Crayons and pencils...your first experiences of applying marks to paper...how much fun it was to see the colors you chose appear on paper. Nothing has changed. Grown up colored pencils continue the experience and the joy.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

There is a race of iris, native to the west coast of north America with varieties known collectively as Pacific Coast Native Iris.  They are underappreciated on many levels as they need no summer water and are delicate beauties in many colors.
This white one is grown from seed I harvested, grew and photographed.  I feel like a proud mama!  While primarily colored pencil, this is actually a mixed media piece and all the more beautiful for it.
Precious Priscilla, what a lady!  Well, most of the time...   Pretty much like all our wonderful animal friends.
Colored pencil is a 'natural' for doing fur.  This is a 6" x 4" drawing.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Hens and Chicks or Houseleeks?

The Latin name 'Sempervivum' means ever living and we know them as carefree and lowly garden plants, easy and fun to propagate and share with friends.   Mother nature has blessed them with a subtle tapestry-like beauty.  I took the photo in my garden last summer and enjoyed doing this 7 x 5 colored pencil painting in the cold of winter.