ANOTHER CRAFTY DAY: LEAF POUNDING

 Yup! I am still feeling crafty...or artsy-fartsy, as my little brother used to say.  Today I did some leaf pounding, with a bit of an artistic bent.  I used a board. Put an art paper down (I used 140 lb paper). I picked a 'juicy' evergreen frond from my back yard.  By juicy, I mean that it has a lot of chlorofil in it. Fall leaves aren't usually very good for this because it is the end of the season, and the plant isn't producing much fluid.  Leaves are really best in the spring for this (Flowers, too!).

 I covered the evergreen with a sheet of waxed paper...

 I covered the whole thing with an old washcloth, doubled, and beat the crap out of it!  You have to really hit it hard to transfer the color from the plant to the paper, so choose a day you need to get your frustrations out.

 This is what my paper looked like after the pounding.  I am going to try this again in the spring...

 I used the evergreen, a wild grape leaf, and a dogwood leaf.

 Then I dug out my fine tip Sharpee, and started sketching in some of the finer details.


















 I think that they came out fairly well.

I plan on matting and framing these three for a Christmas gift.  They are 5X5, and a nice little set for a surprise.

ILLUSTRATION STYLE DRAWING: FALL LEAVES

I am working with watercolor pencils today, and ink outlines in sepia pen.  I have been reading about some of the beautiful illuminations that the monks of long ago used to draw. Inspired! It made me think about doing initials and quote samplers for a Christmas gift, and that led to playing with shapes that might work for the letter 'A'.  These three leaves might work...look for additions to this illustration in the next week!

FEELING KIND OF CRAFTY...ORIGAMI TURKEY

 I am feeling crafty this week, and thought I would try a new origami pattern...a turkey!  The hickory trees here in Tennessee start to turn crimson in mid August, and the tulip poplars are already turning golden, even though we are having 90 degree weather!  I will take any sign Mother Nature will throw at me, however, to look forward to the fall. If I can perfect this origami turkey, and find some better dual sided paper, it is going to be a part of my Thanksgiving decorations!  I am not too happy with the tail...

I CAUGHT A FISH! REALISTIC DRAWING

 

I am working my way back into realistic nature drawing again, and decided to go with a fish rather than a bird...felt I was getting into a bit of a rut this year.  I am actually anxious to get back to some painting, but it has been 6 months since I last dragged out the palette, and I am feeling a bit nervous.  Fish are interesting, with lots of different textures to draw, so it was a fun sketch.  What shall I draw tomorrow....?

BUMBLEBEE CONTOUR LINE MADNESS

 

I chose a more intricate pattern to do today for my contour line drawing.  I am thinking it would be good as a quilting pattern, right?  Well, maybe not...even I got a bit confused when I was working on the bee wings.  

CHILD WITH FLOWER: CONTOUR LINE

 

I am back!  I had a glitch in the computer, and a glitch in my back that had me unable to move for a bit.  I was feeling a bit intimidated by the blank page when I started back to my drawing, so I chose contour line to loosen up again.  It is always my favorite starter.  I used a Sharpee fine tip, and a photo of my daughter to do this drawing, and it is actually one of my favorites!  Hope you like it...

OOPS!

Photo by Rose...oddities collection.

 

I was posting my latest contour line drawing when a NOTICE came up on Blogger stating that I was unsecure...unsafe...and must immediately install this program to secure and save my blog.  OOOPS!  It was a lie, and I have spent the past week trying to undo BING as my 'new' server.  Never again will I press a button willy-nilly without first consulting the tech geek (hubby) first!  Please stand by while I completely rid my system of malware.  I will be up and running again in another 24 hours!

LITTLE GIRL CONTOUR LINE DRAWING

 

While recovering from some dental work, I thumbed through an old magazine and came across an advertisement (I think for dog food) with this little girl in it.  I decided to do a contour line, just to keep up the drawing, and came up with this...I really like it!  It captures the moment, the feel, but doesn't copy photographically.  I am finding more joy in contour line lately than in any other style of figurative art.  Yes....I think I am inspired!

STRINGY ASPARAGUS SKETCH

I am happier with my sketch today.  I really like all of the vertical movement in the asparagus. I am perking up a bit.  Thank goodness for a hubby who understands the creative blocks and depression that comes with it!  He has been trying to inspire me out of my doldrums and back to work...Hope I can do the same for him when he gets struck by the artistic malady!