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Pencil study for a new series of angel paintings
Tropical storm Ida rolled in from the Gulf this morning, but she has been a surprisingly well-behaved visitor. She thoughtfully watered the new transplants for me (brussels sprouts, chard, heirloom collards) and in her wake — as so often happens during hurricane season — we will have several crytalline fall days with blue skies and low humidity. Thanks, Ida!
I’m working on pencil sketches for some new angel paintings. They unfold in front of me, gradually revealing themselves, and I’m glad to go wherever they are leading me.
We’ve had a lot of rain lately. The ground is saturated, clouds of mosquitos are swarming, and tiny mushrooms are popping up throughout the neighborhood. We woke this morning to the latest in a long, gray string of gloomy skies — but suddenly, around midday, the clouds parted and the sun came out. I was relieved that we would not be forced to use our stack of soon-to-be-chicken-coop lumber to build a boat, after all. And I was reminded of this watercolor, painted years ago when my children were small. Here are some close-ups of the cheerful critters:
Most of the cut-flower garden has bloomed itself out for now, but the Perfect Man’s orange canna still provides a welcome blaze of color in the front yard of the studio cottage. I painted this little canna study from a quick sketch made yesterday afternoon… when you’re drawing flowers in the sun on a 95-degree day, quick is the best way to draw!
Evenings, we are turning the far end of the vegetable garden in preparation for planting fall beans next week. I need to shift the summer compost bin contents to the beds and finish pulling down the spent summer bean vines. The herb need attention. The trellis frames need to be restrung so they can hold up our winter squash. And what about all those peppers waiting to be picked, chopped and frozen? Little by little, it will all be done.
Beginning September 22, you can spend your Tuesday evenings happily painting Mobile Bay area plant life (and maybe a butterfly or two) in vivid color and detail. My eight-week Botanical Watercolor course at Space 301 downtown will meet weekly from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, and will include one Saturday field drawing day at a date to be selected by the class.
No previous art experience is necessary… we’ll explore step-by-step scientific illustration techniques in a relaxed, encouraging atmosphere. Develop your powers of observation while using washes, dry brush and glazing. Mix colors to create depth with light and shadow. You’ll never see plants in quite the same way again…
There is a modest supply list for the class – under $20 – and tuition for 8 weeks is $110 (It’s $95 for members of Centre for the Living Arts) .
Fore more information, email education coordinator Cindy Phillips at space301@cityofmobile.org
Happy drawing!
Just for fun. Watercolor and colored pencil, one of the small pieces I’ve been making and setting aside for an upcoming Art in the Park event.
This Mardi Gras mermaid mixes a marvelous martini.
She’s only half finished, and her entire body wouldn’t fit on my scanner, so I’ll post a photo of the fully completed mermaid in a couple of days. Fun!
She’s acrylic on black illustration board — something fun to paint on a rainy night. The black background is interesting, because you simply leave it showing where you want to have dark outlines (the lettering, for example) and the result is a rich, velvety matte black underlying all the bright colors.
Hector & Persephone never expected to find true love in the catnip patch.
Being a Pisces, Murdock was always polite and optimistic.
I love painting on the backs of old postcards. It’s fun working in a cozy 4×6-inch window, with old stamps and handwritten messages peeking through the color.
This week, I’ll be working on art for my Holiday Open Studio.
Just in time for Thanksgiving, the first of the fall garden broccoli matured. Nothing tastes better than tender, steamed broccoli carried straight from the garden to the stove. The Perfect Man drizzled a bit of lemon butter over the top — ahhhh. Heaven! Next week, the first round of cabbage will be ready. And the kale, sweetened by last week’s freeze, is growing faster than ever. Alas, a couple of 80-degree days last week caused the lettuces to bolt. (If at first you don’t succeed… plant, plant again.) And our cauliflower seems to be sulking, all leaves and no tasty center, while its neighboring veggies are happily producing abundant winter fare. Every gardening season has its little mysteries.
