Splashing Through Life - Art by Patricia Henderson

Whoops! I missed a day! I'll try to catch up later, but today was a lazy day, sitting on my deck by the pool, so I sketched what was in front of me! Sitting on the Deck 5" X 8"  In Moleskin sketchbook

Every month I get together with a wonderful friend and we play! We try out different art techniques and media and  get our creative juices flowing. Yesterday we got out two books by Mary Todd Beam, Celebrate Your Creative Self and The Creative Edge . I was lucky enough to go to one of her week long workshops at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Tennessee about 4 years ago. It was great to get out her books and try out some the excercises. It brought back some wonderful memories. Here are a couple of experiments that I tried yesterday: I Dreamt I was a Dragonfly 9" x 7" Acrylic on Mat Board Under the Mountain 14" X 9" on Mat Board

Finally getting to my little art trading card for the Grumbacher Art Swap! The theme this time is coffee or tea. I dug out a really old teacup that was probably one of my Grandma's and did a really quick sketch this morning. Not my best work by a long shot, but it brought back nice memories. I remember having tea with my Grandma and my mother and aunts at Grandma's house. Sitting and listening them talk about people I didn't know, but being perfectly content. I didn't remember the teacups being so tiny though! Compared to my tea mug, this one contains about two big sips! Tea at Grandma's Art Trading Card 2.5" X 3.5" Watercolour, ink and gold acrylic. Not for sale

I had a request today for Watercolour Wednesday. Paint something springy! Maybe it will bring on some spring like weather...hopefully! Here are some sunny little Crocus. (Crocuses? Croci?) These are a part of my ongoing "Language of Flowers" series. The language of flowers was used in Victorian times as a means of communication in which flowers were used to send coded messages. Each flower had a special meaning. The Crocus meant "Youthful Gladness." Youthful Gladness (Crocus) Language of Flowers Series ACEO 3.5" X 2.5" Available on ETSY

It's a wet and windy Wednesday today. A perfect day to be inside and sketching a little bit. Today the first thing my eyes landed on was my vase of watercolour brushes.  I thought they looked like a nice bouquet! Bouquet of Brushes 5.5 X 3.5" In my sketchbook NFS

I seem to paint a lot of geese...I just find them so comical! This was a fast, little tiny painting, done this morning. I added a bow to this guy and he looks so proud! Christmas Goose Watercolour and Ink 2.5 X 3.5" (Border is computer generated) Find this cute goose in my Etsy store!

Lest We Forget

Around here, summer has returned and is staying a little late. We're not complaining! Yesterday was so nice, I got distracted and sat outside reading instead of painting my Wednesday watercolour. Here are a few little watercolours that have been hanging around from the summertime that never got posted. Next week I promise to be on time! (Maybe...) Daisy # 4 2.5" X 3.5" Pink Rosebud #2 2.5" X 3.5" Yellow Rosebud #2 2.5" X 3.5"

Sometimes when I'm stuck for what to do in my studio, I get out the Clear Tar Gel Medium. What is this stuff? Well on the container of the Golden Clear Tar Gel, it says it "Generates fine lines by dripping from a palette knife or other tool." Here is a little demo I did a couple years back that shows how you can use it. CLICK HERE FOR DEMO . One of these days, I'll learn how to set up a video demo, but for now you are stuck with photos! I have a few of these on the go right now. Here are two funky flowers! Each one is 20" X 7.0" on Peterboro Illustration Board. I used Fluid Acrylic paints. Yellow Flower                    Pink Flower And here are some closeups:

In between puttering around the pool and garden this morning, I did a quick little sketch of a flowering shrub. I believe it's a type of Spirea, and has lots of little tiny pinkish purple flowers. I had to transplant it last year and I wasn't sure if it would survive the winter, but it seems to have recovered very well! Spirea (in my small garden journal)

Last week I missed Watercolour Wednesday! Eeeek! I haven't done that since I retired. We have had someone in to do some painting (walls) and a lot of "stuff" was "stuffed" into my studio. Today, it was so lovely outside that I decided to bring my watercolours into the garden. Not too many perennials flowering yet, but I managed two ACEO's and a sketch in my garden journal. When I got my garden journal out, I realized it had been FOUR years since I had last made an entry! I couldn't believe it had been that long. I've promised myself to keep up it updated better. Weigela 2.5 X 3.5" Orange Sneezeweed 2.5 X 3.5"

The other day I posted on my Facebook Page  a sentiment that we all feel from time to time. Here's my interpretation. "In My Blanket Fort" from my sketchbook

 It's a really good time to wet my whistle after working in the garden all afternoon with an ice cold beer! Here's another one from the sketchbook...a little wonky, but who cares! :-) Wet Your Whistle! 11" X 3.5" From My Sketchbook

These darling Clementine's are so sweet and juicy, I just had to sketch them before I eat them up! I was happy with the whole one, but had fits painting the partially peeled one. So, not so happy with that one, but it's just a sketch for me. And I had fun doing it and that's all that matters! Darling Clementines In my Moleskine Sketchbook 3.5 " X 5" (The photo is a bit dark, but you get the idea!)

I've been fighting a doozy of a cold this week! Yes, you heard me, I used the D word! It has really kicked my butt, but today I'm feeling quite a bit better. Good enough anyway to get out my sketchbook and doodle a little still life of my favourite remedy, tea with honey and lemon. Remedy 5" X 3.5" In Moleskin sketchbook Holbein Waterbrush and Pigma Micron 005 pen

Okay, it's not Valentine's day yet, but here is a little Valentine doodle I did today.   It's watercolour pencil, regular watercolor and ink. Teeny tiny 2.5 X 3.5" art card. Heart Doodle

I just realized it's Wednesday and I have to do a watercolour! I had no ideas in mind so I sketched the first thing my eyes landed on. So here are some acrylics done in watercolour, hence the title. Mixed Media 3" X 5"

I missed last Wednesday's watercolour, but I decided to do a little ink and wash sketch of a little family of geese that we saw at the Brigden fair this past October. Just a little quickie painting to end the year! Happy New Year everyone! Mother Goose and Goslings 5" X 7"

Here is a quick sketch of a gaggle of geese in the snow. Reference photo courtesy of the great website Paint My Photo . It has given me an idea for a potential collage painting in the future....stay tuned! Gaggle of Geese 5" X 7" Watercolour and ink on Arches 140 lb CP

Today I thought I'd do a quick watercolour sketch of a bunny that was visiting our yard last summer. As a pure watercolour, it's a failure, because I couldn't seem to keep my hands of the ink pens and even had the oil pastels out! Anyway I did get a bit of watercolour practise in, even if it's not a total success. S ummer Friend 5" X 7"