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These paintings are created on stones that have journeyed through ancient seas, rising mountains and countless ages before becoming canvases. Each one is an invitation to pause, wonder and remember we are part of a story much larger than ourselves. Each is part of the Creekside Creations series, with Inspired by the Big Spring on the back of each stone.  Brook Trout on Limestone 12” x 4” x 3/4 “ Brook Trout on Limestone |
 8” square x 1" |  |
Luna Moth on Travertine
Travertine is the youngest of the stones - only a few thousand years old. It formed in mineral rich spring water. As the water bubbles up it leaves layers of calcium carbonate. It is easily identified by its beautiful texture.
 11 1/2” x 8” x 2” |  Inspired by the Big Spring in Newville, Pennsylvania |
Great Blue Heron on Limestone
The Great Blue Heron"s ancient ancestors date back to the middle Miocene years, roughly 5 or up to possibly 23 million years ago.
The modern species of the Great Blue Heron in our area of central Pennsylvania, Ardia herodias, has existed in its current form for 1.5 million years. Fossils have been found indicating they were here during the Pleistocene Epoch. They have lived along the Big Spring and Yellow Breeches in Cumberland County since long before humans settled along their banks.
As mentioned above, Pennsylvania limestone formed under tropical waters near the equator. Some of our local limestone has been determined to be a half a billion years old.
The modern species of the Great Blue Heron in our area of central Pennsylvania, Ardia herodias, has existed in its current form for 1.5 million years. Fossils have been found indicating they were here during the Pleistocene Epoch. They have lived along the Big Spring and Yellow Breeches in Cumberland County since long before humans settled along their banks.
As mentioned above, Pennsylvania limestone formed under tropical waters near the equator. Some of our local limestone has been determined to be a half a billion years old.
5 1/2” square x 1"
Zzzee, The Pollinator Bee on Limestone
I paint bees to remind us that in central Pennsylvania, there are over 430 species of wild pollinator bees. In the last six years they have decreased in number by one third. (source: Lopez-Uride Lab at Penn State University).
What can you do to help?
Protecting our most vulnerable pollinators requires focusing on native, wild populations. You can support them in your own backyard by:
Zzzee is available painted on fieldstone or walnut.
What can you do to help?
Protecting our most vulnerable pollinators requires focusing on native, wild populations. You can support them in your own backyard by:
- Planting native wildflowers that bloom continuously from spring to fall.
- Leaving small patches of land “untidy”, as many native bees nest in the ground or in hollow stems.
- Reducing or eliminating pesticide use in your garden.
Zzzee is available painted on fieldstone or walnut.
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My Autumn Season of Gathering is coming together beautifully! I’m grateful that I don’t need to make a choice, but if I did, autumn would be my favorite season!
While I gather my autumn herbs, recipes from the kitchen, journal prompts, and autumn creative sparks, due to be posted on the first day of autumn, you can review my Summer: Season of Radiance - since summer isn’t quite over - and join me in reminiscing about one of my favorite courses - Enhancing Your Life with Herbs. I taught it at the Renaissance Institute at Notre Dame University of Maryland when I was in Baltimore, and by zoom when I moved to Newville. I painted over 200 herbs to illustrate the course - many were painted while I was watching Orioles games!
While I gather my autumn herbs, recipes from the kitchen, journal prompts, and autumn creative sparks, due to be posted on the first day of autumn, you can review my Summer: Season of Radiance - since summer isn’t quite over - and join me in reminiscing about one of my favorite courses - Enhancing Your Life with Herbs. I taught it at the Renaissance Institute at Notre Dame University of Maryland when I was in Baltimore, and by zoom when I moved to Newville. I painted over 200 herbs to illustrate the course - many were painted while I was watching Orioles games!
The course was always presented during the autumn. It lasted for six weeks and the first sessions included culinary and medicinal herbs. As Halloween approached we covered Herbs for Haunting, followed by Holiday Herbs. We also did a session on Herbs for Romance.
The folklore surrounding herbs is fascinating and can range from frightening to hilarious. Since so much of it has lasted for centuries and spanned continents, there must be some validity. My grandmother taught me to look at herbs with an open mind over three quarters of a century ago and to appreciate their value and versatility. While others called them weeds, I knew they could be use for food, medicine, hexes, love spells and more! Herbs have been mentioned in the Bible and Shakespeare’s literature. There are herbs from the zodiac, from historical tapestries, Egyptian papyruses and more!
