Good Day Sunshine

Here is the sunshine of my mind.  It lights up all those strange little botanical imaginings that grow and crop up in my sketches and gives them the nutrients of fruition from concept to completion.  It, naturally, is a microscopic sun and changes colors at will, a very fickle sun, but consistent in its sunshine.  Sometimes I get art-burn, but there is no permanent damage.  She exists as pictured in my sketchbook, but tomorrow's sun will surely be different and surprising.

A Very Merry Microsopic Berry Spore

I am obsessed with all things microscopic and the idea that we live on a dust speck, think "Horton Hears a Who", has fascinated me since forever.  This teeny little organism is a berry spore, looking for a place in life to call her own blueberry, strawberry, or cranberry plant.  A berry spore within the plant will ensure that you are getting the very best-flavored berry, with pride.  She aims to please and stain all light-colored clothes (not intentional).  Most spores are happy-go-lucky, which is good, sour-puss spores make for very sour tasting berries.

An Elephant Water Sprite

Here's a rare glimpse into the world of the Elephant-styled water sprite.  This one lives within a waterfall and likes to mimic the body of water in which it lives.  This water sprite protects the underwater plantlife and aquatic creatures that live within the waterfall and the lagoon in which the waterfall splashes into.  On occasion, the water sprite will come across a human encountering it's domain.  If you cause any harm to it's domain, it will haunt the intruder until the danger retreats.  If you visit with no harmful intentions, you will benefit greatly from this encounter, sometimes healed of your afflictions as a form of thanksgiving from the sprite, which in reality is an angel, guardian of nature of its choice, some choose, forests, trees, gardens, etc..  They have been known to take up residence in cities and churches or church meditation gardens (they like the statues).  They are invisible unless they choose to show themselves to you, in your imagination, like the one above.

A Botanical Showgirl

Here's a spectacular Showgirl, in full bloom.  This is special blossom that coincides with a collection of several small plants cooperating to create this particular spectacle.  It is extraordinary because many species of small, even unknown plants will pull their resources to create a cascade of multiple blooms that will give you a show, so to speak.  No two Showgirls will ever be alike due to the plants combined that create the blossom.  Some Showgirls have been known to include trees and shrubs and even small animals, insects or birds  join the cooperative efforts given the benefits of strength in numbers and a shared base of nutrients for all involved.  They live right under our noses, parading about Showgirl style, usually in floral arrangements.  This particular Showgirl was spotted in the wild and recorded in my sketchbook.

   

A Sea-Flower Family

This seaplant exists in the reef of my mind, none-the-less, it is a fascinating species, like coral and other animals parading around as plantlife in the sea, it is stationary.  The mother-plant is like the queen bee, the colony grows around her, and all the sea-blooms are her children and they share the nutrients as they are all connected.

More Botanical Delights

Here's a new little sketch, a little imaginary botanical drawing.  This is a underwater seaweed blossom from an imagined reef, of course.

Remember My Family Tree?

This is the original color sketch of the painting 'The Family Tree'.  Ripe fruits for the picking!  No worries when you have the Garden-Variety Dragons protecting us! 

WINNIE! 

For those of you who have visited, you have met Winnie!  She is our snarky little yorkie-poo(dle).  Winnie is more poo, than yorkie.  Her coat is champagne, or cream in coloration and her ears fold down like that of a poodle rather than point upwards like a yorkie.  She is spunky and demanding.  Winnie likes to be a part of everything.  And so it would be natural to include her in my portfolio:)  This is a painting for my husband, Larry.  His birthday is fast approaching...and he is always asking me to paint our pup, Winnie!  Due to health-related issues, we were not blessed with children, however, we have been blessed with the company of Winnie.  And believe me when I tell you, she is in every way, a part of the family.  She is the inspiration for many of my onerous and mischievous characters I paint and draw.  We love her dearly, and she deserves a painting.  Here is the pre-painting sketch.  I'll post the painting when complete.  

Cutie-Pie

I really can not wait to start on this little cutie-pie.  I think I am moving her near the top of the list!!!  The thing I love about sketches is the energy, it's so frustrating to work on a painting and somehow leave the energy of the original sketch behind.  I will make sure not to allow that to happen with this sketch-to-painting transformation!

A New Submergency?

Just like an artist, we are never happy are we?  But, there is always room to improve on a theme.  I've done it before and I will do so in the future.  There is nothing wrong with re-doing the a theme, isn't that what series are for?  I like it, this one has a sprite-like quality to it. Sketch, sketch, sketch...

New Ideas are in Bloom

More family tree paintings are in bloom, we will see how this turns out.  I like adding lots of patterning and line work.  I sometimes go a bit crazy with it, but it makes me HAPPY:)

Newest Additions

This is one of my latest sketches, where ideas are born into paintings. We will see what comes of this little ditty.  I like it, I think I will develop this one.

