Summer Location for Mixed Media Art Classes!

Let me take you on a little virtual tour

of the Hoffman's Rifle Ranch

and the scenery around their guest house

which is the location of my summer mixed media art classes!

The Hoffman's ranch is located south of White Owl, SD, on Corral Road.

Locals know it as the old Two Rivers Ranch,

named because the Belle Fourche River runs into the Cheyenne River.

The scenery is rich with wildlife and prairie grasses and wildflowers.

It is a beautiful mix of prairie grassland dotted with pristine dams and ponds

where mallard ducks lazily and happily swim along 

and cedar filled river breaks hide 

mule deer, antelope, and perhaps occasional bobcats or mountain lions.

Surprisingly some of the breaks are so filled with pines and rock

that you would think you were hiking in the Black Hills.

Appropriately this spot below has been named

"Little Black Hills" by Gina Hoffman.

It may take a significant drive along SD Highway 34 to get to your destination,

but you will be so glad that you adventured here!

It is so beautiful that it is hard for me to believe that Brent and Gina are

sharing the secret of what they have down in these breaks.,

but they get such joy from sharing.

The Hoffman's will be hosting my art classes

and serving lunch or dinner

in their recently built guest house.

Brent and Gina believe in warm hospitality and good food.

They are so excited to share their little corner of the world with us.

This summer, I am leading three mixed media classes

on four days in July.

You can read about them and register here:

PRAIRIE ART ADVENTURES

Bring your camera!

Being here will be as much of a treat as your art time!

~ * ~

This Sunshine-y Moment Matters

Sigh.

This last week

my home and heart has busted wide open

with

laughter

and

color

and glitter

and

magic tricks

and

spontaneous moments of profound value.

Three classes were held

with moms, grandparents and kids of many ages.

"Sunshine On My Shoulders" art class

was inspired by my own daughter's desire to

attend one of my art classes

as well as her signature drawings

of sunshine-on-her-head girls with curly cue hair.

Providing an opportunity

to preserve drawings and words

with meaningful memories

was at the heart of this class.

The art created

brought tears to my own eyes

and goosebumps to my arms.

Again and again,

I was blown away

by the depth of thought

as well as the humor and moments of silly fun

that all weaved together.

It is humbling that my cottonwood tree

has shaded all of these souls

as we recorded moments that mattered.

My heart is full.

My face hurts from smiling.

So many corners of this world

were brought together at this one

"little house on the prairie".

A granddaughter visiting her grandma

who has been with her family serving as missionaries in the Ukraine.

Locals from Sturgis, Union Center, Red Owl, Maurine, 

Rapid City, Spearfish and Dupree.

A daughter adopted from China.

Three families with daddy's serving in the Army NG and Air Force.

One of those is visiting from Florida and one daddy is in Alabama for the summer.

College students from Nebraska.

And a family from Canada and Wyoming and recently Texas

that will soon be moving to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East.

Rays of happy "Sunshine Art" will be going all over the globe.

Life is good.

*

{If you would like to be notified of upcoming art classes

for kids or for retreat-style art and photography classes for adults,

sign up for my newsletter at the top of the blog.}

*

July Slips Away in the Shaw Yard

This was my facebook post last night before I went to bed,

"what a yard-full of activity!  Our grandma cat Blackie

brought 3 kittens:  Yamaha, Mr. Bubbles and Grace to our house.

Toby, the beagle, and Yamaha are NOT hitting things off well...

lots of puffy tails, hair standing on end, hissing and woo-woo-wooing.

Kids were also blowing bubbles in the sunset....COOL pictures.

Also 4 baby birds in nest over window."

So here are the photos of our evening in the yard

as July slipped away into August.

Erin watering the yarrow (only thing the grasshoppers won't eat.)

Thunderstorm over Pierre (2 hours away).

Check out Chad Coppess' blog Dakotagraph for his view.

The 4 baby birds. . . ok, they are barn swallows.

Not a favorite among birds.

But they are NOT in my little "garage" . . .

pooping on the hood of my car.

This would be Yamaha.

Who is NOT a beagle lover.

And THIS is blowing bubbles in the sunset.

They had a HYSTERICAL time.

In the Psalms it says this ...

and we sing it almost every Sunday...

"This is the day that the Lord has made,

we will rejoice and be glad in it."

Sweet Delight of Summer Bubbles

"Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart."  Psalm 37:4

This is my verse for my kids when we are in the midst of sweet delight.

This was one of those times.

Few words are needed

Here.

The pictures tell the story.

Pure fun.

"Watch this!"

Giggles floating on the air.

Alongside the bubbles.

This is how Erin does life . . .

Child number 3.

I often think, "What if everyone just stopped at 2 kids?"

"What would the world be like without the spirited 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th, 10th born?"

We need and love and treasure our cautious, go-by-the-rules kids.

But we also need adventurous spirits willing to go

and do where and what others may not.

I had a blast taking these pictures and could not wait to share them!

I hope you enjoyed and found delight!

Photos and text copyright June 2010 Jodene (Jodi) Shaw.