*pigeons with bunny ears

Another little series with my pigeons with bunny ears. They are enjoying the warmer days while I am sitting here drinking hot tea and waiting for the fire in the stove to give off some warmth. The plum trees started to bloom beautifully, I can see them from my work room and the first tulips opened their blossoms - such vibrant colors! I wish you a good start into the day and hope you are enjoying those last days of April!

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*forest trees

No spring for us here still, instead cold winds and minus degrees in the nights. But I am working on a very exciting project which consumed nearly all hours of my days. I can not tell what it is yet, but hopefully soon! So I'm living quite in a bubble at the moment, working, working, working. I'm leaving you here with two pictures of precious moments in the forest. Until soon again!

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*watercolor update

Yesterday we had the first warmer day. Unfortunately the farmers used this opportunity to spray their poison and the fabulous scent of the cherry blossom had to made room for the ugly smell of spray binder. That is also the reason why I started to prefer winter season to warm season in the countryside. When will mankind will return to the right path? And now when there is everything poisoned out there, they want us to inject further poison into our veins and misguided people are even celebrating it and think it would make their life any better! It's a sad spectacle to observe. 

But to not fall into a deep hole, here are some happy illustrations I painted.

Have a good Thursday!

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*40

Last month I turned forty.

What can I say about being forty years on this planet?

First of all, we really have something inside of us that remains untouched of age, I feel that strongly. I do not feel at all grown up, I still feel like that curious child that wants to understand. At times it seems as if people around are able to live their life as a matter of course and without asking too many big questions while I feel unable to take that role and have to stand outside as an observer who lacks to take actions the same way. On the other hand I feel animated by the detail, by an inner world so vast that the mind is not able to comprehend it. My soul wanders in an endlessly, breathtaking landscape while a little part is focused in this human body. A human body that at times feels like a cage, but if I try to explain myself, I see on the reaction of my counterpart that I failed in using the right words once again.

What does it matter?

I think I am not predestined to get a midlife crisis, as I feel my life has just begun. And I am very curious to tackle the next forty years.

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*Blooming March week

Last month I joined a wonderful drawing challenge called #bloomingmarchweek on Instagram. It was the perfect opportunity to finally paint pig characters which I wanted to do since we visited an organic pig farm in the woodquarter last year, where I was totally surprised by the playful and happy behavior of pigs that are not trapped in a stable, but have loads of space to run around! 

The prompts were the following:

*Blooming garden

*Animals with flowers

*Florist shop

*Floral tea time

In addition I felt inspired to make some flowery patterns that are available in my spoonflower shop now, in case you are looking for a nice fabric! And after getting requests I put also art prints of the four pig illustrations in my Etsy shop!

Have a lovely week further!

Here it is snowing again right now!

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*elephant and flowers

This was so nice to design.

Sometimes I really like the simplest illustrations the most!

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*Spring has started

April has just started and finally the first blossoms of the apricot trees have opened and the air is filled with the scent of wild violets. One of the best fragrances if you ask me! I have been working constantly in the garden since the weather makes it possible and have sowed peas, carrots, beetroot, different salads, parsnips, kohlrabi, spinach, sunflowers and many more and inside I started seeds from different sorts of tomatoes, cucumbers, bitter melon, zucchini and squash. As the garden beds are not big enough to grow everything we would like to this year, we will make a new one only for potatoes and pumpkins next to our berry area. As times are unstable I think nothing is more valuable than having a little piece of land where you can grow something. Have you seen this video of a woman who cultivates her 8 square meter balcony? It's amazing what is possible even with little spaces! 

The pictures above are from the beginning of March when we were hiking and collecting wild garlic near the Danube. 

I started my stinging nettle cure again, one month later than last year as the stinging nettles only recently started to show up. And as soon as the birches get little leaves I will collect and dry them to preserve for the cold season. It is really not a time of the year to get easily bored, as there is so much to do, it's sometimes really overwhelming. Not that I have ever issues with boredom at all anyway, but spring is really a very active time for me and for sure for many other people too!

Have a good start into April!

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