Viewing things from a more creative perspective allows me to see the world differently. I know that everything and everyone has value if we look for the assets instead of the deficits. I wrote It’s a Weed when I was working with adjudicated youth and women in prison.
The folklore surrounding herbs is fascinating and can range from frightening to hilarious. Since so much of it has lasted for centuries and spanned continents, there must be some validity. My grandmother taught me to look at herbs with an open mind over three quarters of a century ago and to appreciate their value and versatility. While others called them weeds, I knew they could be use for food, medicine, hexes, love spells and more! Herbs have been mentioned in the Bible and Shakespeare’s literature. There are herbs from the zodiac, from historical tapestries, Egyptian papyruses and more!
Viewing things from a more creative perspective allows me to see the world differently. I know that everything and everyone has value if we look for the assets instead of the deficits. I wrote It’s a Weed when I was working with adjudicated youth and women in prison.
“If we can find value in a plant we labeled a weed,
we will probably be able to find value in people we previously
labeled, undervalued, and discarded."
It's a Weed was created when I saw the damage done by labeling people and then deciding they had no value. I worked for years with women in the prison system, served on the board of directors for The Program (for Female Offenders), with young people in the juvenile justice system and children from the worst areas of the city. Many had parents who were addicted to drugs, often living in dreadful poverty simply by virtue of where they were born. Many were labeled, misjudged and under valued.. I found them to be filled with unappreciated gifts and talents.
Herbs have been used throughout history to
protect, destroy, predict, inspire, cure and season.
As the end of summer unfolds, I hope you will spend as much time as possible in nature, and pay attention to the plants growing beside trails, railroad tracks, along sidewalks and in gardens. If you haven’t been introduced, use your imagination and consider the plant's value. Take some time to look at it, journal and possibly make a few sketches. Don’t touch it if you are unfamiliar. Poison ivy is absolutely gorgeous in the fall and one of my favorite plants to paint - from a distance! You can visit it later after you find out more about it.
As you look at an unfamiliar plant, consider how it might be used - as a food or medicine? Can you imagine a witch (think "healing, helpful, good witch") finding it and using it in a spell? Do you recognize other plants growing near by?
Is there someone in your area you could contact to help you learn more about herbs and plants? You may know a knowledgeable grandparent, teacher, or Master Gardener.
Are you knowledgeable and willing to share with others in your neighborhood or community?
Exercise your creativity by watching, learning and considering. We are surrounded by miracles! Don’t label and discard them. Explore, identify and celebrate the priceless treasures all around us!
As you look at an unfamiliar plant, consider how it might be used - as a food or medicine? Can you imagine a witch (think "healing, helpful, good witch") finding it and using it in a spell? Do you recognize other plants growing near by?
Is there someone in your area you could contact to help you learn more about herbs and plants? You may know a knowledgeable grandparent, teacher, or Master Gardener.
Are you knowledgeable and willing to share with others in your neighborhood or community?
Exercise your creativity by watching, learning and considering. We are surrounded by miracles! Don’t label and discard them. Explore, identify and celebrate the priceless treasures all around us!
Brook Trout on Limestone Official State Fish of Pennsylvania $80.00
Brown Trout on Granite Sold
Kestrel on Limestone $200 Sold
Luna Moth on Travertine $60.00
Zzzeee the Native Pollinator Bee on Limestone $40.00
On Ancient Stone, Ancient Wings
Great Blue Heron on Limestone $60 11 1/2" x 8" x 2"
The Great Blue Heron"s ancient ancestors date back to the middle Miocene years, roughly 5 or up to possibly 23 million years ago.
The modern species of the Great Blue Heron in our area of central Pennsylvania, Ardia herodias, has existed in its current form for 1.5 million years. Fossils have been found indicating they were here during the Pleistocene Epoch. They have lived along the Big Spring and Yellow Breeches in Cumberland County since long before humans settled along their banks.
