tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-278323212024-03-07T04:37:39.531-07:00Cordelia's Sketch BookStumbling towards Bliss One Drawing at a TimeLynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.comBlogger335125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-23903960726838441442013-10-14T14:37:00.002-06:002013-10-14T14:37:44.505-06:00Bloom where you are planted<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I never plant sunflowers at my home even though I love them. My house faces east and west and neither provides enough hours of sunlight to successfully grow them. It seems kind of cruel top place a pant where you know it will have a difficult time. And yet, every year there is at least one sunflower struggling to reach the sun. I'm sure the birds have dropped them which is why they seem to grow in such odd places. This one sprang up out of the patch of irises near the deck. It grew tall and spindly but it did produce a flower.<br />
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Even though the conditions were less than hospitable, it did its very best and gave its all and was ultimately, successful. I admire that.<br />
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Watercolor paint in the hadbook sketchbook.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-51689343426873805312013-09-02T15:24:00.000-06:002013-09-02T15:24:00.587-06:00Summer lilies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfTvrETlHZOakjOo8iXVtNxFf7eaS8vfFOvPEtso3CJ4ODmd5KhBcDeif-jRhK0NpW53vBLg4_mSbcE1kvIXldq3UY0xVXXoSj9gA4xpjMMiRIpklRRR-t29JaoUv6UljhsC-X/s1600/IMG_0740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfTvrETlHZOakjOo8iXVtNxFf7eaS8vfFOvPEtso3CJ4ODmd5KhBcDeif-jRhK0NpW53vBLg4_mSbcE1kvIXldq3UY0xVXXoSj9gA4xpjMMiRIpklRRR-t29JaoUv6UljhsC-X/s320/IMG_0740.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The lilies on my cousin's farm were spectacular this year. Some flowers are so shapely and colourful that they practically beg to be painted. Gardens are such a source of inspiration for me and my art. There is something about trying to capture their beauty on paper that soothes my soul and centres my whole being.<br />
Watercolour in my new Globetrotter sketchbook.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-65119031924028314442013-08-19T13:47:00.001-06:002013-08-19T13:47:41.305-06:00Cloudy skies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been having lots of fun photographing and painting skies this summer. We went to a family reunion a few weeks ago that was held in a rural agricultural park. They use it as a gymkhana grounds so there were lots of pastures, fences and barns to house the horses (and feed them). We parked our camper by the empty barn facing this pasture. It was simply lovely - the big blue sky, fluffy clouds, sweet-smelling grasses and wildflowers, and the gentle mooing of the cows just over the ridge. It was a perfect little spot and a beautiful reminder of how graceful the country can be.<br />
For these clouds, I painted the sky with a wash of cerulean blue, and then blotted the clouds out with dry paper towels wadded up. The downside of this technique is that you can end up with clouds all the exact same shape and size. So I scrubbed out some other shapes with a wet brush. I like the effect. The flowers are purple vetch which is the iconic prairie wild flower.<br />
Do you have a favourite technique for creating clouds?Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-52569918734085480622013-08-07T15:44:00.001-06:002013-08-07T15:44:26.638-06:00Ominous skies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We have had a lot of rain this spring and summer. It rains nearly every day. Not so good for the gardens, but it results in some pretty spectacular skies. I live on the prairies so we have a lot of sky. Towards the end of the day, the clouds build up and darken. Thunder rolls across the sky and lightning spikes downward in a fantastic display of power. Funnel clouds have often been spotted this year but none have touched the ground.<br />
I was speaking to a man who painted the most wonderful watercolor skies and he told me the secret is to put lots of paint on wet paper and then tilt the paper. He admitted that it took a lot of practice to get it right, but when it was right it was very beautiful. I tried that technique here, with mixed results. I tried to darken the sky with a second layer which did not work at all. I went in with indigo on a sea sponge and that made it a bit better. I splattered paint with a toothbrush on the foreground to add some variation and interest. So this is another painting that I have worked on fixing and tweaking rather than discarding. It's not perfect, but I like the techniques of tilting and spattering wet on wet, and will definitely try again. Nature is giving me lots of inspiration for dramatic skies this year.<br />
