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Satin & Sand

~ Reflections on Beauty

Satin & Sand

Category Archives: watercolor

Beautiful Falcon…

05 Thursday Sep 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Birds, Nature, Painting, Poetry, watercolor

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Birds, Birds of Prey, Falcon, Nature, Poetry, watercolor

© Joan Currie – My watercolor painting of a falcon.


The Falcon’s Spiral by Joan Currie

Upon the highway’s winding course I sped,
When, far above, a falcon soared and spun,
In widening gyres, a dancer in the sun,
The sky its stage, the world beneath it fled,
Each sweep, each turn, with majesty it led,
The climbing spiral, silent, graceful run,
Riding the breeze till earth and sky were one,
And all my thoughts were to its freedom wed.

Not mine, the wings that cleave the golden air,
Yet in my breast, a strange desire grew-
To feel the lift, the warm caress, the rare
Delight of flight that to the heavens drew.
Not to escape, but for the joy to share
A moment’s lightness in the sunlit blue.

Perhaps the joys of my first roller coaster rides and waterskiing around the lake come the closest to the feeling of flight that I craved that day.

Beautiful Koi…

30 Friday Aug 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Art, Nature, Poetry, watercolor

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fish, Koi, koi pond, Poetry, watercolor

© Joan Currie – My koi in pond watercolor.

A Rare Moment with a Koi by Joan Currie

Beneath the ancient willow’s shade,
Where waters rest in jade’s embrace,
A koi of gold, with fins that played,
Arose to meet me, face to face.

Its form, a marvel, vast and bright,
With scales like sunlit autumn leaves,
It pierced the tranquil morning light,
As though it swan through silvered sheaves.

It broke the glassy surface wide,
A monarch in its water’s reign,
And in its gaze, both deep and wide,
I felt it knew my heart’s refrain.

A moment passed, yet seemed a year,
As time itself did lose its hold,
The world around so still, so near,
Was bathed in hues of green and gold.

In that calm, we two did meet,
A silent bond, no words did need,
For in the koi’s serene retreat,
I found a peace, profound indeed.

I came upon a koi pond with the biggest fish I have ever seen. One, in particular, surfaced and stayed very close to where I sat. It seemed we connected in that short time together.

Beautiful Farewell to Summer and a Quail…

23 Friday Aug 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in beautiful, Birds, Nature, Painting, Poetry, watercolor

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beautiful, Bird, California quail, Nature, Poetry, watercolor

© Joan Currie – My watercolor painting of a California Quail

A Farewell to Summer by Joan Currie

I sense the shift, the whispered chill,
The tender breath of autumn’s will.
Where once the summer’s golden beam,
Danced lightly in a wistful dream
.
Now lingers faint upon the air,
A fading warmth, too brief, too rare.

The roses, once in bloom so fair,
Now bow their heads in quiet prayer.
Their petals fall like summer’s tears,
While winds begin to wake my fears.
The squirrel gnaws on apples bright,
Then leaves them, half-consumed, in flight.

The clothes, once crisp beneath the sun,
Hang limp, their drying days near done.
No longer do they flutter light,
But cling, as if a ghost at night.
I stand in stillness, heart grown sore,
For summer passed, and nothing more.

I did not seize the season’s cheer,
Nor dance beneath the skies so clear.
Now autumn comes, with somber grace,
To steal the warmth I can’t replace.
And yet, I brace for colder days,
Winter’s chill in a frost-bound haze.

I spotted a California quail while walking in the woods today – a last offering, perhaps, of the summer season.

Beautiful Roses (sort of)…

15 Thursday Aug 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Art, Flowers, Garden, Poetry, watercolor

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beautiful, Rose, rose bush

© Joan Currie – My mixed media painting of roses.

A Rose Bush with Barbarous Thorns by Joan Currie

I tended a rose bush with loving care,
In hopes her beauty might my heart ensnare.
Her petals bloomed, a velvet blush of red,
But soon I found her charm, a thing to dread.

