Tranquility

I’ve shared on my blog before the respect that I have for the young people, of many different faiths, that go out and work to serve other people and lose themselves in that service.  The opportunities for service are countless, and deeply needed.  For a while, I spent lot’s of my time sending sketched envelopes and letters of thanks for many of the young people that I know that went out and served.  Other posts on this blog can be found speaking of those.  Gratefully, my own children have gone out and made that same sacrifice.  My middle son is currently on a mission in Colorado Springs serving the people there.  It’s been almost 2 years since he left to go and do that work and will be home in a few months.  This week’s envelope was painted for him and will accompany a letter that will be headed off to tranquil Colorado thanking him for his example.  I tried to think of something that is Colorado-like, and thought about the beautiful aspen forests that populate so much of the mountains in that part of the country.
This one is going out to him this week.
Done in gouache and a little pen and ink, with spatters of prismacolor here and there.

Doodles in the Sketchbook, Hoop Lake

For the past few weeks, my family has been on vacation.  Consequently, I haven't done any envelopes for the past little while.  However, it was refreshing to carry along the sketchbook while up in the mountains and doodle in the shade.  There is something intensely peaceful being surrounded only by wilderness, listening to the breeze rush through the pines and the aspen all around you, and doodling until your heart is content.
We spend a few days up in the Uintah Mountains at a place called Hoop Lake.  Although it was hotter than I expected, it was enjoyable to sit in the shade and look at all of the things around me.

Here are a couple of the sketches I was able to knock out while there:

This was a little doodle of the fire pit at our campsite, and you can see Sadie, our Beagle, waiting patiently for the rest of the family to come back from their hike on this particular afternoon.

Just past our tent in a little grove of trees, I parked the camp chair and sketched the surroundings.  There were lots of deer, lots of beautiful trees, and plenty of sun too.

Now that I'm back in town, I thought I would scan and post a couple of the doodles.

These were done in pen and ink, and some watercolor.

Trees, Trees and More Trees.....

Last week, a very kind couple in our neighborhood faced some challenges as the wife found that she had a blood clot in her head, rendering them both very preoccupied with health, life, etc.  This week's envelope and encouraging note went out to them.  I've been enjoying doodling trees, and playing with greens, so this was a refreshing project.  I particularly enjoyed playing with the trees in the background, and the suggestion of shape by introducing different tones and colors.

When I was a young man, and now on into my "golden years," I have learned that being in the deep of nature, especially in the heavily wooded shadows of nature brings a deep, peaceful, opportunity to reflect on life, the meaning behind it, my place in it, and just to appreciate the good things in the world....unless there are a lot of mosquitoes, and then the situation turns to other feelings of the "not so peaceful" sort.

Nonetheless, I hope you get out and enjoy nature this holiday weekend...and be sure to take your pen and pad to sketch up.