Art in the Afternoon: The Cheshire Library & ARTSPLACE March 16, 2019

I met a Fellow Sketchbook Skolar, Linda Marino, who was giving a wonderful lesson on drawing everyday items with pen and watercolors.

Working with Bob Noreika, I had a great time using a twig to quickly sketch a scene in ink to which a limited palette of watercolor was added. 

Rita Paradis patiently taught me how to add form to a subject by carefully shading and blending a closely related color family of colored pencils.

Rita Paradis: Colored Pencil

https://www.ritaparadisfineart.com/

Bob Noreika: Ink and Wash

http://www.robertnoreika.com/

Linda Moreno

https://www.lindasmarinoart.com/

March 10th Journaling with Inspirational Cards

The Juniper Tree is my Tree Magick card today. The Juniper Tree represents "Security". 

Young trees and/or twigs can have needles in groups of 2 or 3. That predicts fun with friends! Older trees and/or twigs have needles of overlapping scales. The tightness of these scales depict staying close to home.

A Juniper Berry is the female seed cone. It is not a true berry, but a cone with fleshy and merged scales that give it a berry-like appearance.

Perhaps the only spice made from a conifer is made from this tree. 

       Watercolor and ink in Strathmore Field Watercolor  Hardcover Spiral Bound 400 Series Journal with alternating            140 lbs watercolor paper and 60 lbs sketch paper.

 I'm using the sketch page for the "pen" portion and the watercolor page for the "paint" portion of this Pull Pen Paint 2019 challenge.

Journaling with Tree Magick inspiration cards 
by Gillian Kemp

Nature Journalist Kelly Johnson 

https://www.wingswormsandwonder.com/  

Art Journalist Kiala Givehand 

https://www.kialagivehand.com/
at Pull Pen Paint 2019
https://classes.kialagivehand.com/p/ppp2019

#MyCanterburyCoddiwomples #The100DayProject Day#3 Moss: Mnium punctatum

   

Day#3 This may be Mnium punctatum because the nearly round leaves are large (for a moss!).

This is NOT a Zoomy close-up! You can see how large the leaves are.

  

This is the above photo enlarged. Each leaf's midrib is clearly visible.

Day#3 Ink and watercolor in my Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Journal. 

What's a Zoomy?

March 9th Journaling with Inspirational Cards

Even though today's card from my deck of Tree Magick Inspirational Cards is the Tree of Heaven, I was inspired to draw this tree which is not even close to what Alianthus altissima looks like.

The Tree of Heaven is a tree for "Aspiration". "Dream, Plan, Believe." It's name means "strong enough to reach heaven". With these two thoughts in mind, I imaged the contrast of a very strong tree floating dreamily on clouds. 

I did add a botany note at the bottom of the page. Apparently, this tree gives off a chemical that inhibits the growth of other species around it. This is called "Allelopathy".

       Watercolor and ink in Strathmore Field Watercolor  Hardcover Spiral Bound 400 Series Journal with alternating            140 lbs watercolor paper and 60 lbs sketch paper.

 I'm using the sketch page for the "pen" portion and the watercolor page for the "paint" portion of this Pull Pen Paint 2019 challenge.

Journaling with Tree Magick inspiration cards 
by Gillian Kemp

Nature Journalist Kelly Johnson 

https://www.wingswormsandwonder.com/  

Art Journalist Kiala Givehand 

https://www.kialagivehand.com/
at Pull Pen Paint 2019
https://classes.kialagivehand.com/p/ppp2019

#MyCanterburyCoddiwomples #The100DayProject Day#2 Moss: Polytrichum

Day #2/100 Moss. The common name for Polytrichum is the Hairy Cap Moss. It is so named because the Calyptra, or protective covering over the capsule on the sporophyte, is made of fine hairs that separate and become visible at its lower edge. 

Close up (Zoomy) of fringed end of calyptra.

This may be a patch of Polytrichum commune because the leaves have teeth along the edge.

Close up of leaves with teeth visible.

Days #1 and 2 are on the same page. Ink and watercolor in Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Journal.

What's a Zoomy?

March 8th Nature Journaling with Inspirational Cards

The Elder Tree represents "Protection" on the Tree Magick Inspirational Card. This "Good Mother" protects other trees, fairies, and you from harm.

The leaves of the Sambucus canadensis are opposite and odd-pinnately compound. "Odd" means that there is an odd number of leaflets to each leaf leaving one leaflet at the tip without a partner opposite of it. There are usually 5-11 lance-shaped leaflets with serrate margins. Research botanists have theorized that the jagged bread knife like leaf margins help a tree with transpiration and photosynthesis early in the growing season. This would be important for trees in getting a spring kick-start in colder climes.

