*Light & white

The lights & whites of summer.

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*summer reds

Summer reds captured on film.

After 56 days that felt like being confined inside a nightmare, it feels like August is finally bringing some ease into my body. I'm still hesitant when writing this down, because I don't want to jinx it, but just feeling more hope seems like a big thing! Let's see how it all goes on.

I made oxymel with herbs from the garden (I chose lemon balm and spearmint) and ginger for the extra boost. It needs to rest for a few weeks until it's ready to use. I was not able to preserve anything from the garden, not even making jam, but I collected lavender at the last moment and tried to restore the garden a bit after the terrible hail storm we had. It made a lot of damage, especially because there were so many bigger hailstones. All the apples, peaches and other fruits got marks and cuts and have started to rot from the trees. It's a shame! Many tomato plants lost all their fruits and overall it almost came to another flooding. We are somehow scarred from last year, the experiences are sitting in our bones.

We are having the coolest summer since many years. I enjoy the more moderate temperatures and it is strange to not have to water the garden all the time. I'm curious how August is unfolding. Especially the mornings already feel so autumnal.

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*July

{Music: Lichen – Apex Twin}

July has been modest. Since ongoing seizures after the poisoning and my overall health situation, my moving radius is very limited once again. Only yesterday I managed to walk up the little hill behind our home for the first time to have some time in the oak forest. I wished everything was easier. Another summer that seems to run through my fingers like sand. But I was able to pick my first dahlia flowers and watch a chain of endlessly passing clouds from behind our bedroom window.

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*the wind dries the tears

What, if you are the light at the end of the tunnel?

Rain takes care of the garden

and the wind dries the tears.

I don't know where this pain started, nor if it ever ends.

There is no explanation I owe you.

Still, I find myself tangled up in words.

Pause in this uncertainty of life.

Hold a flower tight to your heart

and let it loose again –

like everything else.

{C.V.}

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*heart-shaped petal

Suffering is the privilege

of those who feel.

 {Clarice Lispector}

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*Healing amid roses, berries & carrot flowers

{Music: Truth is – Oak Studios + Angels – Oak Studios + Gurum Ram Das – Alexia Chellun}

Due to the circumstances it was a slow and rather difficult month. I felt like a bird with broken wings. Nevertheless I was surrounded by a well meaning world full of beauty and calm joys. June is full of red spots: Poppies, berries, cherries and red cheeks from the sun. Every little flower is a hideaway and the smell of Josefine's roses so pleasant and healing. Tears have been shed and air-build castles have bursted,  but it goes on anyway.

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*drawberry days

Berry Baking

Berry Garden

Books + Berries

Berry Festival

As I mentioned earlier, I'm sharing a few more illustrations I made for the #drawberrydays drawing challenge. Luckily, I painted them all beforehand, otherwise the challenge would have been a washout for me, as I still have to spend the most time in bed. I hope things get a little easier in July and that you enjoy this berry painting series and also all the real berries that are ripe at the moment!

#drawberrydays2025 was hosted by

@elizabeth.leyk.illustration

@celma.illustration

@meganlindseyillustration

@kimlynngravesbooks

@magustrawberry

@littlecovens

@human_drawn

@salome.herzog

@meganshumwayillustration

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*time for healing

Not my month so far. On top of having a relapse after a new tick bite in May, I had one of the most horrific nights in my life from methylmercury poisoning. I survived, but my nervous system has been damaged and it is not easy at all right now. It is really frustrating, because before it all happened I finally felt a bit more stable again in my body and it was so nice to be able to paint again. Now it feels like starting from zero once again. I have still some paintings that I will share before the month ends and then let's see how it goes further. Have a good transition into summer + take good care of yourself!

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*fairy tale home

Another beautiful house that caught my attention. An old mill, almost entirely covered with ivy, directly by the Purzelkamp. Like coming from a fairy tale, next to the house door was a huge wooden Frog Prince sculpture and rose bushes all around the front yard. It is the perfect home for an artist!

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*big watercolor update – #maykind challenge

1. Seed

3.Tulip

5. Cupcake

7. Barefoot

11. Window cat

13. Garden tools

17. Postcard

19. Cloud

21. Sketchbook

23. Moss

25. Open book

On this last day of May, I will show you all the paintings I did in this very productive month! Most of them were for the #maykind challenge (hosted by Anna Shepeta). Those are the ones with the title on the bottom. You can see I was a bit obsessed with painting chicken lately. I hope you enjoy them! What are your favorites?

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