My first proximity to great blue herons was when I moved into my little fishing cabin along the Yellow Breeches in Mechanicsburg, PA. One took up residence across from my art studio window and caused endless, yet very welcome, distractions. You can't see him in this photograph but you can see the one of the areas where he hunted in the window on the right. He had a very sophisticated and diverse palate, enjoying fish, as expected, and also snakes, frogs, crayfish, small mammals, and dragon flies, damsel flies and other insects,
The modern species of the Great Blue Heron in our area of central Pennsylvania, Ardia herodias, has existed in its current form for 1.5 million years. Fossils have been found indicating they were here during the Pleistocene Epoch. They have lived along the Big Spring and Yellow Breeches in Cumberland County since long before humans settled along their banks.
My first proximity to great blue herons was when I moved into my little fishing cabin along the Yellow Breeches in Mechanicsburg, PA. One took up residence across from my art studio window and caused endless, yet very welcome, distractions. You can't see him in this photograph but you can see the one of the areas where he hunted in the window on the right. He had a very sophisticated and diverse palate, enjoying fish, as expected, and also snakes, frogs, crayfish, small mammals, and dragon flies, damsel flies and other insects,
My artist's studio along the Yellow Breeches
I lived there for eleven wonderful years.
Sadly, my home was destroyed in a flood in April of 2011.
I lived there for eleven wonderful years.
Sadly, my home was destroyed in a flood in April of 2011.
The herons are being threatened by a shortage of water. In our community, the Big Spring Creek is facing from danger from a warehouse. In many areas, data centers - operating 24 hours a day - seven days a week - use literally millions of gallons of water daily for cooling. Our planet is literally on fire. The entire earth is burning so more and more water will be needed to put out fires. This is because of a disregard for the warnings we have had about climate change. Water is becoming a more precious commodity for all of these reasons.
People, plants and animals have survived for millions of years without data centers, yet they have not, and will not, survive without water. When our water pressure is gone - as it is in some communities - or when water is so contaminated that it can’t used for drinking, cooking, bathing and laundry - we may finally understand and it will be too late.
Please consider getting becoming educated and getting involved in your community. If we work togther, we may be able to prevent further devastation.
People, plants and animals have survived for millions of years without data centers, yet they have not, and will not, survive without water. When our water pressure is gone - as it is in some communities - or when water is so contaminated that it can’t used for drinking, cooking, bathing and laundry - we may finally understand and it will be too late.
Please consider getting becoming educated and getting involved in your community. If we work togther, we may be able to prevent further devastation.
A few sketches from my illustrated journal pages.
I've always been intrigued with totems and symbolic associations.
I've always been intrigued with totems and symbolic associations.
Creekside Creations - Stories Hidden in Stone
Creekside Creations inspired by the Big Spring in Newville, PA. Stories Hidden in Stone is an umbrella for everything I'm creating under my Roots, Wings and Water collection - fish, dragonflies, luna moths, wildflowers, raptors, herbs.
Brook Trout on Limestone 12” x 4"
Brook Trout on Limestone - The Story Beneath the Paint
"This fish was painted on stone that formed
before the first forests covered the earth."
before the first forests covered the earth."
When I moved into my little cabin beside the Yellow Breeches in the year 2000 - I literally moved on the first day of the turn of the century -.I became fascinated with the life in the creek. After watching for months, I started painting them on stone.I was blessed to live right next to the creek for ten years I didn’t know much about the flora and fauna around the creek but I loved painting them, and as I observed them, I learned a lot.
My cabin was flooded in April of 2011 and I moved to Baltimore for 10 years where I taught courses at the Renaissance Institute for five of those years. My focus turned to herbs and flowers. One of my most popular courses was Enhancing Your Life with Herbs. I painted over 200 watercolor herbs for the course.
Following the pandemic, my daughters encouraged me to move back to Central Pennsylvania so our family could all be closer. I moved near the Big Spring creek and fell in love with it.
The water in our area, as in many of the water systems across the country, was and is being threatened by warehouses and data centers. My work with the Big Spring Coalition in our area made me more aware of the danger and I started learning about how we could protect this precious resource as well as the wildlife that depend on them.
I began painting on stone again, but this time I did more research on the stone as well as the living creatures.. I am working with a stone mason who provides the limestone, granite, travertine, marble and slate. Each one has a precious history and I will include information on the story behind the paint in my descriptions. I will also include research on the fish, bird, plants, etc.
This brook trout is painted on limestone. Before this stone rested beside a stream in Pennsylvania, it lay beneath a warm, tropical sea near the equator. Waves once crossed over its surface hundreds of millions of years before this trout was painted on it.