The Elder Tree has large white clusters of star-shaped flowers in the spring. An extract of the flowers is widely used in Europe in food and drink. Beware! The flowers and ripe cooked berries may be edible but uncooked berries, twigs, leaves, branches, seeds, roots, etc. contain cyanidin glycosides and certain alkaloids which have toxic properties. 

The Elder Berry is really a "drupe" which is a fleshy fruit containing a single central stone or pit.

       Watercolor and ink in Strathmore Field Watercolor  Hardcover Spiral Bound 400 Series Journal with alternating            140 lbs watercolor paper and 60 lbs sketch paper.

 I'm using the sketch page for the "pen" portion and the watercolor page for the "paint" portion of this Pull Pen Paint 2019 challenge.

Journaling with Tree Magick inspiration cards 
by Gillian Kemp

Nature Journalist Kelly Johnson 

https://www.wingswormsandwonder.com/  

Art Journalist Kiala Givehand 

https://www.kialagivehand.com/
at Pull Pen Paint 2019
https://classes.kialagivehand.com/p/ppp2019

"... as long as I have a brush in front of me, I'm all right." Maud Lewis

Maud Lewis was a famous folk artist who lived with crippling disease in a tiny humble home in Nova Scotia, Canada. I am very inspired by her attitude in life, her ability to focus on her creativity and not her disability, and her primitive style.

Her paintings and her tiny house (she covered the walls, windows, doors, shelves, and just about everything with pictures) can be seen in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. https://www.artgalleryofnovascotia.ca/

Books, plays, and films about her life have been produced. I watched Maudie  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maudie_(film) . Above is one of her original cat paintings which prompted me to try her style and do one of my own.

Happy Spring Kitties. 

Gouache in my Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Journal.

March 7th Journaling with Inspirational Cards

Today's Tree Magick Card is The Mimosa Tree which represents "Fulfillment".

The leaves of Albizia julibrissin are bipinnate which means they are pinnately compound leaves in which the leaflets are also pinnately compound. Which of course explains nothing unless you know what pinnately means. A pinnately compound leaf has leaflets arranged on either side of a common stem - think of how a feather is constructed!

The Mimosa flowers are formed in a dense inflorescence with the long stamens looking like silky threads. (Thus its common name: The Persian Silk Tree.) The stamens can have white or pink tips. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are attracted to these flowers. I am, too, although I prefer the pink.

This tree is gold and silver representing the sun and the moon. As the golden flowers shine like the Sun, so will there be continuity and illumination. As the silver Moon reflects the sunlight, a situation may become the opposite. The Mimosa is Eternal Wisdom. 

Watercolor and ink in Strathmore Field Watercolor Hardcover Spiral Bound 400 Series Journal with alternating 140 lbs watercolor paper and 60 lbs sketch paper.

 I'm using the sketch page for the "pen" portion and the watercolor page for the "paint" portion of this Pull Pen Paint 2019 challenge.

Journaling with Tree Magick inspiration cards 

by Gillian Kemp

Nature Journalist Kelly Johnson 

https://www.wingswormsandwonder.com/  

Art Journalist Kiala Givehand 

https://www.kialagivehand.com/

at Pull Pen Paint 2019

https://classes.kialagivehand.com/p/ppp2019

#MyCanterburyCoddiwomples #The100DayProject Day#1 Moss: Atrichum undulatum

Atrichum undulatum/Catharinea Moss

Closer view of the wavy leaf edges.

March 6th Journaling with Inspirational Cards

Another January day in March. Today's Tree Magick card is The Lime Tree. Happiness! I'm happy but confused because the common name "lime tree" does not refer to a tree that bears those small round green sour citrus fruits.

Icicles hanging from the eaves of buildings down town. 

Brrrrrrrrr.........

In Europe "The Lime Tree" is Tilia corda or the Linden. In the USA it is Tilia americana or the Basswood. I really didn't figure this out until I remembered a remark that someone made on a Wednesday Botany Walk with Susan Munch. One distinguishing feature of this tree is that the bottom of the heart-shaped leaf on each side of the stem is asymmetrical.

Another feature you can use to identify this tree is the bract from which the dry nut-like fruit hangs.

This tree is feminine, warm, and productive. In the past, people sought peace and justice under this tree which they believed would help them unearth the truth.

        Watercolor and ink in Strathmore Field Watercolor  Hardcover Spiral Bound 400 Series Journal with alternating            140 lbs watercolor paper and 60 lbs sketch paper.

 I'm using the sketch page for the "pen" portion and the watercolor page for the "paint" portion of this Pull Pen Paint 2019 challenge.

Journaling with Tree Magick inspiration cards 
by Gillian Kemp

Nature Journalist Kelly Johnson 

https://www.wingswormsandwonder.com/  

Art Journalist Kiala Givehand 

https://www.kialagivehand.com/
at Pull Pen Paint 2019
https://classes.kialagivehand.com/p/ppp2019