Watercolor Nature Journal

Practicing snow and shadows with the Mulberry tree behind our house

I did work on the nature journal a bit this past Winter/Spring. I love our birds and critters but this year we did not feed them. There was a scary disease going through this part of the country. Thankfully, I did not see it with our birds, but the DNR asked us to not feed them in case it was spreading.

Inktober Week 1

Inktober Week 1

Day 1: Fish – Belted Kingfisher in my Nature Journal

It is Inktober! This year I am taking the course from Sktchy: Inktober2020 Portrait Challenge. I am not planning to stick to only portraits, but I am going through each day’s course and using what I am learning.

Day 2: Wisp (me at the age of 2 – and that wispy hair). A tentative use of a light ink wash for the first time, as well as using a brush pen.

My main focus this month is learning portraiture. Portraiture has terrified me my entire art life. It is time to lay that ghost.

Day 3: Bulky (for the bulky lines and sticks.)

Day 1 of the classes I learned how to create ink delivery systems out of sticks from the back yard and dipping ink. It was so much fun! I thought Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s image lent itself well to this style. This was such a freeing experience.

Another one for Bulky is an ink wash of a Dark-eyed Junco. I am not yet sold on ink washes. The light ones I love, but the heavier ones, I have not yet found my comfort.
Day 4: Radio – blind drawing

6 of my nieces have joined me this year. We zoom once a week to look at what we are doing and I give them one assignment a week. This week was to do a blind drawing and then I also have to do it. I forgot how much fun some of these fundamental drawing exercises are! I hope they can cut loose and just enjoy their pens.

Bandits

This is Notch – I think she may be a first time mother. She has at least 2 babies so she got bold enough to come up to the deck. It seems they get hungry about this time of year. I also see them in the deep winter when the snow is thick. Otherwise, they only visit at night. How do I know? My tomatoes growing on my second story deck keep disappearing.