Splashing Through Life - Art by Patricia Henderson

Sunny Sunday Sketching Summer Susans!

I've planted a few Milkweed plants in my garden to hopefully help with the Monarch Butterfly population. So far I haven't seen any eggs or caterpillars, but hopefully some day I will! Milkweed 5.5 X 3.5" In my Garden Sketchbook

Here is a little corner of my yard, and a couple birds cooling off. A very quick little sketch today! Cooling Off 4" X 6"  in sketchbook

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

Now, I'm not promising that I will do all 31 days for world watercolor month, but I'll try to do as many as I can! If you are interested in joining in, check out worldwatercolormonth.com or look into their Facebook Page HERE . I thought I'd give my sketching skills a little workout, so for my first sketch I painted a tree trunk that is behind my garage. I thought it had quite a bit of personality! Rhino Tree Ink and Watercolour 8" X 5" Moleskin sketchbook

It was so peaceful on my back porch this morning,while I was sketching in my idea book. We had some tiny visitors to the hummingbird feeders lately and that inspired me to develop an idea for a collage. This is a very small doodle of my idea so far.  I was kept company by Mrs. Robin on her nest, and Miss Maggie by my side. Hummingbird Collage Idea In my Sketchbook 6" X 3" NFS

After a fairly mild winter around here, spring has been a bit hesitant to arrive. This week, however, has been sunny, warm and beautiful. I think sping is here at last! Along with spring have come my allergies. So while sitting outside this morning sketching these pretty Grape Hyacinths, I was fighting the wind, and watery eyes, and sneezing. But I'm not complaining. At least there weren't any mosquitos! Grape Hyacinths In my Garden Sketchbook NFS

We all have days when it feels like a continuous uphill climb...just like this little lady bug. Luckily, if she gets tired, she can spread her wings and fly! Uphill Climb 2.5" X 3.5" Original ACEO Available in my ETSY SHOP

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

I was having a hard time thinking of what to paint today. Then I remembered that I hadn't done one of these little dandelions in a while. So here you go! Dandelion 2.5 X 3.5"

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"

There are still a few hardy Black-Eyed Susans in my garden. It's lovely to see a few pops of yellow in among the fading greens and browns. 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 Black-eyed Susan meant "Justice." This ACEO is part of my Language of Flowers series. ACEOs are tiny 2.5 X 3.5 inch works of art to collect or trade. They look great in a frame, or put them together to make a great coffee table book! Perfect little gifts for the art lover. Each of my ACEOs are signed or initialled on the front and signed and dated on the reverse. They are shipped in a protective plastic sleeve. Check out what I have available in my Etsy shop HERE . Black-Eyed Susan "Justice" 2.5" X 3.5"

My Bee Balm plant was abuzz this morning with Bumblebees, which Maggie the dog was trying to catch and eat while I was sketching! I think I got through to her that it wasn't such a good idea! Here is a quick sketch I got done in between chasing the dog away and dodging bees! Bee Balm (from my sketchbook)

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"

I'm finally done my Big Tulips! I think they are very bright and cheerful, and kinda funky! Now I just have to varnish it and get it ready to hang. May Flowers 24" X 24" Mixed Media Collage on Canvas

It's the dead of winter and I'm daydreaming about summer days and dragonflies. I know that it is Watercolour Wednesday, but today I've painted in a mix of Water media.  What is watermedia you ask? Well in art circles it is basically any media that is soluble in water. So it includes watercolour paint, acrylic paint, inks, dyes, etc. This tiny painting was  started with watercolours and ink and finished with a washy mix of acrylic paint. You can't see it here, but the wings were covered in a pearly iridescent paint. Dragonfly Daydream 2.5 X 3.5"

Last week I was challenged to post three paintings a day for five days on Facebook, and nominate someone else each day to do the same. What a fun and interesting experience that was! Not only have there been tons of great artwork posted everyday, it also got me searching my archives for paintings that hadn't been viewed for a while. One of them was a tiny ladybug, one of the first paintings I sold. I remembered how much fun she was to paint, so I thought that I'd do another for Watercolour Wednesday. Well, I enjoyed the first one so much, I did another one! They are both in ACEO format (2.5" X 3.5"). VERY affordable and collectable art. Ladybugs 2.5" X 3.5"  $8.75 each plus S&H

Here in Southwestern Ontario, we seem to have plunged directly into Autumn without any transition! Brrr! Looking out into my garden, it's starting to look pretty sad, compared to its glory days in July. Recently, I completed a garden collage painting commissioned by one of my favourite clients. (Thanks, Jennifer!) She wanted something to remind her of her cottage garden in the depths of February.  If you would like your own personalized collage painting, just contact me and I can work with you to create something fun and beautiful and "just yours"! The completed painting:  A portion of the garden: A quick concept sketch: Some closeups:

A few more from the journal. I'm really enjoying sketching the flowers from my garden! So far I've done only the perennials, but as summer comes along I'm sure I'll be painting the annuals as well.