Fall Geese #64

In the valleys of western Oregon, where I live, fall colors are muted. We sort of ease from greens to warm greens to greenish golds and finally trees take their turns loosing their leaves. Nothing glorious like the midwest where I grew up. Still, there is a rustic beauty to this time of year. And if we need a dose of red there are a few fabulous reds in the mountains.

This was painted with a 20 min time limit .... Pelikan fountain pen with watercolor added. I actually started out planning to draw a flock of geese, but they did me a favor. Most immediatly disappeared over the rise. I had plenty to do painting these three.

# 38 Flowering Cactus

I came across this picture on the net and it reminded me of a cactus plant that I have which flowered once in Assam. Since coming to Kolkata, it has never flowered! I decided to paint it for Cactus Monday today and have a memory of how bright the flower was, and how very beautiful!

# 37 Kaash Flowers

The 20 min.challenge this month was Something Autumn!The immediate picture that comes to mind is that of  leaves turning to yellows and golds, rusts and the many shades of reds, yards covered with fallen leaves and Nat King Cole singing Autumn Leaves!
However in Bengal where I live, autumn means the flowering of the Kaash flowers. It heralds  the end of the very wet Monsoons and the fields, especially near the river are covered with Kaash! I suppose its a kind of elephant grass which have these amazing silvery grey flowers! The river is no longer unsafe and the small country boats start fishing again. I have a memory of them from childhood....my mother used to put them in tall earthenware pots, and they glistened like silver, when the sunlight fell on them!
Painting this in 20 mins. meant I had to concentrate on what was essential. It also ensured I didn't fiddle, once the picture was done!! The picture came out better than I expected!

Painting #95 - Autumn Cactus

I painted this cactus from a photo I took last year when it was autumn in Arizona.  It is a very small cactus with spines truly that long and the leaves were lying around it.

# 36 perfume bottles

Haven't painted for a while...so am glad I was able to do this in class and post it. I don't really like the composition very much, but as it was an exercise in art class, took it as a challenge  to try and paint glass bottles in different forms! The lace doily placed at the back took quite a bit of effort as well! I have realised one thing though, one must like the subject one is painting!!!!

September Moon #65

This moon greeted us when we were driving back from the Oregon Coast last night. I scribbled the idea in my journal and wrote down color notes. ... and had enough sence to paint it on some decent watercolor paper once I got home. I like how there is still a little light left when the moon rises in the fall. Later on it will be pitch black. It is a challenge to get a good edge between the moon and the sky.

Comments anyone?

Painting #94 - "Pumpkin Sale"

We were out the other day and noticed this pumpkin display for their sale.  I took a pix so I could paint it.  I just love these displays.

Flower # 64

A few days ago I posted a 20 sketch of this same species of flower on the Twenty Minute Challenge blog. I really like the little flower so I wanted to do a careful study of it. My masking fluid was old (klutzy edges), I picked the wrong paper (some of the paper lifted off and no where could I get delicate detail), but I did get the white blossoms to pop out from the dark background, so I achieved part of what I wanted.

I'm begining to think I should just throw away my "Nature Sketch" sketchbook ( by Pentalic ). I feel as though I have to work twice as hard when I use this paper.

Painting # 93 - Teri Casper

I have been away too long due to life's stressors but am slowly making my way back.  I started with these two bookmakers, small but practical and I like them.  One for my daughter and one for a friend.


I was inspired when I saw Elva's bookmarks.

It feels good to be painting again.

Daytime Moon #63

I pooped myself out chasing dragonflies ... well, actually I pooped my self out the two days before when the painters came to paint our deck and shed and a lot of stuff had to be moved.

I sat on a log and drew this with my trusty Pelikan pen and waterbrush, all except the sky which I did at home where I had some miskit. Even though it was done in broad daylight, the black and white makes it look like a night scene. When the cresent moon faces up, you know it is daytime. At night the cresent moon faces down.

Pristine Moleskine Phobia and the Fly #62

I did it! … I’ve been suffering from an advanced case of “Pristine Moleskine Phoebia,” an ailment closely related to “White Page Fear.” For more on that be sure to go to Laure Ferlita’s blog, Painted Thoughts” and read her Sept 11 post. After reading Laure’s blog I admitted to her I’ve been sitting on 6 moleskines journals …. saving them month after month. Of course Laure immediately told me to “kick fear to the curb.”

Oh dear! So I really had to do it. I realized I was in deep soup when I actually thought about using the first moleskine for just drawings of buttons (something I couldn’t botch up too drastically). BUTTONS! Talk about being intimidated!

I figure I’m always itching to draw little things that have no purpose except that they are exquisite – a much better subject for my journal than buttons. If I want a button page, I can always put one in.

