Took several tries to work out this design and I’m still not sure I’m fully happy with it, but it does have a title: “How Shines the Sun,” a line from Goethe’s “Mailied” (May Song). So it may not be perfect, but it has pretensions.

relief carving of a bird perched among flowers gazing at the sun; green frame carved with weaving triangles

Saw a reference to a “melted” flag at a protest. If you must burn a flag, please at least spring for the all-cotton ones; polyester makes terrible fumes. Don’t you care about the environment?

Vacuum of Space to Decay Sooner Than Expected (But Still Not Soon) In case you didn’t have enough to worry about.

Small (4x4) hummingbird.

bee on a blanket flower

This bird is inspired by William Johnston’s drawing in Miss Ros(e?)lda Fowler’s book, 1807. Clearly he was sweet on her. Did she return his affections, I wonder?

chip carved bird in vined flowers, teal-blue frame carved with woven triangles

Another bird. More flowers. This bird is a little different, though; inspired by the one in this 1797 baptismal certificate.

chip-carved bird in a tree of flowers, teal-blue frame carved with woven triangles

Figured out how to stipple the sunflower: with a scribing awl and a slight twisting motion to avoid dents along the grain. So here is the butterfly and sunflower again, framed.

chip carving of a butterfly approaching a sunflower, square format, frame chip carved with triangles and painted green

Boots on wet pine straw
Loud enough. A heron flies,
Frightened into beauty.

You—yes, you!—are one step away from becoming super.