Enough said.
“There is a sweetness of May verging on June that no other time can equal.” – Hal Borland Tips and Techniques– I’ve sketched allium for several years now and it’s always a pleasure. Poppies are usually next, with numerous flower heads ready to unfold in a week or so, but I’ll miss them this year while traveling and teaching in Portugal. I look forward to returning with a sketchbook full of new sights. (Sketched in Handbook Journal Co. 140lb watercolor journal, with a Micron 005 pen and QoR watercolors.)
Magnolia study
What makes your top five list of spring flowering trees? The Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) is right up there on mine, even though I don’t get to see it unless I’m traveling to the mid-Atlantic or Southeastern U.S. where it grows. But what a beauty! Its huge white flowers are set off by glossy dark leaves and, later, its bright red fleshy seeds are eaten by birds and other wildlife. Tips and Techniques – I painted this study while preparing for the first session of my upcoming online class, Savoring Summer Sketchbook… Read More
Snow Caps
It felt so great to get outside to sketch yesterday afternoon, even in snow. I’ve painted these flowers in summer, fall, and now winter. They look rather handsome in their snow caps, don’t you agree? Tips & Techniques– Take the bare minimum of art supplies– pencil or pen and sketchbook– outside when it’s cold, and choose a subject that you can sketch quickly. I used a Micron 005 sepia pen in my Handbook Journal Co.140lb watercolor journal. Inside, I painted with QoR watercolors, using predominantly cobalt blue and raw sienna for the… Read More
The Last of the Zinnias
The leaves are mostly fallen, and November has turned cold. Still, I haven’t found time to fully put the garden to bed. I’ve left some coneflowers for the birds to pick over and the zinnias are mostly standing upright and brown. I love their curling leaves and stray petals, now dried and drooping or sticking out every which way. They gave me one last chance for a sketch before meeting the compost pile. Cold as it was, it was good to be outside, remembering summer, and savoring this last moment in the… Read More
Past Perfect
Had the zinnias looked any more enticing before they began to fade? I think not. The tufts of petals and ragged edges add so much character. And while there’s plenty of praise for summer blooms, even these hangers-on continue to add cheer and attract a hummingbird or two to the garden. Tips & Techniques– This sketch was tricky because I was working outside and biting gnats were keeping me company the entire time. It was a warm afternoon and the sun was lovely so I didn’t want to give up. I made… Read More
From the Garden
Sending you zinnias this week: bold, colorful, and deserving of a page all their own. I painted them as a demo for my Fun Farmers Market class at Winslow Art Center and it’s been great fun to see the artwork that class participants have created in response. What I especially love about art is that even when working on the same subject no two people create quite the same piece. The marks made are as unique as fingerprints or voice, as personal and expressive as touch or song. Tips & Techniques- I… Read More
Farmers Market Quest
I’ve been visiting farm stands and farmers markets for several weeks, looking for fresh subjects for my Farmers Market sketchbook series. I accidentally discovered The King Farm near South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, when we made a wrong turn and pulled into the parking lot to get our bearings. A large tent revealed a bonanza of produce, baked goods, and two long tables with containers of mix and match flowers. Last week, I found buckets of colorful flowers from Damsel Garden at the Kinderhook Farmers Market. I love the riot of colors and textures… Read More
In the Garden- July
I have hopelessly neglected my garden this year in favor of other activities, and it is now a rather messy tangle. Delighted that last year’s morning glories reseeded themselves, I didn’t have the heart to cull them and now they are climbing not only the arbor but also most of the flowers. Still, from a distance, and with a bit of artistic license, it’s a colorful and lively scene, and not altogether too bad. Tips and Techniques-When I first started journaling, I didn’t quite understand the concept of editing what I was… Read More
A Trio of Peonies
I don’t know whether it’s been my neglect or all the rain, but our peonies put on a less than stellar display this year. We had a few blooms and, thankfully, I cut three to enjoy indoors before a big downpour that I knew would knock them to the ground. These three have made a lovely display on the kitchen counter and I finally spent a few minutes sketching them before their inevitable fall from grace. Tips & Techniques– The drawing stage of this page began with a continuous line drawing. Basically,… Read More
So Fleeting!
Our poppies unfolded this week and enjoyed a brief three days of sunshine. I’m working on the sketch of day four now, post downpours; flames ragged and nearly extinguished. Tips & Techniques- Instead of offering a tip this week, I thought I’d ask you for one: What types of tips or techniques are most useful or interesting to you? Your answers will help to shape future information included here. Thanks!
Jean Mackay
The Nature Explorer’s Sketchbook
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