I'm not very "adventurous" in my wardrobe choices! :-)

Yesterday, my trek was a little more extensive. I drove about an hour through sparse desert terrain to the Valley of Fire, a Nevada State Park. I had seen a lot of photos of this park, especially its "Fire Wave," and it did not disappoint. It is home to some really unique formations, intensely red rocks, petroglyphs, canyons, and petrified logs. I drove most of the park roads and stopped at many of the scenic points. Hiking the Fire Wave trail, I saw more lovely desert flowers and made the acquaintance of a few chuckwalla lizards.

Leaving the park's east entrance, I wound my way through Lake Mead National Recreation Area. After about an hour of the area's varied desert vistas and distant glimpses of the lake, I caught up with the throngs of tourists who were headed with me to see Hoover Dam.

I can't say that visiting Hoover Dam was anywhere near the top of my list of places I want to see, but it was actually pretty interesting and picturesque. I am definitely a fan of Art Deco architecture, and it's a fantastic example of this style. The Lake Mead side of the dam was pretty surreal looking, with its blue water, art deco towers, and the waterline on the surrounding cliffs. I'm glad I stopped and braved the crowds!

Today, I am doing some work, catching up on things (like this blog!), and painting. I wanted to take it relatively easy since I have a long drive ahead of me tomorrow, when I head south to Phoenix, Arizona, my home for the next two weeks. Stay tuned for more reporting from the Valley of the Sun!

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