Splashing Through Life - Art by Patricia Henderson

  Updated: Oct 26, 2023 I've recently painted three happy sunflower watercolours and have added them to Daily Paintworks' Art for Ukraine Fundraiser. In this fundraiser, artists donate their artwork and people can bid on the pieces they are interested in buying. I would be so excited to have someone buy my paintings, and delighted to donate the proceeds to UNHCR Canada. This agency helps refugees throughout the world and right now desperately need funds to help the people of Ukraine. Below each painting is a link to bid on the art. My auction will be live for 10 days, starting today, April 7, 2022. Thank you! UPDATE: As of May 8, 2022, all three paintings have been sold! Thank you so much to the bidders.

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

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

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

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

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

Okay, I'm REALLY going to make an attempt to keep up my Watercolour Wednesdays! LOL  Today I'm posting a little Chicadee that I am submitting to the Grambacher Trading Card swap. This month's theme is birds. You can check out the swap page HERE . Each time you submit a card, the punch a rewards card. I will have three holes punched after submitting this little birdie, so that means I get three tubes of paint! I love Chicadees and wish that they came to my feeder. I have heard them in the small woods at the end of my block, but they don't seem to want to venture over to my yard.  Chicadee-dee-dee 2.5" X 3.5" NFS

Maybe it is appropriate that my last painting of this year is of a crow. According to some legends, the crow can be a sign of change. We are changing from the old year to the new, and that always comes with the expectation of changes, hopefully for the better. Wishing you all a Happy New Year full of wonderful changes, new beginnings and the comfort of things that we want to stay the same. Family, friends, and home. Patty A Sign of Change 5" X 7" Watercolour, ink, coloured pencils (Click on picture for larger image)

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday!

I've been participating in the Grumbacher Art Swap , where every month a new theme is chosen and artists create a small ATC (art trading card), send it in to Grumbacher and they swap it with another artist's card and send it back to you. They give you a punch card, so after every three swaps you receive a reward of paints or brushes etc. The first one I did was very fun and I received a nice card in the mail the other day. I was excited when they announced the new theme until I saw it was SELF PORTRAITS!!!! OMG!!! I have never done a self portrait, unless you count the time in a drawing class I took and that one was promptly destroyed! But I thought this would be a good way to stretch myself outside of my comfort zone. It sure is doing that! Not only is it a portrait, which I haven't done for a long time, but a selfie! And not only a selfie, but a teeny, weeny, tiny one! So....after a couple of attempts which I won't show you, here is something that kinda resembles me...

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!

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"

Lest We Forget