About Janice

I love California, both in and out of my garden. My passions are gardening and photography. My goal is to make Plum Bird Corner a happy place to visit often.

A Walk in the Park

Posted on March 20, 2016 by Janice

This is the face of a little dog who loves vegetables. I’ve been trying to eat more fruits and vegetables, and this afternoon while chopping veggies, I turned around and there was Annika giving me the stare.

She had earned some, because earlier in the day we’d gone to the park for a walk. Annika loves to climb stairs, and I knew it would be great exercise.

Come on Mom, what’s taking you so long? She’s obviously in better shape.

It was a beautiful day and we both enjoyed our walk, and the flowers. I think we’ll repeat it tomorrow. Maybe I’ll be quicker on the stairs.
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Still Working on my Photography Closeups

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Janice

I have been practicing my close ups again. This time my African Violets are the subject instead of our little dog Annika.

In a previous post I showed you an African Violet pot I was making in my slip casting class. Here is the pot which has now been fired with color on it. The color is more vibrant due to the firing. Today I painted it with a clear glaze and it will go back in the kiln for a final firing. Next time you see it, the pot will be shiny and sporting a beautiful African Violet. No classes next week because of spring break, so I’ll have to wait two weeks to see the finished product. I can hardly wait to show you.

Photo Closeups with a Tripod

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Janice

Annika-2
This afternoon I was practicing using a tripod with my point and shoot digital camera. Annika was playing with her tennis ball and became my subject.
Annika-1
They aren’t the best of photos, definitely too much flash, but I couldn’t resist posting them. Hope you don’t mind.
Annika-4

A Trip to the Local Garden Nursery

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Janice

It’s Thursday which means it’s Artist Date Day. In my last post I showed the African Violet Pot I’m making in my slip casting class, and even though it will be a couple of weeks before I finish the project, I thought it would be fun to select a new plant. A visit to the local nursery would also be the perfect place for this week’s Artist date, because it’s certainly colorful and has a creative atmosphere. Both are requisites for an Artist Date.

I love the green house at the nursery where they keep the African violets and orchids. Here are only three of the many gorgeous plants I saw while browsing.

It’s a good thing that I traveled by motorcycle and not car today, or else I would have come home with more than just the one African Violet.

After this lovely white orchid I’ll leave you with a splash of color.

It really was the perfect place to go for this week’s Artist Date.

Ceramic African Violet Pot

Posted on March 9, 2016 by Janice

African-Violet-Bisque
I started making ceramic African Violet Pots for all of my African Violets. This is a pot I poured in slip casting a couple of weeks ago. It has been fired in the kiln and is now ready for glazing and a second firing.
Painted-top-portion-of-African-Violet-Pot
I painted the top of the upper portion a bright yellow.
Painted-African-Violet-Pot
I like blue and yellow together and thought it would be a cheerful combination. After the violet pot goes through the second firing the colors will be more vibrant. I’ll finish it with a shiny glaze and a beautiful plant. I’m really looking forward to seeing the end result.

Plum Bird Corner

Photography, Gardening, and California

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