The earliest known brook trout, Eosalmo driftwoodensis, swam in fresh water lakes in Washington state and British Columbia 50 million years ago. During the Pleinstonocene Epoch glaciers moved brook trout to the southern Appalachian Mountains and the cool waters across northeastern North America.
These trout have lived in clean water for millions of years. Realizing that they are threatened in our lifetime is a horror we must address. After millions of years, we cannot allow the sources of current contamination to be the reason for their extinction.
I paint fish on stone to symbolize the importance of protecting our irreplaceable wildlife. Each one is an invitation to pause, wonder and remember we are part of a much larger story than ourselves. Ideally, I hope you will research how you can become an active steward and protector of our environment in your local community,
My cabin was flooded in April of 2011 and I moved to Baltimore for 10 years where I taught courses at the Renaissance Institute for five of those years. My focus turned to herbs and flowers. One of my most popular courses was Enhancing Your Life with Herbs. I painted over 200 watercolor herbs for the course.
Following the pandemic, my daughters encouraged me to move back to Central Pennsylvania so our family could all be closer. I moved near the Big Spring creek and fell in love with it.
The water in our area, as in many of the water systems across the country, was and is being threatened by warehouses and data centers. My work with the Big Spring Coalition in our area made me more aware of the danger and I started learning about how we could protect this precious resource as well as the wildlife that depend on them.
I began painting on stone again, but this time I did more research on the stone as well as the living creatures.. I am working with a stone mason who provides the limestone, granite, travertine, marble and slate. Each one has a precious history and I will include information on the story behind the paint in my descriptions. I will also include research on the fish, bird, plants, etc.
This brook trout is painted on limestone. Before this stone rested beside a stream in Pennsylvania, it lay beneath a warm, tropical sea near the equator. Waves once crossed over its surface hundreds of millions of years before this trout was painted on it.
The earliest known brook trout, Eosalmo driftwoodensis, swam in fresh water lakes in Washington state and British Columbia 50 million years ago. During the Pleinstonocene Epoch glaciers moved brook trout to the southern Appalachian Mountains and the cool waters across northeastern North America.
These trout have lived in clean water for millions of years. Realizing that they are threatened in our lifetime is a horror we must address. After millions of years, we cannot allow the sources of current contamination to be the reason for their extinction.
I paint fish on stone to symbolize the importance of protecting our irreplaceable wildlife. Each one is an invitation to pause, wonder and remember we are part of a much larger story than ourselves. Ideally, I hope you will research how you can become an active steward and protector of our environment in your local community,
Margaret Young giving a presentation at the Craigshead House on Falconry
We had a delightful family outing on Sunday at the Craigshead House in Carlisle, PA! We were enchanted with Margaret Young’, also known as the Falconry Girl’s, presentation! She became immersed in falconry after seeing a presentation with raptors, and then a short time later, she read the book My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craigshead George. The section on Jean’s brother Sam Craigshead and his falcon “Frightful” led her to explore falconry with her dad. She acquired her first bird at fourteen years of age - an American kestrel named Millennium.
More people attended the presentation than expected and it was very hot day. It was obvious that her falcon was shy and reluctant to perform for the audience, but in spite of that, she entertained and educated with flair. She explained the of history falconry, her journey and experience as an apprentice and the extensive testing required to obtain a license. At the end of her presentation she answered questions.
More people attended the presentation than expected and it was very hot day. It was obvious that her falcon was shy and reluctant to perform for the audience, but in spite of that, she entertained and educated with flair. She explained the of history falconry, her journey and experience as an apprentice and the extensive testing required to obtain a license. At the end of her presentation she answered questions.
 Kestrel stone from my Raptor series. |  Margaret Young, owner/operator of Falconry Girl, LLC and her Great Horned Owl! |
Her current “Ambassador Team” of raptors include a Harris’s Hawk, Gyrfalcon hybrid, her Peregrine Falcon, Lanor Falcon and Great Horned Owl. We were able to view them very closely.
When Margaret isn’t sharing her love of falconry, she is pursuing her career in as a stringed instrument repair tech and musical instrument and syles teacher at Meadowbrook Music in Blandon, PA. She teaches violin/fiddle, piano, bodram, hardingfele, and bagpipe, She is currently learning Uilleiann pipes. In 2024 she came in second at the Scottish Fiddling Revival US National Championship!