<br />Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-67126422604741486472013-07-31T13:46:00.001-06:002013-07-31T13:46:45.989-06:00Signs of summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The robins are back this summer to build their nest in the big spruce tree. Their arrival coincided with the arrival of a super crop of dandelions. I spotted this pair outside the kitchen window. They were hopping among the dandelions listening for worms brought out by the rain. Sure signs that summer is on it's way.<br />
This is one of a bunch of little paintings that I was not happy with. After a lot of thinking, I decided to try and fix the ones I was discouraged by. Walking away from them was an option, but it wouldn't teach me anything or help me become better in the future. I didn't like the background of this one - it was too light and the flowers didn't show up. So I darkened the grass. Then I realized that the birds' legs were wrong in some way. They bend back and not forward so I washed them out and repainted the grass and the legs. I like it better now and I learned that not everything in watercolor is irreversible. Mistakes can be fixed. I just need to be observant and unflinching in the analysis of what's not working, and creative in how to fix it.<br />
<br />Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-88374178792320072112013-07-23T14:47:00.001-06:002013-07-23T14:47:27.847-06:00Gather ye roses...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkns2-iKihEgCkx_XhwRm54rwQs14aRlI-ZgIB3ZVtzJj1gzwYnQc_rmx3Dx5uMfpnRXXGzB2jpIH2h8Z1lS_kh_EOFCVe7rOq-XHG-ZlK877riRLGEfX9GvOC3J1QGNt9wNtV/s1600/IMG_0694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkns2-iKihEgCkx_XhwRm54rwQs14aRlI-ZgIB3ZVtzJj1gzwYnQc_rmx3Dx5uMfpnRXXGzB2jpIH2h8Z1lS_kh_EOFCVe7rOq-XHG-ZlK877riRLGEfX9GvOC3J1QGNt9wNtV/s320/IMG_0694.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Lots of rain and sunshine colluded to create this Hansa rose bush bursting with blossoms. There are so many that the branches droop gracefully under the weight. The air is full of scent and the buzzing of the bumblebees as they stagger around from flower to flower almost drunk with the pollen. There was even a hummingbird who was drawn in from who knows where by the intoxicating aroma. This is one of the reasons that I really love to garden. Sometimes the world can be an ugly place, but the garden reminds us of the beauty and diversity all around us.<br />
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Watercolor and micron pen.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-33768425604744004252013-05-05T19:02:00.001-06:002013-05-05T19:02:48.937-06:00Spring plantings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last weekend, I had a little rant about how awful the weather was. I spent that weekend huddled up with blankets and hot chocolate. There actually was a small window of opportunity on Saturday morning before the snow and wind started. We went to our community garden, and dug up the soil and, throwing caution to the blustery winds, we planted a few rows of seeds. What a difference a week makes! This week the sun came out and this weekend we were out without shoes or socks or jackets. We sat out on the deck and barbecued for supper and soaked up the sun. I hope the vegetable seeds did the same. Later this week, the weather will return to seasonal temperatures, but for now it felt so good to get a little sun on our pasty white, winter-weary skin. Nothing makes you appreciate spring like a long, sunless winter. <br />
In a little while, I hope to be harvesting those plants that I can only draw right now.<br />
Watercolor in the HandBook sketchbook.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-11534142082585152842013-04-28T20:23:00.001-06:002013-04-28T20:23:22.034-06:00April Showers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Winter came early and stayed late.<br />
It's time for it to move on.<br />
Let spring have its moment.<br />
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There are a few signs of spring around here - the hares have turned brown, the tulips are poking leaves up, the rhubarb has tiny orange nubbins, and I have heard the robins singing.<br />
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But I can't wait any longer. I need color and flowers and so I resorted to purchasing them. These Gerbera daisies begged me to take them home and paint them. They provided some welcome cheeriness.<br />
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Tomorrow the temperature will drop and we will have snow flurries - if we're lucky it will be rain.<br />
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I will try to keep the memory of these vibrant flowers in my heart until the sun decides to shine again.<br />
