Category Archives: musings

Living in an upside-down world

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A white breasted nuthatch often travels upside down on a tree trunk. This bird has very strong feet, one for gripping  and the other to stabilize.  This enables the downward movement, allowing it to see and catch the “big bugs” not seen by most birds.  The nuthatch I painted came from photos taken in Concord MA while visiting a treasured friend.  The desire to paint the nuthatch came from the wish to hold on to a joyful memory.

Nuthatch - Watercolor painting by Barbara Bromley. Copyright 2017 Barbara Bromley.

It also fit with my feeling that the world has turned “upside down”.  Not so long ago I was reading books like the following: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey;  Live and Learn, and Pass it On by H. Jackson Brown Jr., and  Chicken Soup for the Soul, by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen.

Where have all of these positive forward-looking books and beliefs gone?  Covey’s book promotes “The Character Ethic”  which includes the following habits:

  1. Valuing and respecting  people by understanding a “win” for all is ultimately a better long-term resolution than if only one person in the situation had gotten his way.
  2. Using empathic listening to genuinely understand a person, which compels them to reciprocate the listening and take an open mind to being influenced by you.
  3. Combining the strengths of people through positive teamwork, so as to achieve goals that no one could have done alone.

Maybe rereading these books is a way for me to turn my personal world right side up again.  After all, unlike the nuthatch, I don’t need to catch the big bugs.

Thanks for listening!

Watercolor Hummingbird Signature

 

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Birding is the Answer – Part 2

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Using the source material from my trip to California, I have been creating cards showcasing  flowers and hummingbirds in watercolor.

Watercolor of several hummingbirds and hand lettered

Originally I thought I was observing  the Rufous hummer, but Toni the gardener from the Hill House set me straight.  It seems though the Rufous & Allen’s look very similar, only the Allen’s breeds in N. California. The male also has a green back further distinguishing it from the reddish brown of the Rufous.   The newly discovered Allen’s hummingbird has filled my summer and fall sketchbooks.  I’ve mixed new watercolor combinations to capture the beauty of the golden oranges, browns, reds, & greens found on this bird.  In the past I always associated hummingbirds with summer due to their fondness for nectar, but the Allen’s colors scream AUTUMN.

I just returned from a visit to Concord, MA where I enjoyed the company of friends who I’ve missed.  While visiting Betsi & Pete, I had the opportunity to photograph nuthatches, chickadees, and cardinals at feeders in their lovely backyard. As it gets cold, plants die, and  birds are drawn to feeders for food, giving us a chance to observe them up close and personal.  I saw a couple hawks watching with interest as well. That fact reminded me of a story relayed by my mother-in-law who saw a beloved cardinal snatched by a hawk near her Michigan feeder which she kept well stocked all winter long .  Ah the food chain……  November will see me happily painting nuthatches climbing down a tree head first, my favorite position.

Happy Birding Everyone!!!

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I Found My Prince

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The two kissing bullfrogs you see on this year’s Valentine card were observed in Massachusetts.  I have never seen a more passionate pair of critters in my life!  Their courtship bordered on dangerous, a bit like “mating on steroids”.  They did however, finish with what really looked like a kiss.
Card from water color painting. Title is "Kissing Frogs". Text inside of card is "I Found My Prince"
I have always loved small creatures.  As a young girl I waded in a local creek catching frogs and observing the occasional muskrat.  I spent hours at Pauley’s pond with my brother.  We saw hundreds of baby turtles, toads, frogs, etc.  Even snakes intrigued me..

At some point birds became my passion, especially hawks and owls.  At age 21 my mother-in-law introduced me to the numerous songbirds which ate at the feeders stocked by the Bromleys all winter long.

… So it should come as no surprise that my children would be raised with wild critters.  Admittedly there were moments when I, an over-eager parent wanting to share joyful childhood experiences in Michigan, over reached a bit.  Probably it was wrong to take two Michigan frogs (a bullfrog and Leopard frog) on a road trip to Texas.  I did worry we’d get kicked out of a motel if anyone heard the noisy crickets we served up as the frog food.

