I am enjoying a wonderful book called The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland. It's about a Canadian woman in the early 20th c. who is a painter. She has Native Canadian friends and paints Native Canadian themes, which alienates her from her Victorian sisters and most of the people who show up to and critique her art shows. She isn't rewarded for her work until fairly late in life and by that time she has almost given up hope that anyone will respond to her work.
I respond to this book in a very personal way. I love painting, drawing and photography. I also share the protagonist's deep love of the forest and being in the woods (but don't envy her the mosquito bites that she gets in the far north). It's reminding me that no matter how practical I try to be, the deep desire to create will still be there and will keep asking me to answer that call.

Out of hibernation

Cold, short winter days always make me long for reading by the fire, piling on the sweaters and early bedtimes for everyone. Sometimes I forget what a joy it is to get out! We went for a hike today, late in the day, after errands were run, photos were posted (I am starting a 2nd shop on a site called 1000 Markets) and rooms were vacuumed. My temptation was to cancel it, as by the time we were ready to go, the sun was getting lower in the sky. What a mistake that would have been. The cool, watery orange light was beginning to wane, but we were at the park (Beaver Island) for sunset, a walk in the woods, discovering an abandoned lean-to, and running up and down the sledding hill. The dog went for an icy swim and everyone got good and muddy. I do cherish even these simple days with my family.

Fairy Houses

One day recently, everyone in our family put everything aside to go for a hike. We walked, ran, explored and played. Some of the leaves were beginning to turn yellow and red. It seems to do us all a great deal of good to leave the tasks that being in the house present to us. The picture is of a fairy house that my daughter made, putting her imagination to work. I'm grateful to have the time that I do with my young kids. Their imaginations spark my own and their enthusiasm about life is energizing.

my young photo assistant

I started my shop on Etsy, jenniferdennispotter in March and since then, my kids, especially my son (pictured) have wanted to get in on the fun. Etsy has given me a way to be with my kids, create my work, and have it seen. My latest body of work has been my toy series. I've been using small toy animals in studio or realistic settings to create little scenes. A typical afternoon for us may be: taking the dog and the little toy animals to the park for a hike and to take photos. My son will clear away little sticks, brush and other things that impede the look of the photo at my request, feels like a big helper and learns some things about photography as we work. We look for just the right moss, just the right light, just the right pose of the deer. After he is asleep at night, I edit the image in Photoshop and post it to Etsy, if it's worthy. If not, we've still had a great hike and the chance to work together.