Daily Doodle # 19: Dandelions

Dandelions

Crayola announced that it is retiring its “dandelion” color from its crayon box to make room for a new blue.  Some creative person wrote and illustrated a graphic eulogy, which I urge you to read.  It will take only a minute.  Enjoy!

 

Daily Doodle # 18: Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great blue heron at Green Lake

Great blue heron at Green Lake

 

 

 

Daily Doodle # 17: Moon Snail Shell

Moon snail shell

Drawing this moon snail shell brought back memories of a project I worked on four years ago when I drew and painted a moon snail shell 100 times.  You can link to the first blog post about it here.  I may have to try another 100 paintings project in the future.

 

Daily Doodle # 16: Tulips

Tulips

Happy Easter!

Daily Doodle # 15: Cherry Blossoms

Cherry blossoms

“The bud is on the bough again,
The leaf is on the tree.”
— Charles Jeffreys, The Meeting of Spring and Summer

This year, for the first time, I noticed something about the blossoming cherry trees.  When the blossoms first appear, there are still no leaves on the trees!

Cherry tree at Green Lake

I discovered this when I contemplated painting cherry trees, and because I find it difficult to paint white things, I looked for green leaves to break up the massive sea of white.  But I looked in vain.  There were no leaves to be seen.  I thought that was odd, since I had never remarked upon the bareness of the trees once the blossoms fell.  I was determined to watch and see when the leaves would appear.

In the second week of bloom, I saw tiny tree leaves start to appear any the ends off the branches.  Over the next week, they leaves grew substantially.

I now see that when the cherry trees lose all their blossoms, they will be clothed in new green leaves.  Spring is rushing ahead.

Fallen cherry blossoms

 

Daily Doodle # 14: Kit’n Ka-Doodle

Jellybean, our cat

Kit’n Caboodle.  Kit’n Kadoodle.  Our cat drawn on scrap paper torn out from a magazine.

 

Daily Doodle # 13: Robins

Robin

Robin

The robins are merrily going about their spring business these days.  Lovely to see their fat presences in the landscape.

Spring robin

Watercolor sketch of robin

Robins, 52 Wreaths Project

Watercolor sketch of robin

 

 

Daily Doodle # 12: Hyacinths

Hyacinths

Hyacinths

Hyacinths

Hyacinths, 52 Wreaths Project

Hyacinths, 52 Wreaths Project

 

Daily Doodle # 11: Feathers

Floating feather

Feather (I think it is from a mallard.)

Peacock feather

I saw some unusual and incredible feather art recently at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.  Currently on exhibit is “Featherfolio” by Chris Maynard.  He uses optometry scalpels and instruments to cut intricate and detailed shapes from feathers and then mounts the feathers and cutouts to create a shadow box-like effect.  His work is amazing.  Here are some examples:

“Singing Bird 32” by Chris Maynard; uses parrot and parakeet feathers

“Pinecone Search” by Chris Maynard; uses turkey feathers

“Crane Dance” by Chris Maynard; uses crowned crane feathers

“Beauty on the Move” by Chris Maynard; uses peacock feathers

“Transcendence” by Chris Maynard; uses rose-breasted cockatoo feathers

 

Daily Doodle # 10: Redeeming Duds by Doodling

I attempted to rescue a dissatisfying watercolor painting by doodling over it.  It think I redeemed it!

Phase one, rough composition with color. It’s still okay at this stage.

Phase two: bringing out details. I think it got too muddy.

Phase three: Doodling. Voila!