Cairns

The challenge this week at the Diva site is from Paula Bramante.

We are to use cairns or rocks as our theme.

Liss Rankin M.D. provided us with a very thoughtful "life cairn"

I chose this design to use as my string.

I hadn't intended it to be a monotangle, but it sort of just happened.

I have always been a rock lover (or "rock hound" as we called ourselves as we searched
for rocks on the California deserts.
Recently we visited Portugal and I was fascinated with the cobblestone streets and took
many photos of them.
On return one of those photos inspired the painting below.

It's Friday...

Where does time go?

I am back working four days a week and it has totally messed up my art time.

So, this week rather than working at our community art center, I decided to work on my lanai.

The weather is now in the 80's, so it was pleasant for playing.
I got my yupo ready, assembled the paints and poured away.
When I didn't get the results I liked, I tipped my board around trying to find something I liked.
Then I added a bit of water and tipped some more.
Finally I had it!

I left it to dry.

If you look carefully you will see that the paint drifts to the top left corner.

Yes, it drifts and it drifted right on to a yellow chair cushion below.

Well, all of those cushions needed washing anyway and "most' of it came out and nothing shows

when I turn the cushion over.

This is another background done over a watercolor background.

And here is my latest blooms.

Happy PPF

Fall celebration

One of the few sacrifices we make living in Florida is fall.

Sometimes we can feel it in the air but we have to travel north to enjoy the color.

Whenever we go north, I collect leaves to press and use in various

art projects.  These leaves came from my daughter's yard in Connecticut.

Life is about trade offs.  My orchids growing on my lanai are my trade off.

If I loved in a climate with fall, I wouldn't have these blooming in my yard.

Sketching flowers...

This beautiful cattleya orchid is blooming on my lanai this week.

People have asked me why I don't use these beauties as the subject of my art.

Finally, this week, this orchid inspired me to try it.  Why not?  If I didn't like it,

I could just throw it away

The nicest thing about sketching orchids is that you get to smell them while you sketch.

This particular one has a very light citrusy scent.

So here is the first attempt.  

Then I decided to do a "close up"

Now I was on a roll so I sketched my arrangement on my dining room table

Watercolor and sketching were a nice change from my acrylic projects.

This morning when I went out on the lanai, another beautiful surprise awaited me.

Happy PPF!