AN ARTISTS PLAYGROUND - DISCOVER THE ARTIST WITHIN YOU - RIGHT IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD

When we first moved into our new home with its tiny backyard I thought gardening was a thing of the past. After placing a picnic table and some lawn chairs we saw little room for anything more than a few flowers. As we inched slowly toward retirement it seemed to be all we really needed anymore. I was trying to recover from a serious health problem that had left me weak and with very little energy. It seemed my productive years were pretty much a thing of the past. I was in for quite a surprise! Our memories from years of homesteading were never going to vanish. Instead, life experience gained from it was crying out to re-surface - in entirely new and invigorating ways. Without the drudgery and hard work that was a necessary part of our past lifestyle, we now had time to rest and just relax. As we sat meditating and drinking in our new mini-environment ideas began streaming in from out of nowhere. Before very long our barren little plot was hosting a gorgeous tiny water garden, complete with mini-falls, grasses and an arbor of climbing vines. Butterfly gardens emerged here and there. Bird houses and feeders went up. Shrubs and bushes fenced the back portion of the yard and provided cover for songbirds. A fragrant herb garden evolved. My life began overflowing with new and exciting artistic endeavors I'd always yearned to get into but never had time for. As I began feeling better and better I grew some everlastings to harvest and turn into dried flower arrangements. Later I found even greater joy in learning to do framed pressed flower artwork. I thoroughly enjoyed gathering and pressing blooms, storing them to be pulled out in the dead of winter when they could be transformed into framed works to fill the house with their beauty and serve as handcrafted gifts for friends and loved ones. Sketching and painting birds, butterflies and flowers also began filling my life with peaceful contentment. It is my intention to present ideas that will inspire and encourage you to discover your very own unique creativity and release the artist within you. It is all there, just waiting to be discovered - right in your own backyard. Have fun with it.