The sun greets me as a giant red ball hanging in the east. We have had such a bad fire season this summer I am afraid there is yet another fire somewhere along the Front Range whose smoke is causing this change in sunrise color. The day slowly fills with Peter rabbit joining me for […]
More Encounters
A scene from National Geographic unfolds in front of my breakfast table this morning. Two coyotes come from the area of the DeLonde homestead heading along the road. Both watch me warily before moving to what I have come to think of as the moose willows. There is some very intent listening and then a […]
Crash! Bang! Rattle! Rattle!
Sitting bolt upright, I almost bang my head on the upper bunk. The door and windows are making an unbelievable noise. My first startled thought is that a bear is trying to get into the cabin and the bear spray is over by the door. I try to calm my racing heart enough to listen […]
Life as a Sponge
It is Tuesday morning, my third day at Caribou Ranch. I awake at 7:00, much later than I usually do at home. Long walks in the mountain air must be the best sleep medicine there is! I think the lack of lights and constant sound help me sleep so soundly as well. Even this late, […]
Settling into a Routine
Monday, my second morning at Caribou, dawns cloudy and cool. The elk that came down into the meadow last night are still here. I hear an occasional bugle and can see them at the far end, much too far to photograph. Two young bulls stand separate from the main herd and slowly munch and spar […]
I Thought You Said Caribou
I have found that when you mention Caribou, depending on a person’s interests, he or she will immediately think of one of three places in Colorado . . . sometimes with humorous results (more on this later). So maybe a little history lesson is in order before I go much further in my tale. Much […]
Close Encounters of the Moose Kind
I am having computer issues and will not be able to add photos to my posts until the computer is fixed. This should be your reminder to always back up your files faithfully. Learn from my mistake. In the meantime, this is my first installment from my stay at Caribou Ranch. Awaking on the morning […]
Collecting 101
I was told that once you have three like items you are officially a collector of that item. So how many quilters out there are sewing machine collectors? Come on—be honest with yourself. I happen to have four machines, and each has a very good reason to be in my house. Or at least that’s […]
Artists Play Date
Why should kids have all the fun with play dates? Artists need time to play and bounce ideas off each other too. Which is just what BLT did on a recent Sunday. Cynthia once again opened her home to let us play with dye. Oh, what fun we had! Normally we would all bring our […]
A Tail of Two Dogs
I love doing commissions. No matter how straightforward the project seems at first, there is always a challenge somewhere along the way. I am finding the challenges to be some of the most frustrating yet most rewarding parts of the job. Take my latest commission. Although I can’t go into great detail (it is a […]
News Flash!!
Grace from the Canine Power Suit foursome is seen hamming it up for the camera at the Arts Center in Orange, VA. The Arts Center has a tradition of inviting floral arrangers to visit an exhibit and interpret the art in a floral arrangement. As winners of the Orange County Art in Flowers […]
Caribou Ranch AIR Update
After a string of 100-degree-plus days, I have been daydreaming of cool September nights at 8,600 feet! I’ve also been thinking about how I want to spend my time as an artist in residence at the DeLonde barn. I know that my camera and sketching materials will be coming with me. That’s the easy part […]
The Artwork Speaks
There are times when being a full-time artist can be a tad quiet. I may go for days seeing only my husband and my dog. I have a radio and CD player in the studio, but I don’t always turn them on. I enjoy the quiet. It gives me a chance to contemplate what I’m […]
Lake Cora Memories
The sky starts to lighten in the East and awakens me. Not gently—but with a jolt. I am awake and out of bed ready to start the day. With a mug of hot coffee in hand, I wander down to the dock and watch the sun come over the trees and shoot a blinding reflection […]
Retreat Weekends
I always wanted to go to camp as a kid. I’m not sure why I never got to. Maybe it was the cost; maybe it was because I was very shy. I’m not sure. Now that I get to make the decisions, I go to my version of camp. My critique group, BLT, has been […]
Who am I? Who are you?
Who am I? I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what is in the name we call ourselves. First I am Barbara Beasley or Barbara Yates Beasley. Why the Yates you might ask. It’s because I share my name with other Barbara Beasleys, and I can minimize the potential confusion by adding my maiden name. […]
Road Trip
I have a tradition of cranking up Willie Nelson’s On the Road Again as I cross the Colorado state line headed out on a road trip. Although, unlike Willie, I am rarely “going places that I’ve never been.” It still seems appropriate. This trip is going to be different. For one thing I don’t have […]
Eco-Dyeing: Chapter Two
As I promised in an earlier post, I have more goodies to share in the great eco-dying experiment. It would have been handy if I had actually kept notes about what I was doing. Although at the time I didn’t think I would be doing many pieces, and I figured I would be able to […]
Reframing
I was once told that I was stubborn as a mule . . . actually, truth be told, more than once. Not everyone would consider that a compliment, but I do. I have a habit of talking to the animals that I photograph for reference. So at the National Western Stock Show as I was […]
Eco-Dyeing
Spring in Colorado has been amazing this year, and the flowers in my yard have really outdone themselves. Not every spring is like that around here. We have had late freezes that zap everything from my lilacs to the iris. This abundance of flowering plants has coincided with references all around me to eco-dyeing and […]
Taking the Leap—One Small Step at a Time
When the speaker at a recent meeting advised “taking the leap,” it struck a chord with me because of where I was in the process of completing “Indian Summer.” The top was completed and ready to layer and stitch, but I wasn’t completely happy with it yet. Through trial and error, I have learned […]