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Ink and watercolor in the HandBook sketchbook.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-30778860716059999132013-04-14T19:36:00.001-06:002013-04-14T19:36:29.586-06:00Bird on a wire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are readers at my house. We have lots of books, and therefore we have lots of bookmarks. Many of our bookmarks have shown up on this blog before. This is one of the newer ones that my beloved brought home this week. These bookmarks are 3D, and can look a little freaky if you move your head too fast. But they really do have a nice 3D effect. We have one of a snarling black panther, a group of brightly colored geckos (my favourite), a tabby cat with white paws on a fencepost, roly poly panda bears, and these cheerful budgies on woven ropes. I loved that odd one hanging upside down as if eavesdropping on the gossip. There are actually six of them on the bookmark, but I couldn't fit them all on the page. They were a lot of fun to draw.<br />
I used inktense pencils and watercolor in the handbook sketch book. I like this sketch book, but it does not take a wash very well. It buckles and pools and streaks. But I really like the texture of the paper.<br />
<br />Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-33526640414510431172013-04-01T19:20:00.000-06:002013-04-01T19:20:02.649-06:00A Day in the Life of a Tulip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Aah spring. The weather has been warm, the sun is shining, the snow has all melted. The huge piles of ice and gravel by the side of the roads and in the parking lots have diminished measurably. It's enough to make you believe in spring again.<br />
I took a bouquet of spring flowers to my family dinner at Easter. The buds were tightly closed, but we put it in water and a vase. There in a room filled with warmth and love and laughter, the buds opened up and filled the room with color and fragrance. I think that's an apt metaphor for families. My workplace is facing massive budget cuts and layoffs and it's all been very tense and worrisome. But at Easter, in that room filled with warmth and love and laughter, I could feel my soul, so tightly closed against loss and worry, opening up again. I could feel myself becoming myself again. Yes, that's what's important, and that's what will see me through the tough times.<br />
I used a lot of water on this page and it wrinkled and crinkled - hence the wonky photo.<br />
Watercolor and Inktense pencils in HandBook sketchbook.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-83532946517743790142013-03-17T15:56:00.000-06:002013-03-17T16:04:32.609-06:00The Tiding Revisited<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've posted before about the magpie triplets that were born in my backyard last summer. They're still here, and still as brash and bossy as ever. They are endlessly entertaining and fascinating to me. I have tried to draw them several times, and have not had much success. I can't get the shape of their beak right especially when open. My original idea (you know, the perfect sketch in my head) was to have all 3 of them on the branch all with their mouths wide open, trying to out-shreik each other. That's how I usually saw them. But try as I might, I cannot manage to get all three of them on the page. But this time, I think the beaks are shaped better. As I create this post, they are in the back yard on the tree branch exactly like this. But they are never still enough to actually draw them. Even in the dreary midwinter, they are still a joy to watch.<br />
The theme over at Creative Every Day is Black and White.<br />
Watercolot on Canson paperLynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-64892299083397477212013-02-26T19:33:00.003-07:002013-02-26T19:33:51.052-07:00Resplendent Quetzl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This crazy looking creature is the Quetzl bird - the official bird of Guatemala. <br />
I come from a winter country where there is not a lot of foliage cover in the winter. The birds here tend to be a bit more drab and neutral to provide natural camouflage. I have to wonder, though, what purpose or advantage this bright plumage provides the Quetzl bird. They are quite large and don't seem to have a lot of predators so maybe they don't need camouflage or the need to be hidden. Sightings are rare, and we were not fortunate enough to see one on our trip there. Perhaps the rain forest foliage is dense enough that they can't be seen even with the bright colors.<br />
They war sacred birds to the Maya, symbolizing the progress of Creation and the will of the Creator come to Earth The marriage of the quetzal with the snake resulted in Quetzlcoatl or The Plumed Serpent which represents the movement of creation and all things produced by that movement. Including you and me. We are all part of creation and a part of each other. Maybe if more people today believed that the world would be kinder place.<br />
Inktense pencils in HandBook sketchbook<br />
<br />Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-85406362827567444712013-02-18T15:52:00.001-07:002013-02-18T15:52:54.316-07:00Longwing Zebra Butterfly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This beautiful butterfly is found in Mexico and Central America, as well as the Caribbean. It's common in many of the countries we visited on our Panama Canal cruise.<br />
