Summer!

Well, it has arrived at last.  Summer came to the desert in a blast of heat.  The rabbits came and stretched themselves out in the afternoon shade created by our house.  At one point this afternoon, I had five of them, hanging out back there.  Pono and I sit side by side, noses pressed up against the glass, and watch.  I love it.  You all know how much I have been longing for this hot weather, and now it is here.  Hurrah!!!!  Remember how I said I was going to strap the camera around my neck until I got a good photograph of a lizard?  Well, turns out it's too hot to have a camera strapped around your neck, this time of year.  So the good lizard photo must wait.  Instead, I give you photos of a morning walk with Mr. Pono the fuzzball dog, taken just a few days ago.

I also have a photo of a new painting to share with you.  After two weeks of working on it, contemplating it, changing it, changing it again, moving it from the studio to the living room to the floor to the easel to the living room and back, I still don't know how I feel about it.  But maybe it's done.  Or maybe I am done with it.  I even got to the point where I had sewed a large piece of rusted metal on it, only to decide that was a mistake and cut the metal off.  Come to think of it, this painting was actually re-worked from something I had started way back in February.  yeah.  Anyway, here it is.  I know I always say this, but it's much better in person. 

"Diminished."  Oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches.  ©Karine Swenson 2011.

Now go eat some watermelon, wouldja?