A Nature Study

Last Friday, I had a little time to create one of Carla Sonheim’s assignments from the year long online class I’m taking from her.

We were to collect some items from nature and arrange them in a pleasing manner:

I collected the above items from my yard.  🙂

Next, I drew them quickly with pencil:

I added oil pastels to my pencil sketch by starting with a light color and layering a darker color on top.  I added details by scratching into the oil pastels with a wooden pencil.

I wasn’t totally liking the oil pastels so I scraped white acrylic paint over it:

I like the muted look better… I’d like to try my nature study in watercolor too!

Happy Monday!  I hope your day is blossoming into a good week…

Cheers! 🙂

Flowers And Trees

I inherited my mom’s journal with 40 years of flowers and trees she planted in the yard where I grew up as a child.

I love that it is in her handwriting…

 

I treasure it too because it connects us together… we both love flowers and trees.

I’m taking an online class from Lendon Noe hosted by Carla Sonheim called, Inspired By Lives and Letters, which gave me the inspiration to create this piece:

I made a copy of watercolor painting I did last year and a copy of mom’s journal page from the year I was born… to connect our past and present together as a remembrance.

It is a way for me to have a lovely conversation with my past…

A way for me to say, “Happy Birthday,” to my mom whose birthday is approaching in early March even though she is no longer with us.

I’d like to think she would treasure it.

Cheers! 🙂

Hot And Cold

My sister-in-law made us these beautiful potholders that arrived in the mail yesterday… just because! ❤️  A wonderful surprise. 🙂

 

I just love the colors and patterns and stitching… I’m not sure I can use them for hot foods as they are too pretty!

And speaking of cold… we woke-up to 8 inches of new snow yesterday morning! 😮

I guess winter isn’t done with us in the Pacific Northwest.  Time to make a homemade pot of hot soup on a cold day!

Cheers! 🙂

Nature’s Confetti

I took these photos, last Saturday when I took A Walk In The Park

I hope to paint some of these trees in watercolor but work has been extra busy this week …

So for now, I wrote a haiku to share with these photos:

Things are looking up!

Fall leaves scatter unaware…

Nature’s confetti

Isn’t it wonderful how nature helps us notice the simple pleasures in life and celebrate its beauty?!

Cheers! 🙂

A Walk In The Park

It was an amazing fall day yesterday in the Pacific Northwest!  Hubby and I took advantage of this blue-sky day by taking a walk at Manito Park.

It seems that everywhere we looked, nature was showing her glorious autumn colors:

It was wonderful to see so many people out enjoying the day… we saw people taking family photos, several dog walkers and many people just breathing in the beauty like us.

It was easy to put the busy work week behind us when we were dazzled by these colors as they reflected on this pond:

And with such a spectacular photo like this one:

Life’s troubles seemed to disappear.

Wishing you a moment to reflect on the beauty around you today…

Cheers! 🙂

This Little Light Of Mine

This little light of mine… I’m going to let it shine!!

Isn’t wonder to be different!  Just like these trees…

As Taylor Swift says, “Your lucky enough to be different, never change.”

And my favorite quote:  “The things that make me different are the things that make me.” – Winnie The Pooh

Celebrating the things that make each of us unique! 

Cheers!!  🙂

Terrific Trees

I was experimenting yesterday with different art mediums to create these trees:

I masked off the background with masking tape and then used salt over Dr. Ph Martin’s India ink.  I also used Pan Pastels on them.

Not all my experiments turned out.  Like the above one on the left where I used glass bead gel and India ink.  It didn’t want to dry.  But I still kind of like it.

The one next to it, I used matte medium, masked it off and used watercolor then salt.  And finished it with the pan pastels after I rubbed off the salt.  I like its softer feel.

Speaking of trees, I am amazed how much my Red Maple tree has changed color since I posted a photo of it here, last Sunday:

Red Maple a blaze,

Dazzling like a sunset

Fall’s color display.

Wishing you a Sunny Sunday, Friends!  🙂

Birch Tree Inspired

I remember the big white Paper Birch tree that my parents planted in their front yard.  As kids, we took its lovely shade and beautiful white bark for granted.  It was a shame when it became diseased and had to be chopped down.

I planted a River Birch in my yard a few years ago.  It is supposed to be more resistant to disease.  It has a light pink bark that peels.  I love how it dances in the wind like yesterday when I snapped this photo.  It’s leaves are starting to change from green to gold and look dazzling against this brilliant blue sky:

It was my inspiration to play with patterns in one of my sketchbooks.

I started with loose sketches of leaves in Neocolors (water soluble crayons) and then painted yellow india ink over the leaves.  I also added a blue background with the india ink – using Dr. Ph. Martin’s colored ink.  I have never “painted” ink on before – how fun!

I finished it by gluing some of my Gelli-printed deli paper on top with a glue stick:

It was very relaxing to just “play” and I encourage you to give it a try!  🙂

Did you have a favorite tree when you were a child?  I’d love to hear about it!

Happy Experimenting!  🙂

Hidden Images

I like finding images in clouds but sometimes I see them in trees too.  Do you see the face in this tree?

Sometimes I see animals… Like a camel’s face in this tree growth:

You have to use your imagination a bit…

I see a bunny in this rock:

And a heart shape in this one:

What images do you see?  I’d love to hear from you!

Wishing you a happy day doing whatever brings you the most JOY!  And maybe a little time to see images in the clouds, trees or rocks near you!

May you have a Sunny Sunday, friends!!  🙂

Moose On The Loose!

On our way to the lake a couple of weeks ago, a large female moose trotted out on the highway in front of us.  Luckily, it was further away than this close call that I recorded in my art journal last year, here.

I decided to create a mixed media page in one of my larger watercolor journals.  I started by gluing a page from an old book on trees to my page.  I then painted it in watercolors.  I added a stencil to create a pattern.  (Excuse the rocks weights in the photo…it was a windy day!)

Next, I drew a pine tree branch with needles using Tombow markers, Neocolors and color pencils.  I also drew a pinecone:

I glued a few pieces of my gelli-printed paper to the page and added a little more watercolor:

Then I drew my moose and an upside down owl with Neocolors:

I like the look of watercolor on the paper but when I applied the collage papers, I lost some of the watercolor.  I’m still happy with my finished page.

May your Sunday be sunny without any moose sightings…  🙂