It never rains but it deluges - I sometimes don't have illustration work for months and years at a time, and then it arrives by the container-load! So I'm neglecting the blog a bit, and I'm sure it's very disjointed and erratic to read -I will get to posting about materials and process, as I've promised some of my visitors - just when I have time to engage brain and try and be logical, and methodical!I am finding it essential to get out and move my limbs occasionally though, and happy to have the extra incentive of the tree challenge and sketchercise. It was -1°C when I got up this morning, so I did some work first, and then walked when the sun had thawed things out a bit. I sat and drew the base of a cork oak, couldn't resist adding the duck as he came poking his head round the side, and then added more and more around the tree-trunk - it was supposed to be a quick, simple study of the bark...
On the left is a corner of the neighbour's garden I did after vacuuming a few days ago - the only physical jerks of the day - as the sun was going down, so everything was getting more silhouetted by the minute. That was with a water-soluble felt pen and waterbrush - the cork oak was with water-soluble graphite and my little Cotman set in the small moleskine w/c notebook. That trunk base looks like a dinosaur foot, doesn't it?!
Posts
12 comments:
I need to catch up on my comments.
I'm impressed that for a very busy person you've managed to keep posting on your blog.
These are all great! Yes, I did see the dinosaur foot right away - I love it when nature does that. Like the mushroom I saw on the golf course that looked like a golf ball on a tee. Love the foraging little duck too. And the silhouette trees. Winter Garden & Dog Park posts. Stay warm in Jozies...
Never heard of a cork oak.... but I love trees in general... and this is one beautiful bark study! Good job, Cathy!
Ah, trees...I LOVE trees! These are great. x
Fabulous painting Cathy. The tree looks very impressive.
Gillian you don't have to keep up - as long as I know you're there! Talking of images in nature - check out http://www.whatsforsupper-juno.blogspot.com/ and scroll down :D
Teresa, according to my husband (Who Knows Everything!), wine corks are made from the bark of cork oaks - they're lovely gnarly-looking trees.
Hello Roz! Nice to 'see' you here - thanks for looking in.
Thank you Jeanette - I'd like to do your rock challenge too, but I'd have to hunt for some around here, and don't have the time right now!
Can never have too many trees Cathy, especially your paintings of them! I have one of those cork trees outside my house - the witogies love flitting in and out of it!
Like Gillian, I have been short of comment time, but have enjoyed catching up with your life and thoughts through the lovely paintings.I remember the big cork oaks in South Africa and found it hard to reconcile them with the smaller scrubbier ones I saw in Portugal. How big are the leaves on your tree? (probably bare now). Brr it does sound cold there. Perth is chilly too, esp after coming back from the Northern Summer.
Wonderful! Nice work!
Can't believe SA is cold as this in the mornings even in your winter. Cork tree study with duck is a piece of artwork that inspires me to get back to close up nature and its wonderful patterns... if only I had the time between preparing for shows this summer. Ah well, there's always Autumn.
Vivienne - this one had big leaves, but there are lots of other varieties there with small leaves - the bark is even rougher and corkier looking than this one - are they also cork oaks? I couldn't find one with a label on it!
Thank you Liz and Geraldo :)
Joan - believe me, 'cos it's true! My hands are frozen sitting at this computer. Hope your shows do well!
Those I got up close to had tiny little leaves with saw toothed edges, and perfect little acorns. Quercus suber I believe. Must look them up properly now!
Vivienne, if you're still following this conversation... the one I drew was a Netleaf Oak!! Quercus reticulata! I'm sure they must have changed the sign on it since I drew it :-o The ones with the small leaves are the cork oaks
Post a Comment