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Uncomplicate.

in pursuit of a simpler, more sustainable creative life.

Listening to Nature

Listening to Nature

January 11, 2021 Beth Comments 0 Comment

Last summer we started carving paths through the brush and trees to more easily enjoy different areas around our little homestead.

One of these little paths has a stairway over a rocky hill (actually it’s old railroad ballast: just big rocks piled on more rocks filled in with little rocks) and when I finished the stairway in late-summer, I transplanted a little fern that had been growing in the center of the path. It was the hottest driest part of the year so I hauled buckets of water to the little guy daily, but by mid-fall I was sad to see it seemed to have not made the transition and was completely brown and shriveled (you can see its little brown fronds hanging over the stairs in the very center of this photo).

Last month I walked back up and over the little hill for the first time in a while, and was greeted by a gazillion little baby ferns sprouting on the other side of the hump where there had only been rocks, dirt and a little moss before.

In the middle of what we usually think of as the greyest and deadest part of the year, fresh little green stuff is busy filling in every possible crack in the woods.

All these tiny woodland babies just celebrating the return of the wettest season made me smile, and reminded me Nature has it all under control.

I’ve been growing and gardening my whole life, most of that time spent in a more urban environment. I built little areas and planted stuff and pulled out the weeds. I mean, that’s what you do, right? I spent almost half a century obsessively studying gardening books and pouring through gardening magazines for fun. I felt like I kind of knew a lot about growing stuff.

Living out here where I’ve spent most of my days from spring through fall working outdoors, I realize how much more I’ve learned about growing in these 3 short years than all those other years put together. The plants and the land tell me what’s up: what they need, what they like, where they should be. It’s taken me a while to realize this was happening, to actually listen to what Nature is trying to teach me. It makes me even more excited to get back outside and work together with this place to create more useful yet sustainable spaces for producing food and simply enjoying.

This concept isn’t exclusive to living in the country, this is just where I finally slowed down enough to actually listen and learn. Nature shows us what’s up in a crack in the sidewalk if we take the time to look and listen. Uncomplicating the way we interact with Nature is key, and I’m still learning how to do that.


Gardening, Uncategorized
ferns, garden paths, native gardening, native plants, nature

