Landscape of the Soul

Lake Tahoe Winter by NaturesViews

Choosing a title from another blogger, 'Landscape of the Soul', I did some thinking. What Landscape gives my soul flight? Where would I feel right at home? I've actually lived in so many different places, where would I like to go back to or recreate? That's an easy question for me, although I should explain why.

I am a mountain girl. I love the trees, the solitude, the mountain views, the snow, the animals and birds, and even, at times, the insects. I do not feel comfortable in the flat lands. Once when I lived in the Texas high plateau, a friend said to me, "I just love the view." I said, "What view? Flat land as far as the eye can see and sky! No trees, no nothing!" My friends in the flat prairie lands love the openness. To me it feels exposed and lonely. I love the cover of the forest, the coziness of it. I love the scampering of a squirrel, the fluttering and chirping of the birds in the tree tops, and even the buzz of the insects, as long as they are not the biting kind. There seems to be so much more life in the mountain forests.

I really do not feel so much at home in the city either, I guess I am shy at heart and find it hard to socialize with people. Don't get me wrong, I like people, but have to work at the socializing bit. Just give me a hot cup of tea, and a good book outside in my Adirondack chair underneath the pines. Solitude with the buzzing, chirping and scampering "floats my boat" so to speak!

What landscape makes your soul fly to new heights?

PS . Please visit Pat Adams Etsy shop NaturesViews and you will see what I mean about the outdoors and mountains! She captures it!

Inspired!

Well, I started my landscape quilt! I checked the internet, like Wendy suggested, but the way that landscape quilts are done, I really wasn't thinking that way. So, I'm going my own way! I don't know how it will turn out, but at least it will be CREATIVE! And isn't that what it is all about for us crafters! I'll share the finished project later when it is done. I'm posting a couple of pictures: the original photo taken on our vacation; and the start of the quilt--less than 1/3 done.

Vacation???

Even tho' I am on vacation (house sitting) I feel the urge to create! Enough of being idle! My mind is full of possibilities to create! I'm mulling over some color combinations , having been inspired by Joen's book. (See bottom of the page for the book recommendation . . also, I have included a quote from her book [page 22] in the next paragraph.)

Right now, I am thinking of blues. I've not worked with very many blue fabrics, I've always seemed to chose other colors. Do you seem to gravitate toward the same certain colors or color groups? Trying something new can be a bit scary at first, I guess we just get comfortable with what we know--in a bit of a rut?!? Anyway, I want to stay with the monochromatic scheme (LIKE MY BREAST CANCER QUILTS) and do another small quilt. I want to see how different gradations, hews and tints will work together. While I am doing this small quilt, I will be thinking over how to do a winter landscape quilt, since nature has "scores of examples of monochromatic color schemes . . . A cold bleak winter day can display hues from one family alone. The monochromatic scheme can be sophisticated and elegant." I am thinking in blues, or greens . And then there is the little peach quilt for little Raya, and a watercolor quilt I want to do, and the . . . oh well, we're always thinking about new creations, aren't we? --lp