EDM 235 - Draw a butterfly

This is a white admiral butterfly, native to Alberta. Their wings are beautiful - a shiny, irridescent black with orange and blue touches of accent.

As I was recently looking through the list of EDM challenges, I noticed that I had quite an emotional reaction to the ones that I had done. I could remember what month the challenge was issued, what the weather was like, other things that were going on that week. It was like the challenges anchored that particular week in time and all the things that happened were attached. My sketches were like little keepsakes boxes that held the story of my life. Even if the sketches did not illustrate what was happening in my life, they seemed to hold the memory and the sequence of events. Has anyone else noticed this?

Sketch is watercolor in the Aquabee Co-Mo sketchbook. The dark color is a mixture of Indigo and Veridian.

EDM 232 - Draw a recent purchase

This is a new garden ornament that I purchased because of its cheerful countenance. The pierced petals are made of metal, and the face is translucent yellow plastic. It looks very fun in amongst all the green of the garden. The lettering was done with some alphabet stamps that I also recently purchased.

Most of this drawing was done outside on the patio, a fact of which I am quite proud. The weather was beautiful in July and my back yard was lush and fragrant. I spent a lot of my drawing time there, doing this and the flower series (from my previous post, and some future posts). I am far behind in posting my drawings, because it was often too hot upstairs in the computer room, and I didn't want to waste one minute of sunshine. Life is good.

Where it all began...

This is my 200th post - a milestone. When I began to draw, it was my garden that gave me both inspiration and courage. I wanted to simply draw the flowers that were blooming each week during our short growing season. These were just done in my day journal using some old colored pencils that I found in a craft box. I also wanted to try using simple line drawings to illustrate my journals. Flowers were generally willing to stand still and pose, they were non-judgmental, and forgiving. And as I began to draw, I began to see, and then I began to look - to really look at shape and form and pattern. I discovered the rhythm and flow of looking and drawing, looking and drawing. The more I looked, the more I saw. That was in the summer of 2006.

In 2007, I joined the EDM group and began doing the weekly challenges. I began that summer to draw garden grids in an actual sketchbook.

This summer, the garden is spectacular and lush. It stills the clamor and soothes my soul and inspires my drawing. Between the garden and the drawing, I find peace and rejuvenation.

EDM 233 - Your favorite drink

Once again, I couldn't decide. I drew two of my favorite drinks. The morning one which is, of course, coffee. But not just any coffee. The product discription states that it is a "bold, assertive coffee" with a "heady aroma" that comes from "an exclusive blend of the world's finest arabica beans including the very rare Indonesian Sumatra Mandheling". And they allow mere mortals to drink this coffee!

My new favorite evening indulgence is Copper Moon Pinot Grigio wine. These writers are just as enthusiastic about their product. Copper Moon comes by its name because the grapes are "harvested under the light of the moon" and the wine has "a cool fresh taste that captures the mystery of the night itself, its spirited individuality exudes citrus, green apple and melon". Obviously my palate is not sophisticated enough to discern all that! I just thought the label was pretty.

I think I'll read the label descriptions more often. Clearly, I'm not getting the full value of the item through my own devices and I'm not appreciating it as much as I should.