You can probably guess I use herbs in at least one of my rituals to celebrate the Summer Solstice! Litha invites us to relax, celebrate nature’s gifts and soak in the summer sun! This year, as noted in my Spring, Season of Awakening, it seemed warmer weather would never arrive1 Now that it’s almost summer, warmer temperatures are on their way in the northern hemisphere1
Below you will find several rituals I use to celebrate the summer solstice1
Below you will find several rituals I use to celebrate the summer solstice1
1. Make Mini-Herbal Wreaths
Supplies to make Summer Solstice Wreaths
Plan to make several wreaths to share with friends!
You’ll need:
- Clippers
- Floral tape
- Floral wire
Gather your herbs. Again, be flexible and use what you have available. I used:
- Ivy to make the base. You can also use grape vines or honeysuckle vines.
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Thyme
- Lavender
- Lamb’s Ears
Make circular wreaths out of ivy. I plan to wear mine on my head so I checked to see that it would fit!
Arrange the herbs on top of the ivy base, then use floral tape and/or wire to hold them in place, weaving around the wreath.
Arrange the herbs on top of the ivy base, then use floral tape and/or wire to hold them in place, weaving around the wreath.
Mini Herbal Wreaths for the Summer Solstice
2. Get Up Early and Watch the Sun Rise
Invite friends to join you! If you’d like, wear your herbal wreath on your head and keep it on all day! Have one for each guest! (If they don’t want to wear the wreath, that’s fine. I’ve found some people are reluctant.)
Make pancakes the shape of the sun! Ha! Or make sunny scrambled eggs with a few snips of chives and basil.
Make pancakes the shape of the sun! Ha! Or make sunny scrambled eggs with a few snips of chives and basil.
3. Journal
Find a quiet place, perhaps in your Peace Garden (Creating a Peace Garden!) to journal. Write down some of the things you’d like to do during the summer months. Consider your values - health, relationships, creative projects, beauty and order, play and relaxation, for example. Even though many of us take the summer off from formal education, summer is still a great time to include reading, learning and teaching. Have you been thinking about learning to play a musical instrument, becoming more proficient at yoga, or learning to make sushi? Summer is a great time to learn a new skill. What are you planning for your vacation? Will you be traveling or taking day trips? Take some time to dream and set your intentions.
4. Connect with the Earth
Get your hands dirty! There is a natural antidepressant called Mycobacterium vaccae found in soil. The bacterium stimulates serotonin production. In other words, playing in the dirt will make you happy!
You might want to paint using earth colors. Did you know that the colors burnt sienna, burnt umber, raw sienna and raw umber are rich brown pigments, originally made from natural clays found under ground in the soil in towns in Italy? Make some paints from the soil in your area! Or reach for the siennas and umbers in your watercolors or oil paints.
Look for fossils, weed your garden, plant seeds or make mud pies! Have fun!
You might want to paint using earth colors. Did you know that the colors burnt sienna, burnt umber, raw sienna and raw umber are rich brown pigments, originally made from natural clays found under ground in the soil in towns in Italy? Make some paints from the soil in your area! Or reach for the siennas and umbers in your watercolors or oil paints.
Look for fossils, weed your garden, plant seeds or make mud pies! Have fun!
5. Play in Water
Spends some time in and around water. Ideally, dip your feet in the ocean, a lake or stream. If that’s not an option, a swimming pool or hot tub would be a great substitute. None available? Run through a sprinkler or make water balloons and toss them around! Or go to a Baltimore Orioles game and sit in the Bird Bath section! The way they’re scoring this year, you may well get soaked! (The fans in the Bird Bath section are sprayed with water when players get doubles, triples and home runs!)
6. Light Up the Darkness
Light up the grill and have a cookout! If it’s not too dry or windy in your area, you might want to have a bonfire as the sun sets! Light candles , lanterns, torches, or burn incense! Or watch for fireflies or lightning bugs - which ever you call them.
7. Watch the Sunset
Take a blanket outside to watch the sunset and stay for awhile to do some star gazing!
You might want to consider not turning on the lights or using any electricity in the house after the sun goes down,. One of my friends is planning not to use any electricity in her house after sundown for a week following the solstice.
You might want to consider not turning on the lights or using any electricity in the house after the sun goes down,. One of my friends is planning not to use any electricity in her house after sundown for a week following the solstice.
How Do You Celebrate the Summer Solstice?
