March was a beautiful month here in Tucson. I tried to enjoy the fantastic weather (70's and 80's) as much as possible before the summer heat's impending onslaught. As a matter of fact, we've already crossed over into the 90's a few times.

Having lived here about six months now, I have to say I have no right to complain about the heat when we have had months on end with almost entirely fantastic weather. I don't think a week (and rarely a day) has passed during which I did not have my windows open for at least a little while. Gosh I love fresh air and chirping birdies!

The warmer temps have made the wildlife happy, too. Hummingbirds seem to be literally everywhere, and the sunset hour is now filled with tiny bats fluttering about. The lizards are back in full force, doing pushups in the sun outside my window. Walking through the desert, there is movement everywhere on the periphery as ground squirrels have come out of hibernation. Believe it or not, they've been pretty much holed up since early last fall when I arrived. These cute furry friends remind me of little prairie dogs. 

I tried some different approaches with my art this month, employing new subject matter, media, and sizes. My trip to the Grand Canyon with my mother was commemorated in an 8x10" painting from Hermit's Rest. I used my usual gouache and watercolor paint in this piece, but also accentuated it with watercolor pencil. The pencil provided texture that I found to be so fitting to the canyon's layers. I was really happy with the result. 

In addition to walking around the neighborhood, I also visited the San Xavier del Bac mission south of Tucson, went on a tour of historic adobe homes in the Old Fort Lowell neighborhood (a former U.S. military outpost), and spent some time in Tucson Mountain Park, my favorite local hiking spot, among the blooming ocotillos. I created a piece featuring one of the historic adobes, and am currently working on another piece showcasing the fiery blooming ocotillo. I also painted a special painting for my dear friend's nursery, which will be revealed in next month's blog, as it is a pending surprise and was finished in April. 

I continue to enjoy my weekly drawing class and worked on three drawing pieces this month. I haven't listed any of them for sale, but if you happen to be interested in one, feel free to contact me. I'm sure the pricing would be reasonable. ;-)

I was excited to get my first local commission this month, and will be working on creating a dog portrait of a sweet smiley pooch named Stella. As of this blog posting, a few of my March paintings are still available, so if one catches your eye, head on over and shop now ›

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