Dreamcatcher

I like to do nature crafts - every once in awhile.  Which I do consider art.  Here I've made a Dreamcatcher from stuff around the yard and some items from my art studio.

I used sticks from the ficus hedge out back and settled on a triangular shape, since I couldn't find any bendy sort of sticks to form into a circle.

I haven't woven anything since summer camp, many moons ago, so I'm not surprised my weave was a bit loose.  But I've learned now to keep it tight as I wind around making the web pattern.

Also used some feathers that my brother found in the woods for me, a beautiful pink shell I found on the beach with a hole already in it for hanging.  And then just some leather strips, burlap, some tie dye fabric and some fringe from an old hammock.  

I didn't really think about it, I just threw together whatever I had around that looked like it'd work.  And yes, I'm part Hippie, haha!

Happy Vernal Equinox

A very Happy Spring Equinox to all my northern hemisphere friends!  And a very Happy Autumnal Equinox to all my southern friends!  

Here in Florida we didn't have spring, it skipped ahead already to summer!   It's been hot, but at least the humidity isn't around yet.

Anyway, I did this watercolor on heavy watercolor paper last year for the first day of spring.  Someone asked me why the girl had to pull up the roots on the flowers - oh, that cracked me up.  I hadn't even realized that's how I painted it and I have no idea, why - I guess I thought the painting needed some brown in that area to balance it out.  

Goes to show how painting helps take me out of myself  to where I just feel and not think.  And that's a good thing!

  

Garden Party

I'm saying this up front - I am not a tobacco smoker, but I'm not judging anyone that is.  Now, I'm not exactly sure why I painted my subject smoking except that I had already put the wine glass on the table and then I thought she needed to be doing SOMETHING - so I just stuck the smoke in her hand.  (people have asked me about this)

Plus, I like to think that maybe she's not smoking tobacco, but maybe something a little more medicinal, Haha!  

I do these quick little ink and watercolors while I sit out back in the garden waiting for the birds or butterflies to come around so I can get a shot of them with my camera.

I've included the smaller Bird-of-Paradise, Heliconia and the Passionflower vine in this painting.  Oh, and some palm fronds. 

This is a small postcard size painting on heavy watercolor paper.