The cruise had a lot of days at sea, and the cruise line did a fabulous job of offering a wide variety of activities for passengers. I was delighted to discover they were offering watercolor painting classes. I was too late for the first class. They ran out of supplies by the time I got there, so I didn't actually do this butterfly on the ship. The second day, I got there earlier and got supplies and the drawing from the day before. The supplies included brushes, papers, and a set of 6 water color paints in tubes. They were student grade paints and were disappointingly chalky. But I enjoyed the classes, especially as the instructor had chosen to do things that we would actually see on the cruise. As an introvert, I try to attend group classes where I have to share and meet and talk with others. I met lots of interesting people, many of whom were trying watercolor for the first time. It was fun seeing their impressions of trying something new. Some people hated it and didn't come back after the first class, but others said they would continue on after getting home. I hope they do. I wanted to redo some of these drawings with better quality paints. For this one, I used my Inktense pencils because I wanted to get a really strong black. I hope to do some of the others in the near future.<br />
By the way, there are two kinds of zebra butterflies - the longwing, and the swallowtail.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-22808467582934982932013-02-10T16:49:00.001-07:002013-02-10T16:49:43.383-07:00Bird of Paradise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last December, we were in San Diego. We visited Balboa Park which has beautiful architecture and landscaping. In my country in December there is nothing blooming, so I was delighted to see these densely booming patches of Birds of Paradise. They look odd and alien to me, in Canada we don't have anything that looks remotely like this flower. I wanted to try to capture the brilliant colours, strange shapes and thick, dense foliage.<br />
I almost didn't post this - I've been holding off for several weeks as I am unsure whether I like it. It looks very abstract and unreal to me. But I am less interested in critical acclaim and whether "my piece resonates with the critics" than I am in whether I had fun doing this and whether I learned anything from the process. And the answer to that is yes. Those colors made me smile and I loved layering on those blues and reds and adding the touches of white gel pen. And it reminds me of a fabulous start to the vacation of a lifetime. So I think, in the end, that I do like it.<br />
Watercolor and gel pen in the Handbook sketch book.<br />
<br />Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-39214500442285943802013-02-03T16:04:00.001-07:002013-02-03T16:04:11.791-07:00Red breasted nuthatches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This energetic and excitable little fellow comes regularly to our back yard. And he invited all his friends, too. Thee are about 6 of them now. They are a lot of fun to watch as they are quick and agile and move up and down the tree and hang upside down from branches. They eat the spruce seeds and take the sunflower seeds from the feeder and jam them into cracks in the tree trunk. They always remember where they have stashed the seeds and are quite acrobatic in their attempts to dislodge the seeds.<br />
My cat can watch them for hours (as can I, to be honest). We call this Reality TV for cats - there are 3 channels, the bird channel, the squirrel channel, and the rabbit channel. The bird channel is by far the most fun.<br />
Watercolor in the Handbook sketch book.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-61802538639648471452013-01-27T19:51:00.005-07:002013-01-27T19:51:55.187-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On our cruise last month, the first stop was Cabo San Lucas. This is the view we had from the ship before we were tendered into shore. We were only there for a short time and in hindsight I wish we had taken a water taxi to this adorable little beach between these rocks. Instead we went to the marina where the tender dropped us off. It was very crowded and noisy with lots of vendors offering everything from cheap t-shirts to cheap bracelets. We did have some cheap beer and chips and salsa, but I felt a little harassed and anxious by the end.