Crows at dusk - Maree Clarkson

full moon | wide awake | 'til dawn

A Twitter poem from WATERMARK

"Crows at Dusk"

I can assure you this is not my dark side emerging! I had a Black Crow as a pet for 20 years (she was 27 when she died) and I absolutely love these endearing and highly intelligent birds.


"CoCo" my Black Crow - She used to take this stance and make a ka-ka-ka sound, like the horn of a car. It must be a natural sound of theirs, because I've heard crows in the wild doing the same thing. She lived with me for 20 years and was 7 years old when I got her.

Sketching in anything available - Maree

"Something caused a deterioration in man's sense of community. People can live in an area for years and never know their neighbours."


Blue gum tree

I took and old soft-cover book with me to record little sketches of grasses, weeds and indigenous flowers on our property, but couldn't resist doing a quick sketch of this Blue gum tree - I'll use these as reference for larger paintings at a later stage.

one more from on the road - Vicky Williamson

One the way home from our trip to Arkansas, Bill pulled into this hidden road-side park just south of Mansfield, Missouri. He thought I might like to take photos for later sketching --- he was right! The creek fed by springs was amazingly beautiful and peaceful. It ran parallel with the highway, but at a lower elevation.

I adopted this interesting rock on the spot. Not sure what mineral it's made of, but I love the patterning. The creek was actively shaping and reshaping a large area of rocky outcrop, while forming many tiny waterfalls.

You Rat! - Maree Clarkson

"Risk! Risk anything! Care no more for the opinions of others, for those voices. Do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth."
~ Katherine Mansfield


"Rat" pencil sketch and watercolour in Moleskine watercolour sketch-book

This rat is another one of Jacko's 'friends'. Like the visiting Tabby, he does regular excursions at night through the open door of the lounge to the kitchen, where he also snacks on Jacko's Eukanuba food. I can just imagine how he must juggle his activities to stay clear of the Tabby and the dog to get any meaningful sustenance out of the whole journey...

I might just mention that we live on an 8.5ha smallholding and have regular nightly visitors through that open lounge door (the reason for the door being open is for Jacko to go to toilet at night). We regularly get visits from a Brown House Snake, quite a large chap, and once again it was Jacko who alerted us to his presence and I had to catch it and put it back in the garden, and a Mole Snake, whom I called Mollie - she actually lives permanently at my wildlife pond - and who, unlike the Brown house snake, is a very feisty gal - she doesn't take kindly to being disturbed, as can be seen in the photograph below when I approached her for the photo.


Mollie - a snake in the grass - checking out what I'm up to

The brown house snake is harmless and very docile, and an economically valuable snake as it preys primarily on rodents. This snake has become popular in the South African pet market because it is harmless, settles and breeds well in captivity. As with all other South African snakes, permits are required for possession. It lays six to 12 eggs which hatch after two and a half to three months.


Brown House snake

Swamp-Lily, A Last Hurrah - Pam Johnson Brickell

Last week my friend, Kate, called to say she saw a flower off in the woods and thought it was something special. It sure was! A Swamp-Lily! Also known as String-Lily, Crinum americanum L.

A few days later, I was able to go take a look at it. The weather was threatening but, I did manage to make an ink sketch of it in my journal.  Then it started to sprinkle so I took a photograph, and off the the shelter of my car I went!  I painted the ink drawing from my reference photo.

I was a bit dismayed, as I didn't leave much room for the flower names......... ah well.

I call this 'A Last Hurrah' as the lily's bloom time is from June to October.  I saw quite a few plants around the area, but all had long since bloomed.  It's in the amaryllis family. A real beauty and uncommon in SC, though it can be found in the southern coastal area of the state.  That's us :)

The Beautiful Season - Maree Clarkson

Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....

Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape

Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"Hydrangea" in Moleskine large sketch-book

For us in South Africa, Summer means a bright, sunshiny Christmas and it also means Hydrangeas. They start flowering during late November, through December until January, and are also called Christmas Roses. Instead of Holly and Ivy decorating tables and mantles, it is the Hydrangea that takes pride of place.

a visit to Arkansas - Vicky Williamson

We spent the weekend visiting friends living at Norfolk Lake in Arkansas. The above sketch is from their backyard; the list is all the birds and animals I saw from their deck in one day --- I was especially excited to see and hear the two pileated woodpeckers talking to each other! Too bad I didn't have a camera or sketchbook in hand at that moment.



