The Lederhosen Bird

This weird bird is a little late to the party…

Oktoberfest was celebrated in Munich between September 17 and October 3 this year!

But The Lederhosen bird is always ready to celebrate!

Did you know that lederhosen or “leather breeches” were worn as traditional garments in some regions of German-speaking countries? Formerly, they were worn for hard work but today are mostly worn as leisurewear.

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Cheers! 😃

And Happy Fall! The leaves are changing amazing colors and the days have been extra sunny and warm in the Pacific Northwest where I live.

I have been spending as much time as possible outdoors… before the days get colder.

Do you have a favorite season? I hope you share it with me! 😃

A Snowbird?

During a recent snow storm…

A weird bird of a different flock showed up…

A Snowbird!

Not the typical snowbird that goes to warmer weather during the winter…

It was a good day to complete another jigsaw puzzle:

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Stay warm! 😃

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks…

What are you thankful for?

I am thankful for many things, especially “nature” and its ability to soothe my soul in all four seasons in the Pacific Northwest where I live.

I try to get outside for some fresh air each day, even if it’s just a walk to the mailbox.

My cat, Jack walks around the backyard with me on the days when the sun is shinning.

I recently created an autumn themed mandala in watercolor using some leaves from my yard as inspiration. I also added iridescent watercolor for some sparkle.

I finished my piece with color pencils. I think I will frame this one!

Many thanks to each of you for your likes and kind comments on my blog this year.

Wishing you a day filled with Giving Thanks!

Cheers! 🙂

A Beetle Doodle

I have been sorting through closets and cupboards in my home this past weekend.

It feels good to get things better organized. I have discovered that I have too many hobbies however… and I need to get rid of a few as they are cluttering my mind.

Any suggestions? How do YOU get rid of art supplies you are no longer using?

In the evenings, I have been working on a beetle doodle:

I am using gold pen in addition to black ink. I noticed that REAL beetles tend to have an iridescent shine.

I cannot remember ever working on a symmetrical pattern. It is a bit more challenging. 😉

What did YOU do this past weekend? I hope you share it with me.

Cheers! 🙂

P.S. I will show you my finished beetle doodle when it is complete!

October Square-A-Day Project

As I wait for the doorbell to ring and costume-clothed kiddos arrive with pillow cases or plastic buckets to be filled with sweet treats, I review my October square-a-day project.

This month I tried to stick to a theme. Nature was my inspiration. Simple squares. Gelli-plate printed backgrounds. What do you think of having a nature theme?

I left my 5×7 inch Gelli-plate out on my art table for the entire month of October. This led to some wonderful explorations with acrylic ink and fluid acrylics. I also enjoyed printing on old book pages.

Below are some of my favorite squares:

I believe I am now supplied with as many prints as the kids whose buckets were overflowing with Halloween candy! 😉 Sweet!!

I look forward to hearing which squares you like!

Happy November! Cheers! 🙂

No Time For Art?

Some days (or weekends) life gets busy and it feels like there is no time for art.

This happened to me over the weekend… I’m not exactly sure where the time went! 😉

Instead of worrying about it, I did some brainstorming in my art journal about what nature is to me:

Brainstorming is a fun exercise. I like to write quickly without judgment. These ideas I can use in my art making when I have a little more time.

Plus it gives me some ideas to think about for my next project.

How do you use brainstorming in your art making?

Cheers! 🙂

More Fun With Fungus!

After my exploration of collage and drawing a pair of Rosy Bonnet mushrooms on Monday, I decided to try an ink doodle with Micron pens:

Next, I made a stencil of the mushroom from my pencil drawing. I wanted to use it in my Gelli-plate printing.

I decided to make a stencil of each shape with card stock and a plastic material (it is made for creating quilt patterns but I thought it might work):

Both worked for these fungus prints but I liked the results with the card stock the best. It was less slippery on the Gelli-plate and left less lines around the stencil on the prints:

It was fun trying both positive and negative shapes on deli paper and vellum paper:

I can even use the leftover card stock stencil in my art journal…

But that is fun with fungus for another day!

I hope I inspired you to explore mixed media in a subject you enjoy.

Cheers! 🙂

Leaves Falling

I was out in my yard yesterday and noticed the birds leaves falling…

After all, it is FALL!

Several birds were in a tree and it got me thinking about my weird birds.

There is such a variety of leaf shapes much like birds!

Perhaps there is a leaf bird? Have you seen any lately?!

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Cheers! 🙂

Rosy Bonnets

One of nature’s art subjects I enjoy drawing and painting…

Mushrooms!

Paper collage using Gelli-plate prints from old books:

When Pete Hillman recently posted a photo of Rosy Bonnet mushrooms…

I had to try drawing them in pencil and color pencils in my art journal:

Paper collage came next (first photo) and tomorrow, I hope to try watercolor!

I’m having fun exploring this mushroom in different art mediums…

Thanks Pete for the inspiration with your awesome photos!!

What art subjects from nature grab your attention?

Cheers! 🙂

A Marvelous Maple

The maple tree in our yard is turning many marvelous colors!

I took these photos on Wednesday when we had our first SNOW of the season…

It was a shock to many trees in our area that still have their leaves…

Many people woke-up to fallen branches and trees in their yards as the branches could not hold the weight of this unexpected snow. Always so sad to lose a lovely tree!

I experimented with my Gelli-plate a little more. This time I printed on a couple of garden magazine pages.

I will use the negative and positive shapes of this oak leaf in my art journal:

May you have a marvelous weekend!

Cheers! 🙂