Wednesday, September 30, 2015

A Card from a Drawing


Elegant Writer and Tombows

This started as a hasty experiment with the Elegant Writer and Tombow markers.  I didn't really think that it was successful, but my sister liked it so I turned it into a card for her.

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Playing With Fun Foam Stamps


ATC
Fun Foam Stamp

The Vancouver Artist Trading Card met on Sunday to swap cards.  As is often the case, I came away inspired to try something new.  The organizer of the group is one of the most creative people I know.  Something she made reminded me of an article I had seen in an old Cloth, Paper, Scissors article called "Faux Silkscreen".  I came home, located the article and couldn't wait to start!

I drew this design on a piece of fun foam and then cut it apart.  I mounted each piece on a piece of acetate and then used each to stamp the scene on an ATC.

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

From Native Trees to Plant Families - Here I Begin


Fabriano Sketchbook
8.5" x 11"

While researching the native trees of Vancouver, I realized how little I know about botany.  (This is pretty sad, considering how much I enjoy being in nature.)  There are so many terms that I don't really understand, and at the top of the list is "families".   So, I decided that my next project would be to learn about Plant Families.

One of the great web sites I discovered was E-Flora BC, which is an electronic atlas of the plants of British Columbia.  They have a page on plant identification, and one of their recommendations is Thomas J. Elpel's Botany in a Day.  He explains that there are about 100 plant families across the "frost belt" of North America, and about another 30 families south of the frost line. He begins with seven of the largest and easiest to learn families which are found world-wide.

And so here I begin also.  Will I learn all 100?  I'm not sure I can manage that, but who knows.  I am pretty persistent, as evidenced by this blog. LOL

On this journal page I document my first three families.  I also connect the dots to the Tree Project by noting the eleven families to which the native trees of Vancouver belong.  So, I already have some familiarity with fourteen families!

Monday, September 21, 2015

Glacier National Park, Montana


Strathmore Watercolor Journal
8.5" x 5.5"
Elegant Writer and Watercolor

I often draw from Paint My Photo, but this time I went to my own photo album for a landscape.  I like the way that this one came out.

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Friday, September 18, 2015

Chairs


 Fabriano Sketchbook
 8.5" x 11"
Pencil Crayons


I went "coffee shop sketching" on Monday with a very encouraging artist friend and discovered how much I need to practice chairs.  On Wednesday I did this. 

I intended to do a whole page of chairs, but of course I've moved on to something else in my typical scattered fashion. LOL  I kind of like the unfinished look of this page so it might stay this way.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Foxgloves


5.5" x 8.5" Strathmore Watercolor Journal
Elegant Writer and Watercolor

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Winding Up The Tree Project


Fabriano Sketchbook 8.5" x 11"
Pencil Crayon

The Native Tree Project is winding up (or down).  I'm enjoying my neighbourhood walks more as I can identify different varieties of trees, although they are mostly non-native.

I'm starting my next project soon, which has evolved out of this one.  I want to learn about plant families, and I've just begun my research.

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Monday, September 14, 2015

Continuing Work on Learning Vancouver's Native Trees


8.5" x 11" Fabriano Sketchbook
Pencil Crayon

The City of Vancouver neighbourhood tree databases helped me find three of these trees.

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Nature Does Not Strive to Be Perfect


5.5" x 8.5" Strathmore Watercolor Journal
Drawing - Elegant Writer, Watercolor
Calligraphy - Pointed Pen, Higgins Eternal Ink

Friday, September 11, 2015

Fun, Fun, Fun


5.5" x 8.5"
Strathmore Watercolor Journal
Elegant Writer

 I thought I'd try a still life this time.  This is just so darn fun - I'm reminded of those pictures I loved as a child.  They were in the Rupert books I received from relatives in England.  All I had to do was add water and magic would happen.....

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Update on The Tree Project


Fabriano Sketchbook - 8.5" x 11"
Pencil Crayons

Three more native trees documented on this page - Western White Pine, Pacific Yew, and Red Alder.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Coolest Thing Since Sliced Bread!



Black-eyed Susans
Strathmore Watercolor Journal
8.5" x 5.5"
Elegant Writer Calligraphy Pen

I did this drawing with a black fine tip Elegant Writer Calligraphy Pen.  When I added water, all of the lovely shades of blue and pink appeared.  How cool and easy is that?  I like it so much I can't bear to add any color.

Here's the video that inspired this drawing.  Be careful:  Karlyn's enthusiasm is contagious, and she shows you exactly how to do it.

Monday, September 7, 2015

Sunday, September 6, 2015

New Book Project


Handmade book, 6 x 6"

I keep a book to jot down ideas when they strike me.  I made a new one combining the concepts of junk journals and my own smash book, called the "slab book".  When I posted this on Instagram yesterday I used the #tag usingupscrabookpaper.  Sort of says it all, doesn't it? LOL

Such a simple little book, really....





Lots of goodies to use up too:




Saturday, September 5, 2015

Update on the Tree Project


Fabriano Journal

The Tree Project is humming along.  Here I document four more native trees of Vancouver.  I'm trying to keep the differences between the various evergreen trees in my thick head.  I've never been good at names, and this is proving a challenge LOL.

My new tree friend at the City of Vancouver has provided fabulous information for me to proceed with.  He overlaid my list of native trees onto an aerial view of Queen Elizabeth Park, and provided me a link to the recently completed boulevard tree inventory databases.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015