Also in the backyard, I sketched this twig with its teeny-tiny cup fungus, still unidentified. The upper two sketches are during the drive home; Jeanette Sclar identified the seed pods as bladdernut.

A Rose - Four Years of Blogging - Lin Frye

A Rose - Four Years of Blogging
Originally uploaded by linfrye

Today marks four years of daily blogging AND painting. Four and half years ago I decided if I were EVER going to learn to draw and paint, I'd better get started.

There were 3 things my family told me NEVER to do: give directions (still applicable), sing (oh my, VERY applicable), and draw. But how I really wanted to keep one of those watercolor nature journals I loved!

On my bookshelf were all those wonderfully illustrated and written books about nature journaling - especially those by Cathy Johnson. "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" was a book I had owned since the 1970s!!!! And I still had not opened. But after passing my 50th birthday milestone, I figured if I were EVER going to draw, I'd had better make the plunge.

And so, 4 1/2 years ago, I picked up Betty's book and not only read it, but began the exercises, one by one. Never having art lessons either as a child or as an adult made for a lot of intimidation. I was always writing, but drawing? Nope! So I studied the book, faithfully did the exercises, and when I got to the 'turn the image upside down the spaces' exercise - and my attempt RESEMBLED the drawing -- I finally had a glimmer of hope that I could possibly learn to do this. And the passion was lit....

I kept drawing on and off for a few months; took Cathy Johnson's wonderful on-line classes - watercolor, sketching and more. And, encouraged by my friends on Flickr --- I began keeping a daily journal on line and sketching every day, no matter what. Though there are some gaps in my posting - like when I was overseas or away from home, I always sketched -- something.

And so today marks four years of doing so. Folks ask me if I ever got tired or bored or just too busy -- and I say -- 'yes' ... but having so many years behind me and far fewer in front of me before I leave this good earth -- the only way I believed I could improve my work was to devote a lot of time practicing.

I'm not nearly where I would like to be with drawing or painting - or writing for that matter. But I'll continue picking up the pencil, wetting the brushes, and learning as much as I can.

That "P" word -- PRACTICE -- well, from experience, I can only say -- it takes that -- often, frequently - and consistently.

But it also takes YOU, my Flickr friends - who have been encouraging me for these many years. And I offer this gentle rose in thanks for all you have helped me through - with your encouragement, kindness, generosity and suggestions.

My heartfelt thanks for being there with me - along this most intriguing and exciting journey!

Here's to another year! Wet Brushes -- Get Painting!

Lin Frye
North Carolina

Cactus Monday - Buds and Blooms - Teri Casper

This painting is based on a sketch I did last year when the prickly pear cactus was in bloom.   I don't usually do another painting from a sketch  but sometimes the creative urge just takes over.

Dead Squirrel in the Park

We came to the park to find a whole bunch of little friends already engaged in some sort of treasure game. One of them came to tell me that there is a "special treasure over there - squirrel sleeping". Since I never saw squirrel sleeping, I decided to check it out and found this poor body. It looked very healthy - with shiny fur and laying in a lovely relaxed pose.

Watercolour pencils

'Magalies River' in Moleskine watercolour sketch-book

I bought some Watercolour pencils this morning, for the first time ever, never worked in them before, but thought I'd get them seeing as they're on Kate's list of supplies for the 'Keeping an Artist's Journal' class, which starts tomorrow. I got the Derwent AQUAtone set of 12 as well as the Derwent Aquarelle set of 24 because it had some different colours.

We went to Wicker Tea Garden in Magaliesburg for lunch, so I took the small AQUAtone set with me. I did this sketch of the river bank, asked the waiter for a glass of water and voila! instant colour on the spot.

Can't say I'm mad about using watercolour pencils, feels like I'm back at school colouring in! But as far as portability and instant colour with little fuss is concerned - they just fitted into my purse - I'll certainly be using them again.

But the colours seem to be fairly muddy - don't know if it's me or if it's the colours. And the colour range is also very limited - tried mixing the colours on the paper, which just made it muddier.