I've been painting :-)

I have started a series called "Trees of Life".  It was inspired by an online class that I took late last year - Diane Culhane's "For the Love of a Tree".

I posted a couple of paintings from this class on this blog post.

This first painting of the series is titled "A Perfect Day":

And in the landscape with beings theme, this is ready for its first isolation coat.  I've titled it "We Gather Together As Friends":

Toys

These toys might be fun to investigate, especially if they arrived with no instructions :-)

"Capable of flight"

"Sound effects standard"

Buds

I like to watch dogs.  I especially like it when they are good buds and all the ranking has been settled and consequently they relax and play.  Their antics crack me up.

I suppose I was thinking about this when I randomly sketched this:

"Buds" (ink and colored pencil)

Clearly this came out of my imagination as there is no green grass visible anywhere in my neighborhood as very little snow has melted.  The sun is shining and the days are clear; however, the temperature hasn't warmed up to freezing (!) in days and days.  Br-r-r.

On a positive note, the snow is quite beautiful :-)

Art Journal DRAW

I miss seeing flowers outside (wintertime in Colorado).  I was daydreaming about how lovely it would be to see colorful spring and summer flowers on a snowy background or brightening up the dry grasses and leafless shrubs.  O well.

Doesn't surprise me too much that flower-like forms appeared in this morning's Draw: section of my art journal :-)

Ink and colored pencil

Some imaginary winter flowers. Yay!

Continuing to map

I have been creating maps of my own - the first one was Map of An Unplanned Interaction (this blog post) and now for Map of Wild Things Island: 

It might be imaginary ;-)

 I have no idea where I will travel tomorrow!

In 3-D

Year of the Spark: the working assignment now is creating a wire and fiber-wrapped animal.  Uh O, hand sewing is involved - something I do not like much at all, mostly because I am clumsy with needle and thread.  I feel inner resistance...

When I mentally protest it is a signal that I absolutely need to do it.  On the positive side, I am drawn to three-dimensional work.  I have created a couple of 3-D pieces (in clay and in paper) and the unfamiliarity of working in "space" was all-absorbing.

Et voici, the imaginary animal: 

"In the Pink"

Tie more, sew less :-)

Bird in blues

I had one last piece of watercolor paper that had been prepped with acrylic paint.  Not wanting to do another wolf I decided to create an imaginary bird.  I watched a short video on Carla's blog where she demonstrates a "creative starter" technique that is brilliantly simple (here's the link to Carla's post).

I drew my circle and flower on some scrap paper then cut it into quarters; I didn't glue the two pieces to my w/c paper but taped the pieces onto some copy paper:

Hmmm...

With tracing paper over top, I "found" the bird:

He was there all along.

I transferred my drawing onto the prepped paper and masked the bird with painter's tape.  Then I brought out the oil pastels and began applying color.  I also used pastels, colored pencil and graphite.

Bird in blue and I think he's found something:

 

"I spy..."

It was a beautiful spring day and outside my studio all kinds of birds were singing.  I enjoyed working along to their beautiful calls.

Laying down the graphite

An imaginary dog just for fun:

Woof!

Picasso Dog

Recently I've had many opportunities to work in the little sketchbook I always carry with me.  I've been amusing myself drawing "Picasso" dogs*.  

So, from my sketchbook:

"Picasso" dog in pencil. I love this little guy :-)

* "Picasso" dogs are from an online class I took last year from Carla Sonheim  (www.carlasonheim.com) - her classes are terrific!

A before and after..

Here is a paint daub critter dog just after I "discovered" him in amongst the ink and paint. See?...he was in there somewhere :-)

Paint daub dog "before"

Here he is tidied up; the extraneous ink and other media painted over with the background color:

Paint daub dog "after"

I am not sure what to call this one...

a benny? because I think he has a combination of bear and bunny elements. He started out as a paint daub, too!

Call me "Benny".

Isn't this a funny one?

Another paint daub critter:

Wacky or in a tizzy?

A few strokes...

of watercolor, ink and gesso and a little dog is born :-)

Little dog critter

What a morning it has been...

it's the weather. The feeling of Spring. Windows open, typing this whilst listening to the birds singing away. Sigh. So lovely.
Imaginary spring flowers:

Imaginary spring flowers

Paint daubs

Randomly laid down several layers of water color and gesso. Some line work and this happy little guy appeared.

The Little Talker

Can a fish be charming?

Sure he can! Perhaps it's the smile?

"Charming:...me? Who'da thunk?