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I always want to sketch my travels but I frequently get overwhelmed by the details. For this one, I reminded myself that I didn't have to add every crack and crag in the rock, or every tiny bit of vegetation clinging tenaciously to the slope. I really wanted to try to get those soft, wispy horizontal clouds and the sunlit sands. I didn't obsess over the details, and I think that I like it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Watercolors in the HandBook sketch book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-76975211525599523262013-01-01T15:06:00.000-07:002013-01-01T15:06:19.293-07:00Happy New Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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These little nutcrackers are Christmas tree ornaments. For the past 5 years we have travelled out of the country in December, returning home just before Christmas, so we haven't put up the tree or decorated much. But this year we did, mostly in remembrance of my mother who passed away last February. Many of my ornaments were gifts from family so decorating the tree was bittersweet. These dapper fellows, with their stiff postures and fancy uniforms always make me smile. And those mustaches? Ooh la la - so very handsome.<br />
Thank you for visiting my blog and I wish you a very happy New Year.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-69037654780072729992012-12-02T15:04:00.002-07:002012-12-02T15:04:35.353-07:00Cruising<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On Monday morning I am leaving for a cruise down the west coast, through the Panama canal, and north to Ft. Lauderdale. It will include a stop in Costa Rica to do an aerial tram tour of the rain forest. Two things to cross off my Life's To Do List.<br />
See you when I get back.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-70588126612310865492012-11-18T16:30:00.003-07:002012-11-18T16:30:52.127-07:00Sunrise, Sunset<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sunsets don't make much of an appearance on this blog. I like sunsets a lot, and on my vacations I usually take a picture of each and every one. But I don't paint them. Way back when I took "Watercolor for Beginners" the instructor, who was a well respected portrait painter, said "Don't paint sunsets - they're trite and cliched". He should know, right? My second class was with a woman who told me not to paint boats - they were hard to draw and always looked amateurish. She should know, right? I'm no longer so sure about these absolutes pronounced by experts. Are sunsets really trite, or did he just have a hard time painting a credible one? Are boats hard to draw, or did she just have a difficult time with water reflections? Isn't it all subjective, and really shouldn't we get to paint what we like?<br />
So when "<a href="http://www.justaddwatersilly.com/" target="_blank">Just add water, silly</a>" chose sunsets as the theme for this month, I decided to make up my own mind about sunsets. I had a lot of pictures to choose from - this is Puerto Vallarta. I had fun doing this - choosing the colors, blending them. It made for an enjoyable afternoon and that's what it's all about, isn't it.<br />
Watercolor paint in the HandBook sketchbook.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-3679155696707084792012-11-12T11:37:00.002-07:002012-11-12T11:37:42.778-07:00Ginger and Spice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On our last cruise, we took a bus tour on the island of Grenada. The air was warm and smelled of spices all the time. Our bus took us high in the mountains to the Grand Etang National Forest Preserve, where all the native plants are gathered in a beautiful garden. It is the highest point on the island - 1910 feet above sea level. That's quite a steep climb as Grenada is a fairly small island. There are many spice processing plants here, all contributing to the incredibly lovely aroma. These are ginger blossoms. I really liked the bold colors and fleshy, stiff look of these plants. They are unlike the native flowers around here. Grenada is a beautiful island, very lush and green and mountainous. I hope I get a chance to go back to it some day.<br />
Watercolor paint and black and white gel pens.<br />
<br />Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-45505394764949599772012-10-28T16:28:00.002-06:002012-10-28T16:28:44.138-06:00On the Beach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Winter has come to my part of the world. I like winter - the air is crisp and clear, and the world looks clean and bright. I like having four distinct seasons. Each one can be appreciated for it's own unique characteristics, and each makes you appreciate the others.<br />
But in the winter, I dream of escaping to some place warm and bright. Like here. I have visited several Caribbean islands and have many pictures like this. Paradise on earth.<br />
I met an artist at a art show who did the most fabulous skies I had ever seen. As it is something I struggle with, I asked him about his technique. He said the secret is in tilting the paper and guiding the paint this way and that. He said it gave soft edges and more realistic looking clouds. I tried that technique in this piece and I like it. It does look like the soft, striated clouds in the Caribbean and the constant bank of clouds just above the water horizon. And I like the look of the shadows of the palm trees. I'd like to practice this technique a bit more.<br />
