Cosmos!

Garden inspiration is on the easel today and rhe bees on my cosmos have captured my heart!  I grew them last year, the first time in years, and fell in love with their airy habit and cheerful blooms that required little from me during busy days.  I saved seed, but didn't need to, because many volunteers have popped up where I had them last.  So, I've been moving them to almost every bed in the hope that they will bloom profusely and pop up again next year.  The busier I am, the more I lean on the vigorous growers in my gardens to do the heavy lifting. I also spotted a rare pink lily at the local nursery today, and I may just have to go bring that home, too!  Painting number 4942 in 4942 days. 

Butterfly in the Lily

 

My days are very full, with to-do lists much longer than the hours, but, there is always time for a miniature painting in my garden.  The endless weeding brings all blooms to focus as I work, and the bees and butterflies appreciate my efforts.  Between grandkids, cooking and cleaning, it is a tiny place to recharge within the day.  A special bonus today - Rebekah and Travis made chili for us all tonight!  What a treat!  Painting number 4917 in 4917 days. 

Old Hackberry

 

This may be the oldest tree on the farm, a large, sprawling hackberry. I love sketching it in ink.  Painting number 4760 in 4760 days. 

Winterberry Santa

Santa has been very busy on his journey around the world, and now he's dozing off.  Winterberry is another lovely fountain pen ink from the Diamine Inkvent Calendar, and a perfect color to use on Sleepy Santa.  I sketched this one lightly with India ink first, then went in with glass dip pen and Winterberry red.  I used a little water to move the ink, then a little more ink with the pen to finish. I love this beautiful pen, too.  It's a work of art on it's own!  Painting number 5053 in 5053 days. 

Rio Dragonfly

What fun to get in a quick painting in the garden before meeting high school friends for dinner!  I hear thunder but there's no rain yet, so I'm busy sketching and dropping in a little color.  The dragonfly in almost hidden - like a where's Waldo game in my painting! Now off to join my friends and catch up on life with each other!  Painting number 5147 in 5147 days. 

Zinnia and American Lady

 

The butterflies absolutely LOVE my zinnias - especially this American Lady!  She and two silver spotted skippers are constantly in attendance.  I like to spend a little time in the garden just observing, watching the activity of living things.  There are so many bees and butterflies moving in and out among the blooms, and the occasional skink comes out to bask in the sun.  When I see something new, I look it up, and learn a little something, too.  A quick paint and I'm on to the tending of these flowers - and many more. The work is endless here, but the life bursting forth from these beds is sweet reward. Painting number 3892 in 3892 days. 

Trumpet Vine

ink and watercolor on handmade paper

 

I love painting these old fashioned trumpet vines - much more than I like weeding them out of my other flower beds! Grandma had them growing on the cellar, and I can remember her keeping them at bay.  Not realizing how out of hand they could become, I let all things grow outside their boundaries, with reckless abandon!  I thin and transplant when necessary, but I will almost never pull flowers like weeds! As a result these beauties pop up everywhere, and the cellar has a whole side edged with this like a hedge!  The hummingbirds especially love it, and they dart in and out of the blooms constantly. I'm painting small as night approaches, as I am running out of time again.  The days are growing shorter, and I am already missing those extra minutes of daylight!  Painting number 3891 in 3891 days. 

Zinnia!

Once again, night falls before I get my painting done.  I've been so busy multi-tasking, that it's dark before i know it.  I plant seeds that I collect each year, and this red zinnia has evaded the voles to burst in bloom!  I have two colors - red and yellow, and the long, twisty petals are unlike any I've ever grown!  So, as I tend my gardens - forgetting to move sprinklers twice - I am also sketching this beauty in miniature, as a cool breeze stirs the hot summer air. I love painting to the music of crickets, and the first notes of the frogs!  Great way to center and collect my thoughts, surrounded by my garden. Painting number 3838 in 3838 days. 

March Poinsettia

This poinsettia has absolutely thrived since last November.  I love the bold splash of color rimming the leaves, so cheerful they are!  Another busy day finds me coming to my easel late, so these beauties land the starring role tonight.  With ink and watercolor I sketch and paint, bringing them to life on my handmade paper.  This painting is 3x3 and is number 3352 in 3352 days. 

Old Tree ATC

I Love using pen and ink for such timeless subject matter.  This drawing could have been drawn a century ago, the method and tools are the same.  I used a favorite fountain pen loaded with Levenger's Raven Black ink, and use a water brush pen to gradate and soften edges.  For those lines I don't want to move, I use De Atrementis archival ink in another fountain pen which has an extra fine nib. I must be careful of such a small nib on handmade paper, one can do easily tear the surface.  I am sketching in miniature tonight - because it is late and I've had a very full day!  There are never enough hours for all I want to do in a day.  Loved getting to draw this grand old tree - even after dark!  Painting number 3345 in 3345 days.   💕🎨

Granvia Gold

I spent today at my daughter's house, watching little Casper while she worked and went to a couple of appointments.  We had so much fun!!  We played outside for hours, picking up leaves and sticks.  He would climb into my lap so we could look up at the trees for the little woodpecker that kept chirping at us.  We tweeted back to the bird, and he jumped from branch to branch.  Every toy garden tool was used on the tiny strip of snow remaining, and he put every one back in the toolbox when done.  After a day full of baby snuggles and games, I arrive home to paint sunny blooms in ink and watercolor.  I am painting 3x3 inch tonight - to match my tiny painting window!  So glad to get it in after such a busy, wonderful day. Painting number 3337 in 3337 days.

