Signs of the Season

Every year, spring and fall, my trees are full of migrating blackbirds.  Usually red-wings, but this time most seemed to be grackles.  They were feeding on the basswood berries high overhead, chattering, flitting from here to there, and then--flew off in a great flurry of black wings.

Squirrels Again.

Squirrels Again., originally uploaded by Cathy (Kate) Johnson.

More quick studies of the squirrels that enjoy my offerings of corn...unlike some, I invite them to share our goodies. I love sketching them!

These were quick colored pencil sketches, with watercolor, colored pencil, and ink added later...whatever it takes!

Feeder Birds

Most of a journal spread...there's a bit of text on the page on the right...

Detail...I decided to add a touch of color with colored pencil on the downy woodpecker.

My morning routine usually includes some time in my little shed studio, with a cup of coffee and some bird watching.  I had a section of toned paper in my journal, and decided to draw the tree just off the deck with my Micron Pigma pen.

The feeders are on shepherd's hooks just in front of the tree, so the birds find it a perfect perch as they take turns at the 3 feeders there.

This morning, in addition to the goldfinch (9 in all at the feders) and downy woodpecker you see here, there were snowbirds, sparrows, chickadees, titmice, cardinals, brown creepers, and blue jays.  A noisy bunch!

Autumn leaves

maple leaves, a photo by vickylw on Flickr.

One of my favorite things about this time of year is painting the leaves. But the drought conditions make me search longer for leaves to sketch.



Not much color this year. Many are dried and crinkled before falling from the trees.Others fall while still green.



Some seem to fall as small branches instead of individually.

Nature Observations...

This one started out with an unfinished sketch of my husband (you can see his ball cap under the hummingbirds!), then the guy in the car next to us when we went to the library.  Then, the transitional female cardinal feasting on my mulberries demanded to be drawn...

We ran away from home today and went to check on the flooding on the Missouri River...not bad here, yet, but you can see the boat ramp a bit less than accessible out there in the rapidly moving water.

The hummingbirds were all over the place this evening, and I kept doing quick sketches at our feeder and wondering about their life habits--"gizz," one of you called it?  That's a new term for me, and thank you!

There are certainly more females at our feeder than males, and turns out that's fairly common.  They're aggressive little wenches, as are all hummingbirds.

I got to watch the male do his pendulum-like mating flight the other day, swinging back and forth in front of one of the flirty females.

I looked in all my bird books and couldn't find enough on them..."I'll bet there are whole BOOKS on hummingbirds," I told Joseph.  I wanted to find my old Eyewitness book that includes bird skulls and skeletons to see a closeup of their needle-like bill, but couldn't.  What I DID find was the book referenced on this spread--Hummingbirds, written in 1960 (oops, I had his birthdate, not the pub date!) by Crawford H. Greenewalt, and published by Dover; this edition is from the '90s.  Anyway, it's wonderful--and of course written very differently from some of our dry texts today.  Delighted observation...the kind of nature writing that first hooked me when I read my grandmother's books when I was a kid.  I knew then that I wanted to write about nature when I grew up, and sketch all I could.  I've been fortunate enough to get to do a lot of that, in my life!

Somehow this all seemed to be related...Homo sapiens and all...

deadheading roses

deadheading roses
Originally uploaded by vickylw

The David Austin rose shrub I almost got rid of two years ago due to lack of flowers has come back stronger than ever. Fully loaded with blooms in May (or so I was told -- I was in Texas at the time), and now a whole new crop of roses coming on. Plus a couple of spent blooms like this one. I think it took me seriously when I cut it back to just above the soil.

The finches have found us!

It seemed to take forever, but they've found us now...and we're VERY popular.  The juncos feed on the porch and table, and on the ground, preferring the spilled seed; we've had the occasional purple finch, and of course lots of sparrows, a few winter wrens, cardinals, jays, and tons of fluffed-out starlings.

The kittens are going nuts watching the show...chattering to the birds that are closest, wishing they could get outside...

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.

an Autumn sketchbook -- Vicky Williamson

Like most of us, I love the colors and textures of Autumn. Recently I made a sketchbook from a folded sheet of watercolor paper, just for sketching botanicals this season. I thought it would be a good example if I get to teach a botanical sketchbook workshop next spring in Wichita.








I've decided to use just ink, watercolor pencil, and watercolor crayons in this sketchbook.

Drawing is calming...

I find that my stress levels drop dramatically if I take the time to draw carefully from nature...

I've always loved cicadas--their sounds, their abandoned amber husks, the lacy wings of the adults. This page even has a time-lapse video of an emergent cicada--and this one tells some interesting facts about the noisy summer creature.

Nodding Onions...or Garlic

I get in more trouble with these plants...I painted them years ago because I was so taken by their graceful, nodding heads. Then later, I decided to plant some in my garden because I like wild edibles.

BIG mistake. They took over...

I decided to paint them in my journal again today, though--because they're still SO graceful...

I wanted a more delicate effect that you normally get with watercolor pencils, so I lifted color from the tip...

A small plastic palette worked great here, and let me judge the mixed colors and values more accurately. I'll have to rubber-band it to my travel set of watercolor pencils!

I used a small #4 Loew-Cornell white nylon brush to paint with...



....and added the more distant plants with Payne's gray watercolor and no previous ink guidelines.

(I found several conflicting names for these, so not sure which they are...even the descriptions were less than clear, so I'll have to wait till I can find the field guide!)

Sketchcrawl Wildflowers

Seems as if several of us artists in the Midwest have sketched sticky, insistent Galium/bedstraw/cleavers recently!