If you have rituals to celebrate the summer solstice, I’d love to hear about them. Please share in the comments below or send me an e-mail - [email protected].
Actias luna
I've been painting luna moths for years but began in earnest when the pandamic broke out in 2020. The luna moth inspires us to have faith as we move through the dark hours of our lives. I painted this luna tile for my youngest daughter and she recently had it inserted when she had cement poured on her porch.
You can read more about the luna and it's symbolism on my scrap book pages below.
You can read more about the luna and it's symbolism on my scrap book pages below.
Recently a friend gave me some walnut squares and I’ve been inspired to begin painting the luna again and experimenting with different mineral oils and spirits on the woods. The differences are subtle. Tung oil has always been a favorite but the minerals spirits have a warmer glow that compliments the soft greens of the moon moth. Adding several layers increase the depth and sheen as well. These are still works in progress.
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If you've ever seen a luna moth, you know what a sacred thrill it is! Sighting are rare as their life spans are very short. They have no mouths and are unable to eat, living only seven to ten days. Their sole purpose is to reproduce. They are nocturnal and most often sighted between 10 pm and 2 am. in the eastern half of North America.
There are both male and female luna moths. The color of the males is more vibrant, they have a thinner abdomen and their antennae are wider and more feathery. The females have a more bloated as they carry between 400 and 600 unfertilized eggs. They lay them on the underside of leaves in small groups of less than ten, preferring birch, sweet gum, walnut and hickory trees.
Whether you see a luna in it's natural environment, or a reproduction, may you be guided to trust your inner wisdom to lead you to the light!
There are both male and female luna moths. The color of the males is more vibrant, they have a thinner abdomen and their antennae are wider and more feathery. The females have a more bloated as they carry between 400 and 600 unfertilized eggs. They lay them on the underside of leaves in small groups of less than ten, preferring birch, sweet gum, walnut and hickory trees.
Whether you see a luna in it's natural environment, or a reproduction, may you be guided to trust your inner wisdom to lead you to the light!
Salmo trutta
Brown Trout on Granite: celebrates resilience, adaptability, and the enduring connection between water and stone. Painted on natural granite, the artwork honors the quiet wisdom found in wild streams and the creatures that call them home.”
Brown Trout on Granite, 10” x 4.5” x 1”, $150.00 + shipping, e -mail [email protected] for more info
Beneath the surface of our springs and streams, brown trout move through waters that have shaped our community for generations. Their presence speaks to the enduring relationship between land, water, and those who call this place, our Big Spring in Newville, PA, home.
Brown Trout: A Symbol of Resilience and Hidden Wisdom
Recently, I completed this painting of a brown trout on a piece of exquisite brown-flecked granite. As I worked, I found myself thinking not only about the beauty of this remarkable fish but also about the symbolism it carries.
Brown trout are often associated with resilience, adaptability, and wisdom gained through experience. Brown trout are known for their ability to navigate changing environments while remaining deeply connected to the cold, flowing waters they call home.
For centuries, trout have appeared in folklore and storytelling as symbols of knowledge, intuition, and life's journey. The brown trout, in particular, seems to embody the spirit of the seasoned traveler—one who has learned the currents, weathered challenges, and discovered where to find shelter when waters run rough.
Anglers often speak of brown trout with a special respect. They are cautious, clever, and elusive. A large brown trout is rarely caught by accident. It survives through awareness and experience. In this way, the brown trout reminds us that wisdom is often quiet rather than loud.
Living in Pennsylvania, I have long appreciated our cold springs, streams, and rivers. Healthy trout populations are signs of healthy waters. Brown trout depend upon clean, well-oxygenated streams and rivers, making them ambassadors for the places they inhabit. Their presence reminds us that the health of our waterways is connected to the health of our communities.
As I painted this trout on granite, I was struck by the partnership between fish and stone. The granite speaks of permanence and endurance. The trout represents movement, adaptation, and life's continual flow. Together they tell a story about balancing strength with flexibility—a lesson nature teaches again and again.
Perhaps that is why the brown trout continues to capture our imagination. It invites us to move through life with patience and to trust the wisdom gathered along the journey. Like the trout swimming beneath the surface, some of life's greatest treasures are found not in rushing forward, but in learning to move gracefully with the current.