So I’ve jumped in. This little fly is about a third of an inch long in real life. It has meaning for me because my friend, Eleanor, found it a couple of weeks ago and we both enjoyed trying to photograph it.. So on my first page I painted a pretty little fly that comes with a wonderful memory of my good friend.

And, Laure, your were so right to say I might not like the paper. It really isn’t appropriate for water. I got plenty of detail, but my page is now all warped. In all fairness to Moleskine, it isn't one of their watercolor Moleskines.

Painting #92 - Teri Casper

This is a painting I have been wanting to do all summer.  When I visited my daughter this spring she had these growing in her garden and are so strikingly beautiful I took a pix for future painting and the day is finally here.

They are called Razmatazz Coneflowers.

I was trying for a different look in the background and not sure I like it now.

#35 the old wrought iron gate!

I am staying with my daughter in Mumbai, in her flat on the 11th floor! In the distance there is an old building which has this wonderful gate leading onto the main road. It is made of wrought iron possibly, and I  see it every morning as I sit down with my morning cup of tea. This part of Mumbai is full of high rises, and this old gate certainly stands out. I have used washes and a black pen to do a quick sketch. At the moment there is a lot of rain here, so everything is very green and lush....I have tried to get a 'wet' look with puddles in the court yard. It took about 45 mins! Comments would be appreciated!

Fall Harvesting # 61

This is a chickaree, the West Coast version of a red squirrel. At this time of year they are busy harvesting cones for winter, dropping them off the trees one by one. I wanted to capture how daring and atheletic they are. I worked from a tiny image on one of my photos.

www.elvafieldnotes.blogspot.com

Pencil and watercolor in an Aquabee sketchbook.

Painting #91 - Teri Casper

I painted this using 'color sanding' that I learned in Laure's class.

I used it this am for 'Illustration friday's prompt of 'Proverb.  My proverb is 'Nature's Last Hurrah'.

Painting #90 - Teri Casper

I have already  painted the milkweed flowers and this is what it looks like in the autumn; a seedpod sending it's seeds into the world.
Done in Laure's class using salt and sanding.

Happy Birthday Laure!

#34 yellow cactus flower

I did this for the Cactus Monday Challenge. It was from a reference picture I found and reminded me of the cactus flowers in Rajasthan! I decided to paint this picture without drawing it first, and am pleased to see that I have managed to!

Cheetah #60

For more about why I drew this cheetah be sure and read the information under "Cheetah Family #59."

This cheetah will go in the lower right corner of some letter paper which will be given to docents attending the meeting. I penciled first, then inked with a Micron pigma pen.

Cheetah Family #59

The blog is also for celebrating milestones. I feel as though I just reached one. A couple of months ago I promised two pieces of art to my fellow docents at Wildlife Safari where I volunteer. We are hosting the annual meeting for the Pacific Northwest Docent Association. Since Wildlife Safari is noted for their cheetah breeding program, it seemed appropriate to draw cheetahs.

This drawing will become a bookmark. There will be some text celebrating the event below the cheetah, but someone else is doing that. Eventually the bookmark will be laminated and will have a little string threaded through the top.

I drew it with a pigma pen, printed it out on watercolor paper, and then added the color.

# 33 The silver tea pot

I asked for tea at the hotel in Bhutan, and they brought this wonderful old silver teapot. Actually I think its a coffee pot, but whatever, it was pretty with the little flower on top. It was raining outside so I decided to do a still life!

# 32 Clouds

I did this for the 20 min. challenge! The clouds were beautiful, so I painted them coming in and out of the  mountains using just washes,  wet on wet. Since the only details were the prayer flags in the foreground, the picture actually took a little less than 20 mins!

# 30 & 31 Glimpses in Bhutan

We were away in Bhutan for a long weekend. What an amazing country.... untouched, unspoiled. The people are genuinely friendly and so proud of their country. I was filled  with a sense of gratitude that such spaces of sheer beauty, still exist on our plant.
I managed to do a few of sketches in my journal. Most buildings are still built in the traditional style, of wood, stone and mud. Walls are lined with wood panels and extensively painted. This one is of the painted window frames in our bedroom looking out onto a wooded property.

The mountains as seen from Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan. Its monsoon time in our part of the world, so it was fascinating to watch the lights and shadows that changed colours on the mountains and clouds as they floated in and out of the mountains.

Summer Fireweed # 58

This is inspired by the Pelikan pen sketch "Oregon Logging," but this time I painted at home, mostly from my head. After logging or a fire, fireweed often comes into the artificial opening. It makes for a pretty scene with the fireweed andthe forest. I purposefully played a little with the color. I tend to be totally realistic and wanted to include some artistic.

Watercolor on Strathmore 140# watercolor paper.