Strawberries are almost in season, but I just couldn't wait to get some to eat (and paint). Watercolor and water soluble pencil, approx. 5" x 8". Working around those little seeds in 20 minutes is most certainly a challenge in watercolor (having to leave the whites). I love intense reds, and had to restrain my desire to color everything in bright solid red from the start. I would really like to do another 20 minute strawberry painting sometime soon, but it will be with different berries as these are getting eaten tonight!
Back in April I designed a small square that might go into a calendar, so I thought I'd do one for the month of May as well. Pencil and pen, approx. 4" square. May really is all about flowers (and rain, apparently). This would be fun to see with lots of bright springy color, especially embroidered that way.
This lovely lady was inspired by a cover of a century-old piano piece called "Woodland Echoes." She's certainly a charming little bit of a pinup, 1908-style. Her pose and dress emulates classical sculpture and was enjoyable to sketch as I haven't done a figure in a while. 20 minute sketch, pencil and watercolor, approx. 5 1/2" x 8". My recent experience with figure drawing has been limited to photo inspiration or candid casual poses of people in stadiums, waiting rooms, and such. But given the chance, working from a live posed model is the best scenario. I think most artists would agree!
Some childlike fun today, a few face painting designs plus a couple random images (feet and rainbow jello). All colored pencil, and just a little silly. This took me less than 20 minutes, maybe 15-17 min. or so.
Smudge just seems like an appropriate cutesy name for a 20 minute drawn dragon. Pencil, pen and watercolor, approx. 5 1/2 x 8". Other than the fact that I've always loved fantasy art; dragons, fairies, enchanted castles and whathaveyou, can't say exactly why a dragon popped into my sketchbook tonight. I really like her, though. She might inspire a really neat little embroidery at some point, especially with metallic thread or fibers incorporated into it.
I've been enjoying working from photos the last few days, and here's another one inspired by an old reference photo. Little cottages, cute doors, windows with shutters, all of which I find very charming. Pen and watercolor, 5 1/2" x 7". I would have liked more time than 20 minutes on this one, but mainly because the bushes are too amorphous. And really, I just like the word amorphous.
If all the rain we've been having has a purpose, perhaps it is to beget lush woodlands filled with a variety of foliage and fungus, including adorable mushrooms like these. I found the neat photo of this scene in one of my albums, and was again delighted to use inspiration from my own forgotten sources. So, in 20 minutes here I aspired to convey the dimension of the mushrooms amidst the complicated background of moss, rich earth, sticks and twigs. Watercolor and water soluble crayon, 5 1/2" x 8".
