MICROSCOPIC SURPRISES

 

One of my granddaughters is studying geology at Cardiff university and when she showed me some photos she had taken of rock samples seen through a microscope I was amazed at the colours and designs.  I persuaded her to email them to me so I could make some drawings and consequently a piece of textile art.

 

 

This is the first in a series mounted on a scrap from my grandmother's velvet shawl which must be at least 100 years old.

 

 

 

 

an Arkansas rock

I brought this large rock home from a recent trip to Arkansas, loving the variety of colors and textures. While drawing it last night, I kept seeing visions in my mind of the Grand Canyon which I saw in person 29 years ago.

Rocks-Concetta Flore

Back from the small and natural Isola di Capraia, its volcanic origin given away by the dramatic shapes and colours of its rock formations, I'm sharing two of the four sketches I produced (others are published on my blog if you wish).
The Castle, partly collapsed centuries ago in the sea, is partly made of the rock it stands upon. The other formation, unfinished yet, tops one of the cliffs and it bears evidence of having once been under the sea.

Capraia is in Tuscany but actually much closer to Corsica (France). It's an idyllic place in spring, when migration brings on the island hundreds of birds that stop to rest and feed before leaving again. The village is inhabited by only 200 people in winter.
We gathered as a group of artists for an ex-tempore competition and were met by summery weather, crystal-clear waters and dolphins playing around our boat...

Fall is finally here! Love it- Desiree

Desiree here! I have been so tired of the heat and I am loving the cooler weather. I have been able to get out and paint more. I taught a class last month and we did water and rocks. It had been so long since I painted on site I wondered how it was going to turn out. We have recently acquired a new resident owl which I am going to also paint but we are trying to encourage him to move to another location since he is sooooo messy!

I also did this quick painting of a bird, auditioning things for my Christmas Card this year. I have done several things from candied apples to dogs, birds and still haven't settled on anything. I usually have them done in October but I will be late again this year!

The Lavoir de Mez Gouez

In my area of Brittany on the Cote de Granit Rose there are many lavoirs, places where a natural spring comes to the surface.  In the past these were used as places to wash clothes and some have structures built around them to make the work easier.  There are many more in the woods and valleys which are still quite wild.  This one near my home has a beautiful undergrowth of violets and oxalis followed by bluebells.

When I went there to draw the rocks there was a group of cyclists with a local guide who was telling them about the history of the area as well as some ghost stories.  I was welcomed in to listen as I drew and got some very kind comments afterwards!

Balanced Rock - Laura Gillis

On our first day of hiking in Mueller I saw this group of rocks and I wanted to sketch them. Unfortunately, I didn’t get back there for a couple of days and when I did, one of those thunderstorms that they always warn you about came up and over the mountains behind me. I could hear it coming and I thought about waiting it out until I saw the lightning bounce across three peaks to the south and I decided that maybe I should get out of there.

I had some light pencil work done on this when I packed it up so I stood and looked for a couple of minutes more trying to memorize the color, light and shadows but I knew that if I didn’t hurry up and get back to camp I would have to deal with my sweet, adoring, and very worried husband who had been listening to the same thunder that I was hearing. (For those who know me, you won’t believe it, but I was actually hiking without a camera.)

I think it is a fairly close rendering but someday I want to go back and try it again and do some other angles. The rock on the top left is actually a balance rock and every year I go there I like to go and see if it has fallen yet.

This isn't my favorite sketch ever but it was a good practice for me... I would like to do better landscapes faster and I definitely want to work on sketching from memory!

Ink & watercolor on hemp paper

Homestead Trail, Mueller State Park, Colorado

A corner of my garden - Maree

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"Tread softly!" a signpost in one garden reads: "Your feet are killing me!"



I sketched this corner in my garden just after a lovely down-pour last December - everything glistening and wet! While I was sketching, I noticed some weeds, but quite liked the look of them as they nestled between the rocks - so I left the job of de-weeding for some other time...

Pelindaba Rock - Maree

When Nature has work to be done, she creates a genius to do it.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

This outcrop of age-old Pelindaba rock is about 3 kilometers from us in a shallow little ravine that we used to often pass by on our outrides with our horses. Last weekend we took the little track as a short-cut to visit some friends in Hillside and I was reminded of the weird formations of these rocks that are like the tip of the iceberg - 99% of it is under-ground.

The presence of these spongy rocks indicates a high level of under-ground water in the area and is extensively found in Tarlton. These rocks also attract lightning and Tarlton is well renowned for the heavy electric storms it suffers.

A rock study for landscape painting

Here's another sketchbook page, a continuation of my recent rock studies. This group showed even more of the cool skylight on the side away from the sun. Rocks are wonderful "mirrors" of the landscape. Depending upon what they are close to, they reflect many different colors, from the warm soil of the ground to bright colored grasses and flowers. Close observation of a pile of rocks, even a neutral colored granite, will reveal that they are anything but drab when given the right lighting conditions and colorful companions.

I was also quite interested in the variety of soft and hard edges that can be seen in just one rock - good information for plein air painting.

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