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Inktober Day 12 – Stuck (or un-stuck)

Sea turtles are a favorite, for sure!

This one falls under the “look for the helpers” and “good people doing good things”.

I am keen on the work being done to clean up the oceans and sea turtle rescue and rehab around the world. I love the stories of successful releases and find them very encouraging. The stuck part of this is the tendency of sea turtles to get caught in abandoned fishing nets, but the people at various conservancies and rescues do much to “un-stuck” those turtles and rehab them. They also track and protect their eggs on various beaches. What cool work to be involved in!

Here in my land-locked state, we also rescue smaller turtles quite frequently, and that has been a joy to be a part of. So go rescue a turtle when you see one “stuck” somewhere. Just remember, for land turtles, head them safely in the direction they were going and do not remove them from their habitat unless they are injured and need rehab. Our land turtles do not range far and get disoriented easily.

I follow The Turtle Hospital in the Florida Keys, as well as the Turtle Conservancy.

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Inktober 2021 – Day 11 Sour

I will be adding watercolor to this one, for sure!

This is my grandma and her bowl of sour lemon candy.

We lost my Grandma to a heart attack at the age of 62. I was 16 and this was my first devastating loss. Grandma made me feel loved – unconditionally. She never once told me I was “too much” of anything. She was just there for me. I never once doubted that she fully loved me. And I have never stopped loving her.

This Inktober is about remembering the loves, the joys and celebrating that which is good in this life.

Turning pain into beauty.

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Inktober 2021 – Day 9 Pressure

That delicate pressure applied while this flamingo was preening was too good to pass up.

The reference photo was taken from my visit to the Indianapolis Zoo last month

Playing a bit of catch up. I knew I would have these days so have salted some pre made pieces into the process. This one I went on to watercolor and it now hangs in my sunroom.

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Inktober – Day 6 Spirit

Blue Zeus

Over the past year, Skydog Sanctuary (and their many supporters) have been working hard to pull this gorgeous stallion out of the kill pens out West (yeah, horrible and sad stuff), and they finally did it.

But then they went one further and searched and found his band of mares and foals. It was not easy, and once they had them, they slowly built them back up physically and helped them acclimate to their new lands.

Last week they united Blue Zeus with his band in a wonderful, much anticipated reunion. This wonderful band will now run their new hills for the rest of their lives, supported through the stewardship of Skydog Ranch.

The spirit of these magnificent animals is amazing and the spirit of Blue Zeus and his mares during all of this frightful chaos has been a source of hope and healing for me.

Good people doing good things – look for the helpers!

Note: This guy will reappear in watercolor before the month is over, I bet! I am thinking he is going on my wall, this situation has been such an inspiration that there are good people out there fighting for the right things and making a difference to lives.

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Inktober 2021 – Day 5 Raven

Ink wash on watercolor

Anyone following me knows that I follow The Daily James – James and his mate, Margaret, are certainly a positive example of love and devotion and of relationship goals. I draw them each Inktober.

This is their morning greeting after waking up. You can not question that birds are quite sentient beings after watching them. And I want to thank the folks whose house they chose to live near for sharing this special relationship with the world.

The world needs a little more beak clacking, don’t cha think?

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Inktober 2021 – Day 4 Knot

Ink wash on watercolor paper – I have seen gorgeous ink washes. I am not sure about doing them myself just yet.

“Look for the helpers.”

Fred Rogers’ mother reminded him to find these people in times of tragedy and anxiety, and this is exactly what I am doing this month. “You can always find people who are helping,” he said. So inking him tying his shoes at the beginning of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood made sense for “knot” and sets the tone for this month.

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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.