Brown trout are often associated with resilience, adaptability, and wisdom gained through experience. Brown trout are known for their ability to navigate changing environments while remaining deeply connected to the cold, flowing waters they call home.
For centuries, trout have appeared in folklore and storytelling as symbols of knowledge, intuition, and life's journey. The brown trout, in particular, seems to embody the spirit of the seasoned traveler—one who has learned the currents, weathered challenges, and discovered where to find shelter when waters run rough.
Anglers often speak of brown trout with a special respect. They are cautious, clever, and elusive. A large brown trout is rarely caught by accident. It survives through awareness and experience. In this way, the brown trout reminds us that wisdom is often quiet rather than loud.
Living in Pennsylvania, I have long appreciated our cold springs, streams, and rivers. Healthy trout populations are signs of healthy waters. Brown trout depend upon clean, well-oxygenated streams and rivers, making them ambassadors for the places they inhabit. Their presence reminds us that the health of our waterways is connected to the health of our communities.
As I painted this trout on granite, I was struck by the partnership between fish and stone. The granite speaks of permanence and endurance. The trout represents movement, adaptation, and life's continual flow. Together they tell a story about balancing strength with flexibility—a lesson nature teaches again and again.
Perhaps that is why the brown trout continues to capture our imagination. It invites us to move through life with patience and to trust the wisdom gathered along the journey. Like the trout swimming beneath the surface, some of life's greatest treasures are found not in rushing forward, but in learning to move gracefully with the current.
In April of 2011, my beloved cabin by the Yellow Breeches flooded after ten years, Several months later I moved to Baltimore. I began taking, and teaching, courses for lifelong learners at the Renaissance Institute through the Notre Dame University of Maryland. One of my most popular courses was Enhancing Your Life with Herbs which I taught six times over the next decade. I painted about 200 watercolors of herbs to illustrate my course and my blog was focused on herbal illustrations and folklore.
In July of 2021, following the pandemic, my daughters convinced me to move back to central Pennsylvania. Since then, I have begun working with the Coalition to Save the Big Spring. My blog will continue to feature herbs and botanical treasures but will expand to include ecosystems, fish, insects, birds, and more. Story, nature and stewardship will meet.
I will include information from Penn State Extension, research from my Seeds, Roots and Routes course, as well as information, comments and quotes from local experts on the conservation of our beloved Big Spring, Yellow Breeches and Susquehanna River.
Even though I’ll include information on local watersheds, the threats to our ecosystems is relative all over the world. Warehouses and data centers are a threat to all of us if they are placed in areas where they will effect the quality of our local water supplies. Education is power and if we are to preserve our natural resourses, we need to be educated and aware.
You’ll continue to find my illustrations, folklore and seasonal updates. It will admittedly be a mix of entertainment and education. Environmental conversations will still leave room for beauty, mystery, and hope. I’m hoping you’ll continue to join me.
In July of 2021, following the pandemic, my daughters convinced me to move back to central Pennsylvania. Since then, I have begun working with the Coalition to Save the Big Spring. My blog will continue to feature herbs and botanical treasures but will expand to include ecosystems, fish, insects, birds, and more. Story, nature and stewardship will meet.
I will include information from Penn State Extension, research from my Seeds, Roots and Routes course, as well as information, comments and quotes from local experts on the conservation of our beloved Big Spring, Yellow Breeches and Susquehanna River.
Even though I’ll include information on local watersheds, the threats to our ecosystems is relative all over the world. Warehouses and data centers are a threat to all of us if they are placed in areas where they will effect the quality of our local water supplies. Education is power and if we are to preserve our natural resourses, we need to be educated and aware.
You’ll continue to find my illustrations, folklore and seasonal updates. It will admittedly be a mix of entertainment and education. Environmental conversations will still leave room for beauty, mystery, and hope. I’m hoping you’ll continue to join me.
“Inspired my nature: Expressed through words and art."
Welcome to my Blog!
Do you love celebrating nature, botanical art, herbal recipes, crafts, legend and lore? I’d love to hear about your favorites. I’m inspired by words, the alphabet, and things that begin with the letter v- variety, vases, vulnerability, violets, vintage, vacations, vanilla, and velvet. Do you have a favorite letter of the alphabet? What is it, and why do you love it?
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Botanical Illustrations
Celbrations
Herbal Crafts
Herbal History
Herbal Lore
Herbal Recipes
Lessons
Quotes
Symbolism