Reciprocity

 

Nature replenishes my spirit in so many ways. Clean air and water. The simultaneous serenity and thrill while standing on the edge of millions of acres of public lands. Sunshine warming my face. The sound of rain on my rain jacket. Watching a bee fly; toads, deserts, murmuration.

Trees are an organism for which I am supremely grateful. I have always loved them, even before I could understand the depth of what that means.

On a grand scale, trees have sustained cultures for millennia. Closer to home and more personally, trees provide life-saving shelter, shade from the powerful sun, bone- and muscle-warming heat, magnificent beauty, the sound of wind moving through the leaves.

So I've been pondering lately, what do I give back to them? Indeed, what is the exchange between all of nature and myself? It did not take me long to make the connection.

A spotlight. Through my art and writing I shine a spotlight on the beauty, magnificence, importance, and cultural community that trees and forests provide; the very reasons we should be protecting, respecting and thanking them.

My hope is that my work will inspire others to broaden their interest in trees, to the point of finding themselves caring about trees in their own environment, maybe even becoming stewards of the land.

In the spirit of paying it forward, for the trees, click here for a beautifully made documentary created by a young Alaskan woman about the clear cutting of old growth forests in the Tongass National Forest of southeast Alaska.

Reciprocity.

Winter Sketching

From my window, from our Jeep...

I love sketching the feeder birds!

The subtle color of female cardinals always challenges me...

Morning is my favourite time

W&N watercolour on DalerRowney 220gsm heavy-weight sketching paper - sunrise over our smallholding, view towards the neighbour's property

Morning is my favourite time when everything is new; 

flowers drink the morning dew and skies are painted in a golden hue.

Each tree stands tall and stately – different shades and different face. 

I’m viewing morning’s painting, done with Nature’s brush of Grace.

The sun peeks slowly in the East, then rises with its smile;

Another morning greeting and we walk another mile.

UNKNOWN 

 :: 

Barren and bare - Maree

W&N watercolour in hand-crafted sketchbook with linen satin-finish paper

Here in South Africa most of the landscape is still barren and bare after winter's onslaught, but Spring is making a concerted effort to show herself - her reign is normally short-lived, quickly being ousted by Summer's determination to make the most of the months ahead until Autumn has her turn again.

The garden like a lady fair was cut 
That lay as if she slumbered in delight, 
And to the open skies her eyes did shut; 
The azure fields of heaven were 'sembled right 
In a large round set with flow'rs of light: 
The flowers de luce and the round sparks of dew 
That hung upon their azure leaves, did show 
Like twinkling stars that sparkle in the ev'ning blue.
 ~ Giles Fletcher

::

Nature's lotion - Maree

Prickly greenery, 

Nature's lotion is inside, 

skin soothed on contact

- Unknown

  

An aloe – spiky, soothing, fragrant, bitter – just love this time of the year when they all start flowering... 

::

In Nature everything is perfect - Maree

“In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful.”
- Alice Walker

Ink sketch with W&N watercolours on Visual 110gsm sketching paper – a beautifully weird and bent tree I spotted next to the road at Kromdraai on my way to the airport to fetch my grand-daughter.

Nature, Nature, please don't go away... Maree

Nature has so much beauty, so much to teach us. Mother Nature has inspired the greatest poets of all time to write unbelievable prose.

Nature, Nature,
Please don't go away...

We over polluted and any day, now, any day
It might die forever
And just go away

We are transmitting from the future
2115, I think
We lost count at 2079
When the world was on the brink

Look Larry
Look Sue
Look Harry

It’s 2011 according to the machine…
Those trees are green!
The sky is blue!
The fields are beautiful
And even the people are, too!
Look everyone!
Look at the screen!

Look at when nature, nature
Was such a fragile creature
With such delicate green features
By John Murray

Necessary part of Nature - Maree

Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean.
- Maya Angelou



Well, it's July (2011) and we've had our first veld fires here in Tarlton (Gauteng, South Africa), much later than last year, when the fires had already started in April. This fire had come over the hills and was burning along-side the road as we passed on our way to Magaliesburg, thick smoke slowing traffic to a crawl. My heart always sinks, thinking of all the helpless little animals in the path of these, sometimes roaring, monsters.