Cape Primrose

This plant variety is brand new to me, so it is extra fun to explore it's form in ink and watercolor.  A cousin to an African violet, streptocarpus is a showy bloomer.  It's rich, velvety blooms are trumpet shaped, spreading out from central stems. I need to mass the blooms a little more, instead of delineating every bloom.  I guess I'm a little too "in my head" with the newness of it all!  My favorite grandmother grew African violets when she was young, so I guess this is my gateway bloom!  Painting number 3316 in 3316 days. 

Tempest Trees

Another of my Diamine Inkvent Calendar inks - Tempest - is what I'm using to capture the trees in the hedgerow.  The glass dip pen is special, with a lovely twist of two colors leading to a nib that holds quite a bit of ink between dips. I ordered 9 new pens when I couldn't find my other glass pens in November.  Well, just today, I found my other pens, carefully stored with favorite inks and calligraphy pens in the footstool I prop my feet on almost every day!  It made perfect sense, and I can't believe I forgot.  I wanted them to be handy, rather than tucked into my art supply cabinet. Silly me!  So glad I found them!  Can't wait to use some of my favorite glass dip pens with my newest inks!  Painting number 3292 in 3292 days. 

Vintage Copper Trees

I love sketching the oaks at sunset in this Vintage Copper ink by Diamine!  That oak in the background is a Live Oak, that my grandma babied as a young tree.  I can remember her telling us all to stay off that tree, as she nurtured it into adulthood.  Just this season I can see how those lower branches are spreading out from the central trunk.  What a lovely tree that will become over the years.  This ink is from the Diamine Inkvent Calendar, Vintage Copper, and has a lovely coppery hue and rich shimmer, too!  The color is less red and more copper in better light - it is so hard to get a true color pic at sunset!  Painting number 3267 in 3267 days. 

Thunderbolt Creek

I love the rich violet blue of Diamine's Thunderbolt ink!  It is free flowing with the addition of water, washing out to a pinkish hue in the sky a bit.  I sketched the whole drawing with only one dip in the ink, and that pen left a nice line.  It is another of my new glass dip pens.  Last month, I was frustrated when I could not locate my other lovely dip pens - only the older, lesser ones were found.  Since I was preparing for my exciting Inkvent Calendar, this was unacceptable! SO, I ordered nine new ones with different shapes and nibs, to both experiment with them AND ensure I wouldn't run out, lol!  I'm sure I put my other ones somewhere safe during my lockdown time of organizing everything!  It's so fun to try these new inks during the holidays - even if I didn't have time each day to get to them!  Painting number 3266 in 3266 days. 

Night Shade Tree

This newest ink by Diamine is called Night Shade, and is a lovely choice for nocturne painting.  It has a wonderful dark blue color that bleeds into a more turquoise shade with water.  I'm using another new glass dip pen which compliments the ink.  The nib was a little scratchy on my handmade paper, so I think I will sand it a little to smooth that ink flow off the nib.  I love this Inkvent Calendar - so fun to explore a different color each day!  Painting number 3265 in 3265 days.  

Red Robin Cardinal

With this new pale pink glass dip pen, I sketch out the little bird in front of me.  I filled the feeders this morning and it did not take them long to return!  I like the ink flow this pen has.  Besides it's lovely, spiral shape, the nib holds a lot of ink. I did all the line work with 2 dips in my newest ink to try - Diamine's Red Robin!  It is a rich, coppery red, which builds up to really get dark where heavily applied.  With water, it washes out warm and orangy.  This nib is very fine, and the ink flows right to the tip when held at a slant.  Love the little gifts of the Diamine Inkvent Calendar!  Painting number 3264 in 3264 days. 

Santa Portrait Inked

Diamine's Black Ivy ink is behind today's door on my Inkvent Calendar - and bleeds a lovely green and blue when wet.  The line work is pretty dark, and I expected it to be blacker, which would be lovely for a vintage Santa face.  This color would be very nice for a grove of cedars, though, and perhaps I should let down a heavy patch to see what it can do.  My husband has been off this week - and I am not getting nearly as much done in any day.  I sure hope I can finish a few more things before Christmas - time is growing short!  Painting number 3260 in 3260 days. 

Stargazer Creek

This lovely bend in the creek that feeds Cleveland Lake is right off the main walk. Easily accessible, it's a great spot for a quick pen and ink drawing.  I'm using a new ink from Diamine's Inkvent Calendar - Stargazer, a rich, warm blue when wet.  It is very dark in the line, but a light brush of water releases the extra chroma.  I can see how wonderful this could be for a snow covered nocturne, with the night sky inked heavily this shade of blue.  I've been very busy getting paintings finished and shipped out.  I'm hoping to get one done for myself, too - if the stars align!  I'm currently behind on my ink doors, but I plan to catch up over Christmas break. Things are bound to slow down!  Painting number 3259 in 3259 days. 

Party Time Ornament

 My latest Inkvent Calendar door opened revealed my newest ink gift - Party Time.  This luscious pink ink is vibrant, so I chose to draw an ornament with it, and fill it in with a brush and water.  Lovely and bright, this seemed the perfect ink for this day of celebration.  Our youngest graduated yesterday and we had a family celebration today.  Life is sweet, and these special moments mean the world. So happy we could spend this day together!  Painting number 3257 in 3257 days.