Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Accordion to me...


I have been enjoying Laurelines vivid sketches she's been doing in an accordion sketchbook, so I was thrilled to find out how to make one myself , using Nina Johansson's simple instructions - out of a sheet of Fabriano paper - I was intending to take it to the beach over Easter, but that little holiday didn't happen - so I took it into the garden today to try and sketch a eucalyptus tree that I love for its silvery blue-green leaves. As is my way, I started much too big, so got mostly trunk on the page... and had to go up, up into the next page, and only squeezed a little bit of the foliage around the edges. I don't think its a very well eucalyptus tree - the top of the gate bangs into it, and it started weeping gum from the wound, and has now developed very interesting colours and textures all down the bark, with a bare strip on one side. I hope it's not a mortal wound, and I sure hope it doesn't topple over onto my car which is parked nearby.

The paper I used in the sketchbook is a bit heavy to fold easily, so the paint really gathers in the crease, and I think it might crack after much opening and closing, but it is good for watercolour sketching - especially when you pile on as much as I did here. I need to fit the sketches on only one sheet at a time. P.S. (I apologise for the appalling pun in the title to this post!)

2 comments:

Gillian said...

I went and browsed Laurelines - just love her loose, easy going style of sketching and painting. Passed her website on to Claudia - as an e-gift (!!) as it was her b'day on Friday. She loved her trip to Paris a couple of years ago - and wants to go again. Thought L's recent posts will spur the dream on... Yesterday I worked on my backyard w/c. (And it does feel like WORK, though I did have moments of actually realizing some artistic success in small areas!) Also a smaller w/c of the wisteria and freesias which are in full bloom right now... Almost there...

Cathy Gatland said...

Well, my e-wish for you, is that you can relax and enJOY painting and drawing so that it's a JOY not a chore! Remember it really doesn't matter (unless and until you're trying to make a living from it) if your wisteria are wonky or your freesias fudged (to be polite). I think the more you love doing it, the more magic will happen!