South Africa is well-known for it's veld fires (wild fires) during Winter and, although destructive in many ways, especially for our wildlife, it is a necessary part of nature to ensure a healthy balance in our eco-system.

Watercolour in my Moleskine Nature Journal

A Nature Walk

 

Over a week ago the sun was out and the weather was just gorgeous. We were having nearly an Indian Summer. I had been cooped up to long and could not resist any longer the call to be outside and at Presque Isle. I had my camera but not my binoculars. Yikes how could I forget them. Sometimes I wonder where my head is. Oh well I was going to enjoy my walk anyways. I started out on the lake side entering the Old Gaswell Trail and immediately I was upon a flock of Robins high in the bare canopy. Yes the Robins do gather in winter and stay in wooded areas. They leave our yards and head for the woods. Here they feed on the berries left behind by fallen leaves in the trees and large brush. At first they were to high for me to capture any shots worth keeping but later in my walk I came across some that were closer to the ground and with the sun behind me I could at least get some reference photos for later use in my sketchbooks and future paintings. Below is a selection of what I captured that day.

The Old Gaswell Trail as I entered from the lake side.

There are still wild grapes hanging for the birds to feast on.

And winter berries.

Nothing like sticking your beak up in the air at me. There coloring is so subdued this time of year.

I took the side trail Canoe Portage which ends at the bay near the Marina.  Colorful leaves float in the water.

Back on the Gaswell Trail where deep ruts from tires left pools of water for the birds to drink and bath.

I think there was going to be a party because the Tit Mouse and Chickadees were having a ball getting clean.

Can you see them? Two chickadees and a Tit Mouse. You may have to click on the photo to see it larger.

Splish Splash I'm taking a bath!

Winter Solstice and the hope of Spring? - Maree

“What fire could ever equal the sunshine of a winter's day?”
- Henry David Thoreau

One stubborn leaf... or the hope of spring?

Believe it or not, but this deciduous tree in my garden has this one, lonely leaf hanging from a branch in mid-winter - thought it was a sign of Spring! but no, it's an old leaf, still green, and just very stubborn, I guess. The shrub behind the is my evergreen Abelia grandiflora (Frances Mason).

Yesterday was Winter Solstice here in South Africa, the shortest day and longest night - currently dawn appears at almost 6.30am, and as from now on it will be getting lighter earlier each day.

Frog - Teri Casper

Frog
Originally uploaded by Teri DC

This is painted from a photo that my daughter took in Germany and I decided it would be a fun piece of nature to paint.
It was.

Peaceful Goose - Teri Casper

Peaceful Goose
Originally uploaded by Teri DC

I found a photo reference from my own. About two years ago the grands and I went for a nature walk in a nature preserve and this is a goose we saw floating on the river.

This is #13 in my '100 Painting Challenge" and also for 'Haiku Bones' with a prompt of 'Peace'.

Brambles and tall weeds
Hiding the goose beyond me
Enjoying her peace

and

Peace on the river
A goose floating so serene
Wishing for the same

European Otter - Sigrid Frensen

I made some animals this weekend in watercolour. One of them was this cute otter. I used a photo of course. I never did animals before and I actually liked it. So maybe I'll do some again. Could make a nice series perhaps. It's very small. Not bigger than a normal business card.

Feathers Left Behind - Teri Casper

While walking in the back yard I found the little white feather at the top of the page.

A soft white feather

Came floating into my life

Natures's gift today

Then:

I saw a feather

Now I see many feathers

Predator afoot.

So I put them both together and sketched them on tan paper in my handmade sketchbook.

I think it was a mourning dove.

Conjoined Susies--Teri Casper

My granddaugther found this conjoined Black-eyed Susie and I had to sketch it. Isn't it odd? Looks like two flowers never separated and stayed as one. I emphasized the two black seed heads but they are really one with the yellow rays surrounding it. There is only one stem.Has anyone ever seen anything like this or know why it happens?

