Cool Weather Picnic

We had a cool weather picnic at Manmade Hole on a recent evening.

Stew and strawberry shortcake were on the menu.

The Sailor and Flossy tried some casts in the Hole to no avail.

I walked about looking - here is some 'chicken of the woods', an edible fungus.

Our maple bush is turning delicately orange.

Leaves are changing everywhere.

Here is a little glimpse of the second piece of beading I have done for the Tongass Rain Forest Festival art show, 'Archipelago', which opens at the Clausen Museum Saturday 09/01.

Drawing Challenge - Circus

Miss Gloria and her wonder horse, Trixie, appeared in my sketchbook this week in response to thoughts about the Big Top.  At one time in my life, owning a horse trumped all other desires.  And of course, I would love to join the circus. 

Inktense watercolor pencils and Pigma pen in 8"x6" gamma

Thank you to the amazing Helen at Objects of Whimsey for this star-studded challenge.  Much more circus action over there - go have a look!

Mostly Wordless

I am recovering from a bad case of the flu yesterday but in keeping with my usual routine, want to share a few photos from the Sunday afternoon walk, which was beautiful in the late summer sun.  Hope you are well and enjoying a creative week.

Woodpecker Cove road view

bracket fungus

Ohmer Creek

Cards to Play House With - drawing challenge

Ariane named the game for this week’s drawing challenge: Playing Cards.

I recently received my new business cards from the wonderful MOO and was glad to put my old ones to good use for the challenge.  I sanded the gloss down…

 …and gessoed them on both sides.

 Spent most of the week thinking up what my cards would be about, and had fun inventing suits for imaginary games, settling at last on a set of more or less domestic playing cards.

Daily drawing - Study for cards; Pigma pen and gouache in 8"x6" gamma sketchbook

Daily drawing - Study for cards; Pigma pen in 8"x6" gamma sketchbook

studio working sketchbook

 My suits are Irons, Letters, Spoons and Rings.

Four cards: 3.5"x2"; acrylic and Pigma pen with gel transfer & paper collage on recycled business cards

The One of Irons

The Two of Letters

The Three of Spoons

The Four of Rings

 Do stop at Ariane's place to see more clever cards at play.

Green Inspiration

These green days of summer have me going on a beading project for the Tongass Rain Forest Festival art show coming up the beginning of next month.  What's your current inspiration?

Some Small Books - Drawing Challenge

Norma set us a daring challenge this week: make a small book.  Long a lover of books and book making, I dived right in despite a busy week of house guests and deadlines.

Fortunately for my loaded schedule, I had some months ago acquired and gessoed three tiny board books which had been languishing on my widow sill ever since.  Painting them was pure pleasure.

Set of three board books, each 2.25"x2.25"x1"

Acrylic paint and paper collage on each leaf

Cover, Book 1

Cover, Book 2

 

Cover, Book 3

 

Thank you to Norma for this most helpful challenge, which spurred me on to more painting.  Please stop by Norma's wonderful blog for more small books from exceptional artists.

Back in the studio as usual on a Thursday - made coffee and placed an order for supplies with Daniel Smith in Seattle - and then took a dive: the tiny board books I picked up at Salvation and gessoed months ago became a deep river which carried me along all day. Here's a glimpse of the work in progress.  I can't wait to get back in the morning!

acrylic paint and paper on cardboard, about 2.5"x2.5"

acrylic paint and paper on cardboard

acrylic paint and paper on cardboard

Scene, Recently #30

In the Forest, mushrooms are springing up....

...wild flowers are blooming...

...leaves are turning...

...and the Sailor is home again in time to pick blueberries!

CROW - drawing challenge

The drawing challenge this week was proposed by my friend, Carole Reid, a fabulous artist and fellow north-westerner.  Our respective homes lie along the same body of water, the 'inside passage' which runs from Seattle, Washington through islands up along the coasts of British Columbia and Southeast Alaska.  In our part of the world Crows are abundant, along with their larger, more poetic cousins the Ravens, and Bald Eagles, who take themselves very seriously. 

True to their pesky nature, Crows got into my studio as well as my sketchbook this week.  

procion on cotton, detail of larger work in progress

closer view of the above

charcoal pencil in 8x6" gamma sketchbook

You can have a look at lots more Crows over at Carole's blog.

Wet Afternoon Walk

I had to force myself to go back out after getting home from town late this afternoon, and actually waited a bit for the rain to slow down to less than torrential; then, go back out I did.  I wanted to show you how the past few days have brought an end to the season of screaming green, ushering in the first hints of autumn.

Rain and wind made for a perfect imitation of October all day.

Devil's club leaves are among those starting to turn color.

Devil's club fruit - inedible by you and I... but I think the birds enjoy, and perhaps this has medicinal uses for the Indigenous Ones.

The Devil's club fruit will turn bright red before the end of summer like these already have.

Wild celery has gone to seed in a starry way.

wild celery - this plant stands about eye-level tall

salmon berry

New mushrooms are poking through the wet forest floor.

 Hope this post refreshes you, if you are living in the hot dry parts of the world!