Dance with Me

My third acrylic piece of the summer is a bit of a departure from my usual styles. I felt like I was taking a bit of a risk, in a way, but I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out.

Art in Motion: Swans

Art in Motion: Peacocks

Hard on the heels of Snow Leopard comes Peacocks. Yes, I know, the titles are absolutely boring. I spend a great deal of creative energy thinking of names for various articles and manuscripts. When it comes to artwork, I put the creativity into the actual creation, and don't bother with trying to find  clever names, anymore :) 
I can't show this one in as many stages, because this piece was painted over a previous work.

Revelling in Summer Blooms

I have to admit that every year, when I place my little seedlings into the earth outside, I worry. Eighty-five to ninety percent of our plants are home-grown from seeds - that's two to three hundred. I start them in indoor "greenhouses" in March and April. But still, they always look so tiny when being transplanted, and one can never be quite, quite sure, unless one waits until the end of June, that the icy fingers of frost are gone for good.
I was even more worried this year. With the wacky weather, the seedlings just didn't seem to want to grow very much once they were in the gardens. I waited with bated breath for weeks. But now, finally, my efforts have paid off. The front gardens are a riot of color, playing host to bees. The back gardens are mantled with green, and home to darting dragonflies.

This is a picture that one of my student's created for me, using beads and other materials. Goes right along with the summer blooms theme!

                

                     

Art in Motion: Snow Leopard

Seven and a half weeks before it's time to roll up the sleeves and once again enter the hallowed halls of Formal Education. In the meantime, I'm taking advantage of these few weeks to create some new pieces of art - something I haven't done (besides the illustrating stuff) for a while. This last one that was finished was created with pencil, ink and watercolor.

First, the picture was sketched onto watercolor paper with pencil.

Next, the edges were inked in carefully with a small brush.

Afterwards, the areas that would be black were filled in with ink, again with a brush.

When the ink was dry, the piece was painted in watercolor.