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

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

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

The whole time I was creating this collage, I couldn't get the song "My Darling Clementine" out of my head! Now I've probably put it in yours....sorry 'bout that! This collage started out with a much different composition and I wasn't happy with it. The nice thing about collage is that you just have to "collage" over the parts you don't like! You'd never know there had been a third ugly clementine, and a much higher "horizon". I think I'm finished now, if only to get the song to stop! My Darling Clementines 6" X 6" X 1.5" Paper Collage on Canvas $45 Check this out in my Etsy Shop!

Lest We Forget

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"

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

I've had little green frogs hopping around in my brain all week! I was commissioned to paint a bunch of tiny tree frogs by a lady who found me on Etsy. So far I've done five 3" X 5" paintings. Then I realized that it's watercolour Wednesday! So I stopped what I was doing and did a sketch of some of the paintings! With my client's permission I might be able to post the originals at a later date.  It was coincidental that I saw on Facebook today that scientists have discovered a  tree frog in Costa Rica that looks just like Kermit!  Real Life Kermit Kermit's Kousins From my Sketchbook 3" X 5"

A little history for those who are new to my Facebook Page or Blog. I recently retired from my "day job", and have been enjoying spending more time with art. I've really fallen in love with collage or "torn paper paintings", but want to keep in touch with my  watercolour  beginnings. I challenged myself to do some kind of watercolour every Wednesday, just to keep my brushes wet. And then I post them, no matter if they turn out good or bad. It's also a good drawing exercise, as I have been starting to sketch the majority of them from life.  The Easter Lily that my hubby got for me is still blooming away on the kitchen counter, so I sat and sketched it this morning. I love the unpredictability of Hot Press paper. It is not very absorbent, so the paint sits on the surface a little longer while wet. It tends to create some interesting "blooms" here and there. Especially when you are impatient like me and don't let things dry long enough! Easte...

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!)