Grow Your Blog Party!

Welcome to Natures Walk Studio! This post is part of the Grow Your Blog Event, hosted by Vicki at 2 Bags Full. 

Admiring the view at Artist Point near Mt. Baker, Washington.

For new visitors, I'd like to share a bit about myself. My name is Helen, and I am a nature loving mixed media artist and photographer living in the beautiful northwest corner of Washington State, in the United States of America. 

Enjoying nature in our little motor home

I was blessed to find the love of my life 20-ish years ago; a true soul mate. We are both are nature lovers, and quite serious about reducing, reusing, recycling, up-cycling, AND growing our gardens. Native plants have taken over our "decorative garden” efforts, and we are expanding our raised vegetable beds again this year. We’re quite fond of fresh home grown organic veggies!  Our yard has been certified as a wildlife sanctuary by both the National Wildlife Federation and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. We are both Habitat Stewards with the National Wildlife Federation. (Yes, we're nature freaks!)

Red Tailed Hawk, Perched

I should mention that I LOVE to read. Bookworm! Yep that's me. Remember real books with pages that make a swish noise as you turn them? Those are my favorites. *wink* 

There is just nothing quite like the feel of a good book in your hands. We get most of our reading material from our favorite public library, or the friends of the library book sales. And not to be sacrilegious ... I like to alter old worn out beat up books too. 

Spread done recently for friends altered book.

I've been blogging since March of 2008, slowly finding my style. During this time I've participated in several different weekly blog challenges along the way. One of my favorite artists, Carla Sonheim, hosted the"Art of Silliness" online classes a couple of years ago and as part of it we did Hump Day Haiku. I got hooked on haiku, and now host a HuMp DaY Haiku Challenge every Wednesday, here at my blog. If you like to write haiku, you may want to check it out. 

'Solstice Snow' Allied Arts of Whatcom County Members Show Jan 2013

This year I was honored to be one of the artists with a booth at the annual Allied Arts Holiday Festival of the Arts, and I am in their current Members Art Show, showing Jan 4 - 26. I also sell on Etsy, which you can find in my side bar if interested. 

Coopers Hawk, viewing his domain

As part of this fun get-to-know-fellow-bloggers event, I'm hosting a give away! Yay for giveaways!  All you need to do to enter is make a comment and be sure to leave a contact email address or your blog link so I can contact you. 

Winner of the giveaway will be announced Feb 1st. 

Oh yes... the giveaway prize is two matted 8 x 10 prints: "Cooper's Hawk, viewing his domain", and "Red Tailed Hawk, Perched." These photographs were taken late December 2012 on one of our raptor watching expeditions. Both are shown in this blog post. Your prints will not include the watermark. 

Footnote 1.18.13: I spent the last two days at the hospital with my son, who had an emergency hip surgery. After today's surgery, he is doing well! However, I won't have as much time as planned to visit you all for a couple of days. But I will come visit! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Thank you, Vicki, for hosting us for  "Grow Your Blog".