Watercolor paint on Cotman paper block.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-2551708008778195292012-10-21T17:37:00.000-06:002012-10-21T17:37:39.870-06:00Salsa Dancing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Way back last spring when I was planning out my community garden, this is what I envisioned. I wanted a salad and salsa garden. I wanted to go out and pick fresh produce, wash it, chop it, season it and eat it. Eat it still warm from the sun and swollen from the rain. Us gardeners tend to dream big. It worked out OK, but it was too hot for the cilantro which bolted almost immediately. These tomatoes have finished their ripening in brown paper bags in the basement. The peppers are not jalapenos, but Italian roasting peppers - their flavor is peppery and fresh but not hot. The tomatoes are Lemon Boy, Heritage Beefsteak, and tiny little black cherry toms that burst with intensity. There is fresh salsa in my future, and maybe some dancing with delight in the kitchen.<br />
Watercolor in the handbook sketchbookLynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-57846432123510022692012-10-14T16:07:00.000-06:002012-10-14T16:07:40.633-06:00Now we are six<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome to the party. Have a Tequila Lime cupcake. Throw some confetti around. We're celebrating because this blog is six years old. Yes, six! Who knew I could have that much to say. I didn't go public with my sketches until a few months later. I was new to the whole blogging thing, and it took me a while to figure out the scanning, uploading, security issues, commenting on other people's blogs, and general net safety and courtesy. The virtual world was a very different world than the one I was used to. Going public with my sketches was a little intimidating, too. What if what I found was not a welcoming and charming community of like-minded individuals as I had imagined, but instead a harsh wall of indifference? What if no once came to the party? But they did (you did) and the community I found was delightful. I've learned a lot and seen a lot. The hardest part of the blogging was not putting the sketches forward, but finding something interesting to say. Sometimes there was a story to be told, or a lesson learned, but sometimes there was nothing to say.<br />
So thank you for being there (and here). Enjoy the cupcake.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-84232139011921776442012-10-08T12:52:00.000-06:002012-10-08T12:52:04.518-06:00Painting Parrots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Birds are one of my favorite things to paint. I also like to paint with bright colours. At the library the other day, they had a display of painting books. I took one called "Daring Color" by Anne Abgott. One of the exercises was about mingling colour on the paper instead of glazing one color over top of the other. It sounded like it would be fun, and give a much looser approach than glazing would. And it was fun, just letting the colour blend and mingle. It was quicker and freer. It was the embodiment of the advice to let go of the result and enjoy the process. I used lots of paint and less water and that gave more control. I think I'm usually using too much water, which results in blooms, pale colors and too much blending of colours With thicker paint, there is only a little bleeding and it worked better.<br />
I learned some valuable things in this exercise and I think I will continue to use this technique.<br />
This is a nice, easy book to read and to follow, and I would recommend it.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27832321.post-16166233593664309952012-09-16T19:10:00.000-06:002012-09-16T19:10:55.051-06:00Jewels of Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The Dragon-fly</strong><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">By Alfred Lord Tennyson</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Today I saw the dragon-fly</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Come from the wells where he did lie.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">An inner impulse rent the veil</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Of his old husk: from head to tail</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Came out clear plates of sapphire mail.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">He dried his wings: like gauze they grew;</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Thro' crofts and pastures wet with dew</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">A living flash of light he flew.</span></div>
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The dragonflies are enormous and plentiful this year. I had to try to capture them. I had some iridescent ink that I used on their wings but it didn't photograph very well.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437833617051806046noreply@blogger.com3