Getting ready for Summer classes. Decorated paper for a class on collage.
Painted Papers
One Final Nest
One final nest and then time to move on. Watercolor. 10" x 14" A platonic nest rather than one copied from life.
Vintage egg prints and more
So this is what happens when one starts to explore the world of Google Images. I came across a wonderful image of a bird silhouette against a pink background on the www.vintagecatnip.blogspot.com site and this is what happened. So thank you, Kathy, for the inspiration.
The Nesting Instinct.
About this time every year, I paint a nest or two. So here are two sample Robin's Nests, complete with eggs. Definitely a favorite subject to explore.
Study of Parrot Tulips
Parrot Tulips, thanks to Beverly, watercolor and brown ink on a watercolor wash background.
The Turquoise Trail, Cerillos
A double page spread from my Santa Fe journal. Cerillos, a former turquoise mining town just south of Santa Fe. Where tired, thin dogs outnumber inhabitants and the last sign of commercial activity seems to date from 1988 and the making of the movie "Young Guns." Once a contender for capital of New Mexico, Cerillos now seems forgotten by time. Only one side of the former main street still exists. Of course there is a bar, and a church and a railroad cutting through the town. Amazingly there was once an opera house too but that was another time altogether.... Acrylic ink and lots of red dust.
Cherry Trees
Two ways of approaching Cherry Trees. Truly wonderful just at the moment. This image is by day and the other by night. Two pages in my spring journal.
The Groom's Cake
Here is the recipe for the Groom's Cake. "Tiffin" or "Chocolate Digestive Cake" Ingredients: 3 oz of butter (3/4s of a stick of butter) 3 tablespoons of sugar 1 tablespoon of cocoa I egg I packet of Carr's whole wheat crackers (7oz) 1/2 cup of raisins 1/2 cup of walnuts. NB if you wish to omit the nuts, please add 5 more crackers .
Crush crackers. Melt butter and sugar in a saucepan. Add cocoa powder and egg and stir quickly. Cook until mixture boils. (Bubbles at edge of saucepan is sufficient) Stir in crackers, raisins and nuts. Smooth mix into a pregreased pan. (8" square or similar small size)) Let mixture harden in fridge until you can cut into bars and remove said bars from pan without them crumbling to pieces. Overnight is best if you can wait.
This should take a maximum of 15 minutes and has a truly nostalgic taste, summing up the best of British cooking. Lancelot makes it regularly for Agile and Wilfred. There have been some comments about the lack of an image. So here is a
Patriotic Robin carrying a Groom's Cake. Please note, to get the layered look, it is necessary to double the quantities. Easily done and usually much appreciated.
Snap, Grackle, Hop
Pages from an Accordion book portraying some of the many Grackles we saw in Arizona and New Mexico. And a rabbit or three...
"Nature's First Green Is Gold" - so said Robert Frost
A good quote to begin Spring with. A couple of quick exercises to remind one not to always use exactly the same green. Then a study of Dandelions, adopting a Japanese approach. Flat, decorative leaves and flowers against a gold background.
Laundry Day
We ended the Winter Tuesday term with a 2 week collage class. This 12 x 12" was done as an example piece. Acrylics, acrylic ink, newsprint, printed paper, Japanese waashi paper.
On The High Road To Taos
Snow in April is not so appealing. Much nicer to think back and remember our visit to Santa Fe, New Mexico this time last year. As an antidote to the snow and rain I did a couple of quick sketches based on a drive from Taos to Santa Fe. Stopping at numerous small churches along the way, the (hour's) drive only took us about 5 hours to complete.