Her thorns, like daggers, pierced my seeking hand,
Each touch a wound no comfort could withstand.
The blood she drew ran crimson on the earth,
A wicked price for such a meager birth.

No scent she gave, no fragrant breath of grace,
A beauty hollow, lacking warm embrace.
Where other roses filled the air with song,
She stood in silence, sharp where she was strong.

And though a flower crowned her once, then fell,
She offered little more than this to tell.
A bloom or two, in early summer’s light,
Then naught but thorns to meet my hand in spite.

Oh roses sweet, that gentle hearts adore,
‘Tis not enough – one might yearn for more.
The fairest face is not the fairest soul-
Without the perfume, beauty is not whole.

I finally gave up on this difficult rose bush and replaced it with a tea rose that had the most alluring fragrance. I wish I had done it years ago!

Beautiful Finding Happiness in a Flower…

07 Wednesday Aug 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Art, beautiful, Flowers, Nature, Painting, Poetry, Reflections, watercolor

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beautiful, Flower, Nature, Poetry, watercolor

© Joan Currie – My woman looking at a flower watercolor.


The Bloom of Happiness by Joan Currie

In a small and quiet village, lived a woman kind and true,
She helped her friends and family, no matter what they’d do.
Her heart was filled with charity, her hands with gentle grace,
She asked for nothing in return, just a smile upon each face.

But fate, with cruel fingers, wove a twist within her life,
She fell into a sickness, her body racked with strife.
She tried to mend her weary self, with strength she couldn’t find,
And so she called for those she’d helped, with hope they’d be as kind.

Yet each one had their burdens, and other tasks to tend,
They turned away, their busy lives, no time to help a friend.
Alone she faced her suffering, with tears and silent pleas,
Her heart ached more than body, as she fell upon her knees.

One morning in her garden, beneath the sun’s embrace,
She saw a sight that took her breath, and brought light to her face.
A flower, bright and beautiful, bloomed from a plant so plain,
A gift from gentle nature, to soothe her deepest pain.

In petals soft and fragrant, she felt a tender care,
A message from the earth and sky, that someone still was there.
Nature’s touch had reached her, when human hearts had failed,
And in that bloom, she found the strength, her spirit once more sa
iled!

I hold the gifts from nature so very close to my heart, especially in times of need. Every so often, I feel they are my late mother’s way of caring for me – still.

Beautiful Squirrels…

01 Thursday Aug 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Animals, Art, Garden, Mammals, Nature, Poetry, watercolor

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Art, Garden, Nature, Poetry, Squirrels, watercolor

© Joan Currie – My watercolor of a squirrel peering in my bedroom window.

A Troublesome Trio by Joan Currie

In the oak beside my house, there lived three sprites,
Three mischievous squirrels, with morning delights.
At six they’d start, with a thump and a leap,
On my bedroom roof, disturbing my sleep.

They’d dig up my tulips, so eager and keen,
Gnaw at my porch, where they often were seen.
Cracked acorns scattered, my yard was their feast,
These furry intruders, to say the least.

I grumbled and muttered, “A nuisance, no doubt,
These bothersome squirrels I can do without.”
Yet, one fateful day, my neighbors took heed,
They chopped down the oak, the squirrels left – Godspe
ed!

No more early wakes, no more tulips dug,
No gnawing on wood, no playful bug.
But silence grew heavy, the mornings so still,
I found myself missing their antics and thrills.

Now I wonder, where did they roam?
These mischievous friends, onto other homes.
Though I complained and wished them away,
I long for their presence at the break of day.

Be careful for what you wish for! After the squirrels left, a groundhog moved into my backyard – a much bigger nuisance than the squirrels ever were.

Beautiful Jaguar…

30 Thursday May 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Animals, Art, beautiful, Mammals, Needlepoint, Painting, Poetry, watercolor, Wild animals

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Animals, jaguar, jaguars, Nature, Needlepoint, Poetry, watercolor, Wild animals, wild-cats, wildlife

© Joan Currie – My watercolor painting of a jaguar.

