dogs, birds and a mask

guard dog pose
he has an excellent view of the garden gate
he can either warn intruders off
or
run out to welcome them inha!

Funny how quickly one adjusts to the new normal, scary even come to think of it.
Yesterday I went shopping in the garden center nearby, this might not seem like an essential errand, but even so I felt it was necessary. Spending money locally feels like an act of social solidarity with small businesses.
As I was putting my plants back into the cart after having paid, I felt the next customer was just too close for comfort, she apparently did not feel the need to keep a distance; I notice how some folks still walk about as if everything is the same, their behavior in public at least looks unchanged. I felt unprotected, unsafe.
In normal times, I like to keep strangers at arm's length, well outside of my personal space-bubble, nowadays anyone within a 2 meter-range is suspect.....
Which is why we enjoy living in the countryside so much!
Which is also why I decided to sew a face-mask for myself. Now, whenever I go out on errands I feel I've done my duty towards others, myself ánd my family.
I don't wear one on the dog walks close to home as there's a lot of space in the outdoors and people maintain the required distance.

shot at ground level: very black cigar cane tips

meanwhile in the studio: experimenting with making small paintings for the jewelry line  I have embarked upon.....birds and dogs of course

I asked our youngest son to make a template for me, with three different size circles - I just knew he would be a lot quicker, it would have taken me hours to figure it out - which I could then print onto good quality paper to use for the miniature paintings

none of these turned out absolutely perfect, in the sense that no two are alike and the gel set strangely i.e. with tiny bubbles making for an antique glass look, haha. They are for sale, because I think they are good enough. Still working on the relevant website page..........
As my husband likes to say: 'the best is the enemy of the good' 

namasté