Because of my ANFT Training and the pandemic, I’ve been spending more time in the woods this December and noticing more subtle pleasures, like the profusion of fungi, mosses, and lichens:
And what happens to the dripping springs when the temperature drops:
But nothing compares to the wonder of bluebirds in flight, that striking flash of blue against all the grays and browns of the winter woods. It reminds me of a story by Isak Dinesen about someone searching for “the right blue” and of my own encounter with it years ago in Italy. I rounded a corner in the Vatican, and there it was — the most astonishing blue I’d ever seen! I don’t remember the subject or the title of that Fra Angelico painting, just that glorious color, which I’ve only seen a few times since. Maybe the rarity is part of its beauty.
And continuing the blue theme, here’s the latest version of Once in a Dream. Now the top layer has a new blue glaze:
Wishing you and those you love a new year full of good health and unexpected beauty!
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