DAY 9 Is here already. Here's the collection so far... 

These all feel like one or the other of my children. 

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The cycle... I'm wondering if this has anything to do with my middle son, Kyman, moving away to college this year... Tomorrow is going to be a surprise!

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Last year's hummingbird Twelve for Twelve was a lesson in listening. I didn't set out to paint twelve hummingbirds, but one day led to the next, and the series came together as an acceptance and a  celebration of the whole of life with its joys and challenges. 
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Beginning. 
Building. 
Guarding.
Fledging. 
Flying.
Watching. 
Resting.
Falling.
Supporting.
Praising.
Savoring. 
Ending.

​"We are more than the clouds. We are the whole sky." 

This year, I don't have much of a plan yet, either. But the Wren has been the subject of Day 1 and Day 2. This little "King of Birds" has a rich history in symbol and myth. Celtic mythology considered the Wren a symbol of the past year. This little bird is known to sing, even in the dead of winter. The wren's symbolic Celtic meanings include activity, vibrancy, alertness and efficiency. St. Stephens Day is Ireland was for centuries celebrated by killing a wren. Read more here. ​

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My good friend, Temple, gave me a wren's nest from her front porch as a birthday gift last year. It was almost unrecognizable as a nest, but its roots and twigs have been near my painting area all year and have served as inspiration. I had a different idea for a starting place for this Twelve for Twelve series, but yesterday as I was sketching and preparing, my son Kyman called my attention to a wren that was industriously working and singing outside our kitchen window. I took it as a sign, since these magical little birds rarely show themselves. And so, a wren is what I am beginning with today. More later about the fascinating symbolism of these tiny "Kings of birds". 

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