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bethlogansart

bethlogansart
Some days, it’s all you can do. Breathe in. Br Some days, it’s all you can do. 
Breathe in. 
Breathe out. 
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Tonight, that breathing was accompanied by sewing little canvas pouches with a glass of wine while watching Repo Man and Return of the Living Dead. 🤣
Comfort food for my soul…whatever it takes, right?
I’m still getting the knack of these and only have a few finished so far, but I’ll have them with me at the popup market at Jones Creek Brewing tomorrow for Ride the Willapa. 
If you’re around here, it’d sure be nice to see you there. See my previous post for details. 
Keep breathing, friends. 
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#justbreathe #sewingtherapy #makersgonnamake #repoman #80smovies #moviesiknowbyheart #theresoneineverycar#plateoshrimp #letsgetsushiandnotpay #scoobidydoowopsaywhatyeah #brains #splitdogs #returnofthelivingdead #fuckscotus #sadday
Tomorrow you guys!!! ☀️ I know, this is super Tomorrow you guys!!!
☀️
I know, this is super last-minute, but really, SUMMER around here has been really last-minute, right? It’s all totally snuck up on us. Like it’s been cold wet endless pandemic-infused winter for months and months and months and months, then suddenly the solstice this week and BAM it’s summer. And all things summer, including Ride the Willapa! 
Like, this weekend! We will be at Jones Creek tomorrow with art and goodies! 
They’re calling this suddenly-summer-weather “the first heat wave of 2022” but hey, no matter how hot it gets, it will be 20-30 degrees LOWER than it was last year on this weekend, so, yay!
There will be vendors and burgers and of course awesome locally-brewed beer! They’ve got an awesomely cool patio-mister too. If you’re riding the trail or just out for a drive in picturesque East Lewis County (everything’s still so GREEN and lovely and the river is looking amazing) drop by, it’ll be awesome. 
What a gorgeous weekend for #ridethewillapa yay!
Maybe you needed to hear this right now. It’s t Maybe you needed to hear this right now. 
It’s true. 
Also, your hair looks really cute today. 
Happy Friday friends!
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#motivation #inspiration #dothehardthings #youcantotallydoit #youcandoanything #youarestrong #youarebrave #youvegotthis #freehandlettering #quickdrawing #surfacedesign #bethlogansart
With the sun finally coming out this week I’ve b With the sun finally coming out this week I’ve been seeing my slithery friends hanging out in my bottle-borders & rockeries 😍 which always makes me happy.
🐍
This week’s Spoonflower Design Challenge theme is snakes…I originally drew this one with a #colorocombo palette (scroll to see the palette & original version) but when I was tweaking the repeat on the big computer, the Dusty Rose snakes really started bugging me 🪱😂 so I changed it up a bit before uploading for the challenge…trying to keep it in the neutral/brownish range as a nod to my own little garden buddies. 
🐍
If you’d like to see the Spoonflower Challenge and vote, follow the link from my profile, scroll to the bottom of my links page and click the purple circle 🟣 with the pencils ✏️ behind it 😊 there are some super fun designs entered in this one: cute snakes, sophisticated snakes, geometric snakes, tattoo snakes, snakes in hats…it’s a super fun variety of cool designs!
🐍
Enjoy the sunshine friends! I’m about to go back outside and hopefully finally finish getting my veggies in the ground 🤞 before the REAL summer weather gets here this weekend!
☀️
This time of year out here in the country, my day This time of year out here in the country, my day to day experiences with actual bunnies are pretty much the opposite of these feels 😂😟 so I’m guessing this little drawing was a bit of subconscious art therapy 😉 and maybe we can all pretend together that bunnies always dance with flowy armloads of wild roses and odd little smiles on their faces, ok?
🌸
Thanks.
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#happybunny #dancingbunny #bunnyandroses #happyart #surfacedesign #artlicensing #kidlitart #greetingcarddesign #bethlogansart #theartstuffstudio #countrylife #somanybunnies #everybodysfavoritesnack
Just in case you needed to hear this today…a lit Just in case you needed to hear this today…a little Monday morning motivation, just a nudge to remind you what you already know, right? 😉 you’ve got this. 
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#mondaymorningmotivation #youvegotthis #listentoyourheart #believethegoodthings #keepfacingforward #faceforward #youcandoanything #dothehardthings #believeinyourself #youarebrave #dailyinspo #inspovibes #freehandlettering #handletteringpractice #procreateart #surfacedesign #bethlogansart #theartstuffstudio #happythoughts #positivevibes #goodvibes
#caturday (swipe to see finished piece) 🐈 #dra #caturday 
(swipe to see finished piece)
🐈
#drawingwithcats 
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#surfacepattern 
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#morningslikethis 
#chillingwithcats 
#bethlogansart 
#theartstuffstudio 
#catart
Glass, old linens, sunlight ✨ These are a few of Glass, old linens, sunlight
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These are a few of my favorite things 
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#thingsthatmakemesmile 
#simplepleasures 
#mykitchenwindow 
#vintagetablecloth 
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#goldensunlight 
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#simplelife 
#creativehomestead 
#cottagecore 
#farmhousestyle 
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Just a raven out standing in his field. No reason. Just a raven out standing in his field. No reason. 
🖤
When I was little and said “mommy what should I draw?” she always said “draw a giraffe.” I know, I’ve told this story here before, but later she told me it was because they’re big and detailed and would fill the page and keep me occupied for a while. Also she amused herself with shit like that, and why not
🦒
I looked out the window this morning thinking about that and unfortunately there were no giraffes in sight but there were some ravens and 4 acres of daisies, so
🖤
I amuse myself with shit like this, and why not
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#drawingforfun #draweveryday #drawwhatyouknow #drawwhatyousee #ravensanddaisies #fieldofdaisies #myfrontyard #raveninastrawhat #andwhynot #ravendrawing #outstandinginhisfield #bethlogansart #theartstuffstudio #myreallife #countrylife #thingsthatmakemesmile
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