Some months later the bullfrog died in a well-kept aquarium and the leopard frog was sold to a local Austin exotic pet store (Zookeepers).

A love of wildlife has been passed down to my children.  Stay tuned for some interesting Texas animal tales…

Thanks for listening!

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Busy Holidays

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November flew by!  I find myself working on holiday cards and enjoying my favorite season.  This year it’s extra special due to the success of my football and basketball teams at Michigan State.    MSU’s green and white are a perfect match for the Christmas season. Go Spartans!

I’ve added some new cards to the greeting card gallery.  Take a look and let me know what you think.

Happy holidays to all!

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Love painting flowers???

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Watercolor painting Pansy with Lettering by Barbara Bromley a.k.a. artfulbarbMay has always been a time of blooming flowers which I love to smell, look at, give and receive BUT, until recently, NOT PAINT. I slowly, slowly began to add them to my hummingbird paintings because hummers go to flowers for the nectar. Then, because I love to teach and students really like painting flowers, I had to add flowers as main subjects; I just can’t turn down a student request.

Finally, I grew to love the joy all those beautiful flower colors brought to me. I think aging has made me enjoy colorful things! Who knew!?

I have been rewarded in all of my work because, thanks to painting flowers, I am a better colorist.

Happy spring to you!

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Seven Rules for Life

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The following “rules” have been floating around the internet in one form or another.  It seems appropriate to consider these as a guide to navigating life’s passages.

  1. Make peace with your past so it won’t disturb your present.
  2. What other people think of you is none of your business.
  3. Time heals almost everything.  Give it time.
  4. No one is in charge of your happiness.  Except you.
  5. Don’t compare your life to others and don’t judge them, you have no idea what their journey is all about.
  6. Stop thinking too much.  Its alright not to know the answers.  They will come to you when you least expect it.
  7. Smile.  You don’t own all the problems in the world.

Think these guys know the rules?  🙂

artfulpassages.com - Chasing Dogs

Life Transitions

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Transitions are almost always signs of growth, but they can bring feelings of loss. To get somewhere new, we may have to leave somewhere else behind. – Fred Rogers

I’ve always found “new beginnings” to be a double-edged sword.

artfulpassages.com - Transitions Post. Watercolor image: Fly Away HummerAt the ripe age of 50, after 27 years in Texas raising our kids, the move to Concord, MA was difficult.  No more close friends nearby who knew the song in my heart…. No more cozy places where my children grew up.  Wonderful places like Zilker Park, McKinney Falls, the city of Austin, the state capital building, San Antonio Riverwalk and Zoo, the list goes on and on…..

My artful “new beginning” in Concord took 3 years to get off the ground.

I started teaching watercolor painting and drawing in a lovely hobby shop called Dabblers.   That teaching job led to another gig:  Teaching at the Weston Council of Aging which brought such joy and growth to me and my students.  Teaching at Weston helped me become a master colorist.  Who knew?!! Painting landscapes, etc. for the first time due to student request forced me to learn.  As always, the teacher becomes the best learner in the room 🙂

I met new friends who were artistically matched to me.  Some started out as private students, others were students in my class.

After seven years in Concord MA…. Fast Forward to a new beginning in Lexington KY, home of our grandchildren, the best on planet earth.  Here they are for my (and your) enjoyment!

artfulpassages.com - Transitions Post. Watercolor of sam on the beach with gullartfulpassages.com - Transitions post. Pencil Sketch of Gabriel with Horse

At this point we’ve been living in Kentucky for almost two years.  As we discovered in Massachusetts, it takes a few years to begin to feel at home.  Making friends, a bit of headway in the arts community, and of course the proximity of family have all helped in this transition.  I think this blog will help too!

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