Continuing in the Garden...

Last week I posted a few doodles of snails, inspired by a recent book that I finished reading. These last few days I decided to continue to look for critters that would be found in a garden or in the wonderful nature that surrounds us, and paint them, cut them out, an do a collage or compilation of the things I have found.
I like the idea of painting a myriad of little creatures and then compose them on a paper in various ways until you get the layout that you want.  Here's one of the layouts which captures a frog from this week, a snail or two from last week, and a couple new critters and plants.

I think I'll take a break from the envelopes for a while and play with my nature "cut-outs" for a bit.

This reminds me of when I was a little boy sitting in Sunday School classes and having the teacher put little cut outs of people on a flannel board...maybe I'm longing for Sunday School, or for more youth....I could probably use a good dose of both.

These are all done with gouache and outlined with pen and ink.

Here's the pile of critters from the past couple of weeks that I'm still trying to figure out how to compose.  So much fun!

Inspired by "Crawdads"

A few days ago I finished reading "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens.  The book was an interesting read, and the story was quite a page turner.  There were a few scenes that were a bit too elicit for my liking, but aside from that, I was really quite intrigued by the story.  But equal to the story was a fascinating main character who spent most of her time collecting living things, or memento's of living creatures in the nature that surrounded her.  Not only would she collect, but she would catalog, and paint things to help her remember what the memento pertained to.  I was intrigued with some of the descriptions of what she collected, painted and how she put them together.  Consequently, I chose to do a little snail and shell collecting and doodling to satisfy my "fix" for a little nature gathering.

This is all done in gouache with a pen and ink outline.

Experiencing Change

It is the season of change.  Weather goes from cool to hot.  Animals go from egg to chick, or pup to adult. And some insects go from larvae to pupa to butterfly. Change seems to be constant.  In fact the thing that never changes is that there is always change.  Likewise, in our lives, change is inevitable.  We age, grow grumpier or happier, healthier or more sick, more active, or more sedentary.  In all this, much of how we change is up to us.

Recently I did a couple of envelopes for people that are being asked to go through some intense amount of change.  One, who is suffering the stark reality that their body is changing, is infected with a life threatening disease, and may end the life as they currently know it.

Another was for an individual who, after already undergoing extremely invasive surgery to remove a tumor, is about to undergo yet another surgery to continue to cut away at the growth deep inside of her her brain.

I can't imagine how each of them are feeling, how they will react to their circumstances, how they will grow through these challenges.  I trust that they will let the change happen, and come out on the other side a stronger, more beautiful, wise, and capable individual because of the transformation that occurs during difficult times.  At least, this is my hope for them both.

Both are done in gouache.

Everything is Blooming and Flying

Alas, the winter season has retreated (at least in some parts of the U.S.), and we are beginning to see the brilliant life that bursts through the earth every spring.  Seeds that sat dormant and plants that seemed dead are reaching colorfully past a season of dormancy.  The Easter Season is upon us and nature is a wonderful reminder that things that appear dead, gone, destroyed are able to rebound.  Things that are broken are able to be mended and flourish.  We need that reminder.
Here's an envelope that I did for an individual that recently lost her mother to cancer.  I thought a gentle sympathy of spring flowers and a message of a "perfect brightness of hope" would be appropriate in her time of sadness.

This is done with gouache, acrylic, prismacolor and bit of pen and ink.

I also recently did another envelope for a friend going through a difficult time, and who needed to be reminded that we are not forgotten in our struggles.  Here's the envelope that I sent to him:

Trunky

A while ago, when hearing that a friend’s brother was getting married, and that this brother had an obsession with the el train in Chicago, I doodled an envelope for him to use to put his gift in to present to his brother.  You can see that here.  Yesterday, this good gentleman came into my office after not having seen him for a while and said, “O.K. my sister is getting married in a week, and I need another envelope!  She loves elephants, can you hook me up?”  It was nice to be sought after, and I was happy to knock something out today for him.  Here’s how it came out, and I hope that his sister is pleased with the image.

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.

Continuing to Move Forward

A few weeks ago I painted another turtle.  I’m continuing to really enjoy painting turtles and thinking about the reality that in this life there are a lot of circumstances where it would be easy to sink into our warm, safe, shell, especially during difficult times.  Yet, in doing so, we stop forward momentum.  Yes, there are times when circumstances dictate a well planned retreat, especially if to survive.  Yet, I love the resilience of the turtle who, despite the many times that he has had to suck in his head, bravely puts it back out again and moves a few more steps forward.  I’ve painted turtles on envelopes for friends before, when they are struggling, or when life has dealt them a blow that seems impossible to overcome.
This one was done for a childhood friend who recently lost her son in an unexpected, tragic manner.  Who wouldn’t need to simply retreat in a time like this, to regroup, to find strength, to try to answer so many of the countless questions that must arise.  But, I know she is strong, and will move forward, one step at a time.

This was done in gouache, and a little pen and ink.