A Jaguar Sighting by Joan Currie

There, in the twilight’s gentle hold,
A vision rare, a sight untold,
A jaguar sprang from leafy shade,
Its presence fierce, my steps delayed.

With eyes of blue, like summer skies,
It met my gaze with wild surprise,
A flash of light in twilight’s gloom,
A piercing fire, a sapphire bloom.

Upon its coat, the rosettes danced,
With markings clear, my heart entranced,
Not leopard’s spots, but nature’s art,
The jaguar’s strength and mystic heart.

It moved with grace, a specter bright,
Through verdant halls of fading light,
In silent awe, I stood alone,
To witness what the wild had shown.

When I was very young, my knowledge of animals: mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians, was limited to identifying them in picture books – mostly associating the name of the creature with the first letter of its name, e.g. “J for Jaguar.” Although I studied them in biology class and watched a number of National Geographic and Nature documentaries over the years, my keen interest in animals came to me only recently. I am completely besotted with them now!

© Joan Currie – My J for Jaguar needlepoint pillow.

Beautiful Owls…

23 Thursday May 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Art, Birds, Needlepoint, Painting, Poetry, Reflections, watercolor

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Needlepoint, Owl, owlet, Poetry, watercolor

© Joan Currie – Detail of my watercolor painting of an owlet.

What the Owl Sees by Elizabeth Sears Bates

His velvet wing sweeps through the night :
With magic of his wondrous sight
He oversees his vast domain,
And king supreme of night doth reign.

© Joan Currie – My owl in flight watercolor after Jackie Morris

I heard the soft and soothing hooting of an owl several nights ago. Sadly, the owl decided not to stay but I took his presence as a sign of good luck!

© Joan Currie – Detail of my owl needlepoint in progress.

Beautiful Tiger…

02 Thursday May 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Animals, Art, beautiful, Nature, Painting, Poetry, watercolor, Wild animals

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Art, beautiful, John Lithgow, Painting, Poetry, The Poet's Corner, tiger, watercolor, William Blake

© Joan Currie – My watercolor painting of a tiger.

The Tyger by William Blake

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies.
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat.
What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp.
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears
And water’d heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger Tyger burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

I love to listen to audiobooks while I needlepoint or paint with watercolors. This week’s book by John Lithgow, The Poet’s Corner: The One-and-Only Poetry Book for the Whole Family, gave me six and a half hours of pure bliss! The author included recitations, biographical information, and analyses of over forty poets’ content, style, and language. William Blake’s “The Tyger” poem was included in the list and inspired my blogpost.

P.S. I continued thinking about tigers and wild cats in general these last few days and when I came across Rudyard Kipling’s book, Just So Stories, I couldn’t resist rereading a story from my childhood, “How the Leopard Got His Spots.” You might enjoy it, too!

Beautiful Icelandic Sheepdog…

06 Saturday Apr 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Art, Iceland, Painting, Photography, Poetry, Travel, watercolor

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Iceland, Icelandic Sheepdog, Painting, Poetry, watercolor

© Joan Currie – My watercolor painting of an Icelandic Sheepdog.

Anita’s Spirit by Joan Currie

In Reykjavik’s streets, where legends roam,
Anita, like a star, found her home.
With fur of black and white, a beauty rare,
A brown circle ’round her eye, beyond compare.

Energetic and alert, she caught my eye,
A playful spirit, reaching for the sky.
In her gaze, a spark, like twinkling stars,
I wished to take her home, to be mine.

Though now a pet, her spirit’s still free,
Anita, the Icelandic dog, with glee.
With every wag of her tail, a tale unfurled,
In my heart, she’ll forever be cherished, this world.

I admired this Icelandic Sheepdog in Reykjavik’s city center. Her name is Anita, after the Icelandic actress, Anita Briem. Oddly, she was only one of two pet dogs I saw in Iceland during my eight-day stay there. This breed dates back to the 800s when humans first came to Iceland. Anita seemed very eager and lively – I am sure she would have been a good sheep herder.

© Icelandic Kennel Club
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