I am editing this to give the explanation given to me on my Blog:

Yes, I can help! (I have my uses after all!...) I work in the information office at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Your flower is exhibiting a phenomenon called "fasciation", which usually arises when the growing point of a plant is damaged slightly. The plant will start to produce exessive amounts of some types of cells, leading to a bizarrely-shaped overgrowth, often of flowering tissue. The daisy family are rather prone to it for some reason. The results are almost always amazing to look at.

This was from Imogene in London.

The Internet is truly an information highway!!

Wild Mushrooms--Teri Casper

My husband is so funny. When he sees something that thinks needs sketching, he always calls it to my attention.These are mushrooms growing on a tree stump near the house.A tree stump with lichen growing on it usually means mushrooms are not far behind. This particular mushrooms is a 'baddie' as he says and he does know a few eatable ones that also grow near here.

Warning: never ever eat wild mushrooms unless you know it is absolutely safe.


This is the same mushroom a week later done with watercolor pencil on non-watercolor paper.
The bigger mushroom has completely covered the small one and is at least twice the size of the first sketch.

Zennias Last Day

Zennia Last Day
Originally uploaded by Ricky Holtman

Loved doing this little watercolor sketch of some dead Zennias in my studio. The colors and texture will make a wonderful larger painting to me. The red ribbon was really a wild card. Zennias are such a wonderful and colorful flower to me. Enjoy, I did.

Meet Stubby The Squirrel

We have a grey squirrel that is a daily visitor under our bird feeders.
Despite the fact that he hops around like a bunny, he is a squirrel.
Despite the fact that he has a tail like a bunny, he is a squirrel.
What? he has a tail like a bunny? How is that possible? I've never seen a squirrel without a long bushy tail.
Until this one became our daily visitor.
We call him Stubby, for obvious reasons.
Even funnier, DH and I always announce to each other that, "Stubby is here!"
I did these sketches while he moved around and when he turned his back I quickly sketched his taillessness.

Simpson stopper

Simpson stopper, originally uploaded by Elizabeth Smith.

Simpson’s or Simpson Stopper
Myrcianthes fragrans
Myrtle family

Simpson’s stopper forms a lovely compact small tree or large shrub in (mostly) full sun, which is where mine grows. It’s in fruit right now, heavy branches of berries in all stages from green to orange to red. The berries are said to be edible for humans, as well as favored by wildlife, especially mockingbirds. It’s also a nectar source for butterflies; the long white stamens make the flowers appear like tiny, frothy puffballs. Ethnobotany lore has it that the common name of stopper comes from the “stopping” powers of the leaves used in a treatment for diarrhea.

Simpson’s stopper has two other common names: twinberry and nakedwood. I assume the twinberry refers to the two-berry stems that I noticed on mine, and the nakedwood refers to the exfoliating bark habit. Nakedwood would be my favorite, but there is another Florida tree with the same common name and I dislike confusion. After reading more about the Simpson namesake, though, I’m convinced of its perfection. Charles Torrey Simpson was a self-taught botanist and malacologist (one who studies mollusks), and has been called “the father of all South Florida naturalists.” He first visited Florida in 1881, beginning a love affair with the state that lasted the rest of his life.

My botanical names book states that the genus Myrcianthes refers to the myrtle family. Fragrans is self explanatory: the flowers are quite fragrant and the leaves contain aromatic oils, some say reminiscent of nutmeg. My stopper smells just faintly fragrant, not quite nutmeg-like. It has numerous leathery and glossy medium-green leaves on somewhat stiff stems that range from copper-colored to brownish-gray. The peeling bark is similar to that of ornamental guava. With all of these wonderful traits, you might wonder why I planted it behind the house in a hidden corner. I do. Next time I’ll plant it where I can enjoy it every day!

Click on the image to go to my Flickr site to view larger.

~ Elizabeth Smith
Naples, Florida, USA

Roses

Roses
Originally uploaded by Ricky Holtman

Quick little ink line sketch with watercolor of some roses. There is a touch of fall in the air when looking at these roses....they are already turning colors. Wished I could have caught the color better but in a hurry.