Flight of Fancy

This is a sketch from my current sketchbook.  You will see lots of fanciful and imagined fauna with my flora.  Birds fascinate the imagination, both realistically and symbolically.  Birds are one of those creatures can appear angelic and mechanical at the same time.  They are created with such precision, each feather has a purpose, every color, or movement has a meaning ( for another one of it's kind ) and their flight is masterful.  Humankind has been copying the bird for purposes of flight, mythology and religion has many uses for the symbol of the bird.  The bird is a valued, graceful, balanced, accomplished, practical and resourceful little critters.  I know this color sketch is partially complete, but I fully intend upon completing this scenario one day.  This little blue bird is at rest for now.

The Marsh Dragon of the Chesapeake ( a color sketch)

This is one of my husband's favorites.  He 'claims' that if he weren't so afraid of needles, this dragon would grace his body in the form of a tattoo.  He thinks I'm kinda kooky, because everything I draw has a story, or rather, a scenario and this little guy is no different.  Scenario:  This is a marsh dragon, they are small, like a squirrel.  Their flames have a magical quality.  Where ever they blow their flames, a new plant begins to grow in its ashes.  This only happens in marshes, otherwise there would be the problem of uncontrollable wildfires.  Marshes surround the Chesapeake Bay area where we live, I could of sworn I saw one of these little marsh dragons, they are quick and elusive and their services help in keeping the Bay healthy and full of blue crabs, because they like to eat them too;)

A Garden Nymph:

Here is a recent painting of a garden nymph.  There are truly some flowers and blooms that exist in our world that are extraordinary and exquisite.  When I see something of that nature, I can't help but sense the soul of that creation.  Something of an aura surrounds that beauty, and this painting is my interpretation of that unearthly presence.  This is a poor reproduction of the original painting.  This is painted on super smooth sanded maple board, the background in painted in a satin finished antique gold and the image is light and dark variations of one color, a very, very light pale lemon yellow.  It has a three dimensional quality and is very tactile.  There is a shiny, thick medium placed over the pale lemon.  It is like a painting the blind could feel.  I really find it hard to restrict my use of color, but I was quite happy with the results of that self-imposed restriction.  I have had many compliments on this particular painting.  I will have to get a better image, and post later.  This is one of those paintings I find difficult to discuss in terms of content.  It is part visual poem and part prayer, it is like a tribute to William Blake.

 Sketch for Angel in Blue:

One of my favorite fairy tales is written by Hans Christian Anderson, Thumbelina.  This and Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll have simply flooded my mind with images of imaginary gardens with flowers that exist in imagination alone.  It has been an endless wellspring of page after page in my sketchbooks, paintings,  and sculptures.  In this case, it is an angel in blue that emerges from a flower in a woodland garden space.  Angels have many duties, they are guardians, messengers, comforters, etc..  In this case, the angel in blue protects and guards this small garden, to ensure that it continues to blossom and bring beauty in a sometimes confusing and scary world.  She is a messenger of love through the fragile beauty of a simple blossom.   Sometimes, that's all we need to move forward.

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The end result of the The Angel in Blue:

I painted her on a smooth, sanded piece of: maple.  Angels are in prayer, always.  Prayer is not only words, they are any form of communication.  I have painted a lot of prayers over the years.                                 

 

Color Sketch for Desert Bloom

I love sharpies, more recently, I've been using Copic markers, but I still secretly desire the simplicity of the sharpie marker.  They are cheap, accessible and permanent, how can you go wrong?  In this sketch, I made her in a wooded setting, and she is more or less a wood nymph petrified, encased in wood.  But NOT a coffin, God forbid!  She's still alive, just a little afraid to move at the moment.  Think of it like a cocoon, she will emerge a beautiful version, a mere shadow of her former self.  She will be glorious and transformed!

Submersive/Submergency

This little color sketch was the seed to the

painting above, Submersive/Submergency.

Sometimes it is easier to allow the roots to

submerge and plant you firmly in your life. 

A little stability goes a long way.  I do like

the quality of roots in this detail (above), 

they are more like tentacles...

Botanical Imaginings:  A little ditty from my current sketch book.  She is a smaller and more shallow version of 'Submersion'.  In this scenario, the submerged self is less incumbered by deep roots or ties to the soil.  She is free to go about other gardens, check out new digs.  Her motto might be "what family tree?"

Alice in Blue:  I was intrigued with the color Alice Blue, and the gown everyone was singing about, "Alice Blue Gown" way back when.  It was the seed for this growth of independence in sketch.  Here, the character is in flight, part bird, part flower.  Again, no roots, she is away from the family tree that day.  But I notice she is quite bogged-down by her luggage of multiple eggs/seeds.  Maybe she will plant them in new gardens along the way.

What Big Eye-lids!   This is a tree sprite. She is part of the family tree that hasn't materialized as yet.  She is future growth and potential.  Trees have always been symbolically female when described in the mythological landscape.  They bear female attributes.  I think she has a maternal instinct with good intentions. She will probably bake some cookies and care for the seedlings.

   

 

This a Garden Dragon,  He is one of many dragon sketches I've drawn.  Dragons are symbolically guardians of treasure.  In this case, he is sleeping on the job!  He's been asleep so long that the garden has grown over top of him.  But, that's OK, there is no alarm.  In this garden, my family tree grows, and the jewels are safe.  He is more like a guardian angel, he's friendly.