Gift #796: March Artist

Since it’s almost the end of March, I thought we should have our monthly artist feature for Marjolein Bastin!  What happened to March?  I can’t believe it’s going to be April next week.  Hopefully the weather will start to get warmer next week.  We’ve had a bit of a set back with highs in the 30s today!  I guess the winter coat and bootwarmers weren’t quite ready to be put away for the season.  We even had flurries today!   But these pictures epitomize everything lovely about emerging Spring.  The colors and images are soft and gentle, just like warm spring breezes and dandelion fluff and rabbit ears.  Speaking of rabbits…

This little one is enjoying a mouthful of tender shoots.  We have a few neighborhood bunnies.  I accidentally scared one out of the front yard a few days ago when I came home from work.  I know many people get frustrated with rabbit’s inability to distinguish weeds from prized plants, but they’ve largely left the garden plants alone so our relationship is amiable.  I love the contented look on her face as she sits in a bloom of wildflowers.

The dreamy landscape of this watercolor is breathtaking.  It shimmers with light and motion.  Marjolein Bastin has very cleverly captured the essence of depth and the illusion of movement by blurring the flowers in the background.  It feels as if you’re pulled right into the meadow and can smell the sweet nectar and listen to the warbling of birds.  If you sit still long enough, you’ll feel the feather touch of a butterfly on your arm.  The pinks, yellows, and green in this piece make me very anxious for the coneflowers and yarrow to bloom in the yard.

In this nightime scene, a mother and daddy bird softly sing their unhatched chicks to sleep as a sliver of moon rises over their nest hidden in bushy leaves.  Mother birdy looks like she’s contemplating the day when her eggs are hungry, noisy chicks demanding their dinner and a story and a glass of water before bedtime.  And maybe another story.  I’m sure they’ll be excellent parents – look at the care they’ve taken in constructing their beautiful nest and protecting it.  As night closes in on this tranquil scene, we prepare to say farewell to March and reflect on all the blessings it held.

Blessings to you,

Sarah