After a bad night’s sleep I decided to go to Etruria Artists this morning. One of the group suggested drawing a wise animal. My hubby drew a fox, I decided to draw an owl. I wanted to do something colourful and more abstract than I would usually do. This is based on my handbag, though it’s not a copy, more inspired by my bag. I think he’s more cheeky than wise!
Tag: Colour
Shades of green
Today’s challenge on the 64 million artists January challenge on Facebook was to take a journey through your home or garden or to take a walk and collect images of a colour. Because I’ve got a lot of plants and other objects that are green I decided to choose that colour. Including crocheted blanket from my sis, a book on trains, a box for a toy train, a multicolour duster (green section). A late I designed based on clarice cliffs’ pottery, a little sketchbook, Christmas cactus, some plants I’m growing on for spring, ferns and a green bottle, my cat and the garden outside, the border round some photos, finally the ariel roots of my orchid…..
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Glowing man
I thought I saw him through the window. A man glowing all different colours, but I looked again and it was a pretty scarf hanging on my neighbours washing line.
Later, I went out to feed the stray cat, and saw something from the corner of my eye, but it was a reflection of the sky in the pond.
I went back inside wondering what was happening, was I hallucinating? The sun was setting and glimmers of light from the crystal in the window seemed to be coalescing… A figure shaped like a man, grew from the glimmers. He spoke no words but reached out towards me. I ran into the kitchen, slamming the door behind me, but soon his head and a hand protruded through the door.
I ran out into the garden. Dark was falling, the figure followed. Glowing brightly now, it quickly moved out across the ground. I felt dreadful fear. It reached out and touched my hand, and instantly I froze. Now it drifted around, and… into me! I felt its presence inside my mind. Then I knew it was too late… Tomorrow, I tell you, they are coming for you……
Daisy type flowers
One of my favourites. The centres of these are a multitude of flowers with petals round the edges (think of sunflower hearts). There are oxeye daisies and osteospermums, cone flowers, asters, all sorts of types and colours. Life in all its variations can be wonderful. This photo is of Rudbeckia I think, taken at Trentham Gardens in the autumn. What I like about daisies is the length of time throughout the year that they flower. They cheer me up.
Have you ever made daisy chains? We used to when we were kids. Pick a daisy and make a hole in the stalk with your fingernail parallel with the stalk, then thread another daisy through till the flower head is in contact with the stem. Then do again till you have a chain. (I’m not suggesting you do this, just how we did it, you shouldn’t pick wildflowers).
Lion sketch
I went to Etruria Artists today and was asked to draw lions as we were having a little drawing challenge and the group has a lion as a mascot.
I could have looked at a photo but I wanted to see if I could draw a lion from memory. What I ended up with was a lion / bear hybrid I think! I called it bearly a lion.
Colours used were gellato crayons (I think they are called) with metallic shades. They are a bit like lipsticks and can be drawn with, smudged and have water added to them to make them flow. I used a black ink pen to draw the thin lines. It’s a curious big cat.
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Brain fizzing..
I can’t remember how I did this. 
It’s a few years old and I’ve used various drawing apps, so I can’t remember exactly what I used to get these effects. Does it matter? I guess if I want to replicate it. I feel my brain fizzing as I look at it, what was I thinking when I drew it? Some thoughts about illustration, about science, come to mind. I like it!
Berry fool.
Close up berries turned into a strange pattern. It looks almost like some odd creature. Symmetry does strange things, creating unexpected images. I was pleased with the clarity of the photo I took this from. Being able to see the individual hairs on the fruit, and the sheen on the berries. The shadows and hollows also work really well.