Here's Jeanette's: http://www.flickr.com/photos/longears/3557941230/

I did this quick ink sketch on our recent sketchcrawl...



....and added color on the spot, since I already had greens mixed up for my previous sketch. These crazy things stick to your clothes, your shoes, your pets, and anything else they come in contact with.

I believe they were once dried and used to stuff mattress ticks (a thick cloth bag, not the critter that gives you Lyme disease), hence one of their common names, bedstraw.

Rhode Island Red 1

Rhode Island Red 1
Originally uploaded by Ricky Holtman

Chic, Chick, Chickun' anyone..? Here he is the top and hardiest we have. I had to find out where my brown eggs were coming from and it is the All-American Rhode Island Red. Unfortunately there are under 5,000 globally and they are now on the WATCH list. We need these big hardy birds for there old genetics...so don't eat him please!
This bird supposedly came over with Columbus, on his second voyage, in 1493. This is done in my little Moleskine and watercolor. Enjoy.

Robin Poses

Robin
Originally uploaded by Cathy (Kate) Johnson

He was grooming himself in my old lilac bush, fluffing his breast feathers and running his beak through them--wish I could have caught that pose! I sketched him quickly with ink, then added WC pencil as I had the chance.

If you click on the image, you can see notes about how I used the pencils to add color.


(Thought I'd try out the "post to blog" option on Flickr, which makes the art smaller, apparently...)



And went back to "all sizes" and the URL for this, done from memory...

Sketchcrawl in Excelsior Springs

Saturday was a wonderful day for sketching in East Valley Park. Several spring wildflowers still around to record on paper and lots of lovely sunshine. We have all had plenty of rain and storms in the Midwest --- it was a bit cool for spring but the sunshine more than made up for that.

Kate and I both sketched the unknown flower on the right -- she later identified it as having the delightful name of Woolen Breeches. You can read her earlier post about this pretty flower. Hers is a much closer resemblance also!

Then again, I must add an update, now that I saw a sketch posted by Jeanette here and in the previous post --- the mystery plant could also be Virginia waterleaf. Her leaves look spot-on!

I sketched the upper left scene while waiting for the others to arrive. This is looking at the entrance to the shelter area we met along "Lovers Lane". It really was that deep green in places. Earlier, as Bill and I drove through the Kansas Flint Hills on our way to Missouri, the hills were so green it made our eyes hurt! Guess all the rain helped.

American Goldfinch

Yes I was doing my plein aire painting and kept looking at this tree....."did someone put christmas ornaments on the tree?" No, as my eyes got adjusted it was a whole HERD OF AMERICAN GOLDFINCH! I had never seen that many in my life. What a blessing that was....all I could do was stare and get my binoculars out. Thank GOD the sun wasn't playing tricks on my old eyes. This is a watercolor approximately 12" X 18"...140 pound cold press paper. Enjoy.
They looked like big lemon drops in that evergreen....strange but beautiful. I'm guessing the black on their wings were really defining them. Thank God for nature and birds. What a nice healing experience. I know everyone would prefer a portrait of the Goldfinch but that's not the way I saw it. God Bless

Ms Azelea

Here she lay on my studio table. I had forgotten about her for a few days. The other day I painted her with all the energy and bravado Ms Azelea was showing. How glorious I remember her being. But now the colors were all muted, dry leaves, and flat, all folded upon herself like some prom dress thrown on the floor. Yes now all the energy was replaced with an air of regalness and some type of majesty. Even now in the throws of of death she still was sharing with me and deserved another painting. I wish I could have done her justice. No hard line used this time, just watercolor and devoid of any volume like before, only flatness or some decorative quality.
It makes me think, while I was painting, is life counted by the hours we are on this planet? Or could it be by the length of time you are remembered through the years or centuries. If this was case it would be me and Ms Azelea sharing timelessness through this watercolor and possible blog. I think I like the later........I choose life.
This was in a moleskine book approx 6" by 8". Enjoy

River Bottoms

I did this a few days ago and forgot to post it. SORRY. When I did the sketch of the Missouri River I turned around and did the view behind of the bottom ground. Lots of different colors and you can tell the clouds were getting together for the next big rain we had.

Cottonwood Tree

This big old Cottonwood Tree was the first tree I had painted in 5 months after surgery last year. It was fall and the air had that cool cleaness to it. I had been out of the studio for almost 4 months. Finally I wanted to go sketch plein aire so to Martha Lafite's Nature Sanctuary I went.
What a Cottonwood specimen this tree was but I have not done it justice. All I know is after my diagnosis nature has brighter greens and all colors, air is cleaner, the sky is bluer and I don't think I can get upset about much. Funny how your priorities get in order.
My art pulls me through with a healing process when I engage its creativeness. You can tell by the colors how thrilled I was to be able to stand in the woods and sketch/paint this tree. God is good.
For some reason I thought I would share this even though it was a few months back. It is watercolor and approximately 11 X 15". Please excuse the glare on picture glass. Enjoy.......Ricky

Daisy of a House

Daisy of a House came about while sketching this old home outside of my town. The poor old place is falling in and I was going to give it some dignity somehow. Out of the corner of my eye the wind was waving something. I turned and down in the ditch were these wonderful daisies. It was a bouquet from heaven. Walking to the ditch and taking that angle, my new found friends and I proceeded to paint. This is a watercolor and ink with wild daisies. Nature will always answer the call if you are listening.........God bless HIS creation everyday. Ricky