Every weekday morning I invite you Behind the Scenes at my studio.

Today: I’ve made a video about collage materials and supplies and I’d love to hear – do you prefer one show or little bites? Plus, I share my new watercolour travel kit and one of the kittens makes a first appearance!

Mentioned on Today’s Show:

• Collage Materials & Tools (the whole show)
• Collage Materials & Tools (segments)
• Koi Water Colors Pocket Field Sketch Box on Amazon.com on Amazon.ca
• Sparkles

Oh Darling, You Don’t Look Like a Dahlia to Me by Nancy Gunderson

She said, walking in a circle around the seed,
Stalker with flowing sleeves, jangling bangles,
And a cigarette holder dangling from thin fingers,
Pointing with it, smoke trailing,

“Oh darling, no, no, no, you don’t look like
A dahlia to me!
Your lines are too compact, your form is too
Small and ovoid, your impact on the viewer
Is so slight!  There is nothing
Dahlia-like about you at all!”

She took her flair, her jangles and her judgement
And moved on to her next critique subject.

The immobile seed was abandoned as the crowd
flowed after the eminent artiste, left to sit alone
quietly in its own essence.

Found by the cleaning lady after darkness had fallen, it was swept up.
She took it in, gave it what was needed:
Sun, air, light, water in abundance.
She took joy in waiting for it to sprout and grow,
Noticing each small change of form, color, texture,
And smiling.

The dahlia bloomed radiantly in its quiet corner
Until one day the eminence walked by and exclaimed,
“True beauty!  Where have you been hiding!  Now that’s a dahlia!”

If you’d like to follow the progress of our rescued kittens, be sure to check out their Tumblr!