You matter!
Unless you multiply yourself by the speed of light, then you energy. 😆
I made this rock as a little gift for someone who matters to me and it made her smile. Hope it made you smile, too.
NOTE: Pokeweed is considered poisonous and toxic. Use gloves and do not eat. Keep out of the reach of children and pets. Use with caution.
From my nature walk last week, I picked some Pokeweed berries and used the juice to paint the Pokeweed I sketched in my nature journal.
If you want to try it yourself, just squish some berries and grab a brush. You can make a batch for later use, according to a recipe I found in the NY Times:
One cup of pokeweed berries, squished and strained into a bowl.
1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. vinegar, stir.
Keep in a glass jar with a screw cap in a cool place.
Makes a beautiful paint or ink. Have fun!
An artist friend, Jae Anderson, inspired me with her neurographic art through the ICAD project. I researched the topic and found a variety of resources online. Each describe it a bit differently, but here’s how I proceeded:
I set an intention and wrote it on one side of a piece of watercolor paper (you can use any kind of paper). On the other side, I used a Sharpie and while thinking of my intention, I scribbled some lines for about three seconds.
Next I rounded all the sharp edges. Wherever there was an intersection and a hard angle, I curved and thickened the lines.
I then added more lines and extended them off the edge of the page. While meditating on my intention, I curved and rounded off the new intersecting lines. A softening.
After that I added watercolors, (colors are optional), a black border, and called it finished.
As I worked I felt calm and it was as if time ceased to exist. I was completely focused. It was a beautiful and meditative process based in mindfulness.
I’m only just beginning to learn about neurographic drawing, but find it kindles my artistic curiosity. As I experiment and learn more, I’ll share details.
It may have been the wettest July on record, at least in nearby Huntington, WV, but we still had plenty of hot and sunshiny days.
The Mimosa tree blooms are still fragrant and plentiful. The delicate white of Queen Anne’s Lace and the periwinkle blue of Chicory adorn the roadsides. Dragonflies and Swallowtails flit and feed along with what so far has been only female hummingbirds at the wild trumpet vine and Stick Verbena flowers.
The morning glories are a month behind their usual domination of the patio trellis and so far only deep purple blooms dot the green wall of heart-shaped leaves.
Most mornings at exactly 5:30, the first bird to shatter the night’s silence is a House Wren I named Fifty Cent. The bird book says they weigh about as much as two quarters, so…
For fun, I play an audio recording of a House Wren and watch with amusement as he warbles and scolds in response. He built a nest and found a mate. But from what I’ve read, this is probably just one of his multiple families.
A few of the sunflowers have bloomed, some with petals growing in the centers of the heads, but they still serve their purpose; the bees don’t seem to mind their odd appearance. One monster sunflower has reached a height just past the gutter. Its head seeks the setting sun on the opposite side of the house, even though the bloom has yet to open.
The full buck moon this month was a baby aspirin orange when it first appeared which led to a new nickname: pumpkin moon. Is it wrong to be thinking about pumpkins in July? I see patches of the brilliant orange and yellow leaves of the Staghorn Sumac nestled among a sea of green. A harbinger of Autumn, a mere seven weeks away.
But for now, today I will notice and enjoy the sultry air, the dance of the bats and lightning bugs at dusk and dawn, the fiery sunsets, bare feet on grass and in puddles, and flower heads that magically move under the weight of bumblebees and butterflies.
“Woods are filled with the music of birds, and all nature is laughing under the glorious influence of Summer.” — Charles Lanham, Author, Artist, Librarian
Well done, July. 👏🏻
This was fun!
For today’s prompt, botanical, I gathered plants on my walk this morning, coated them with printing ink and pressed them between two index cards. I love the results!
It’s hard to decide which one I like best.
As usual, I jumped in without looking at a tutorial. It probably would have been better if I pressed them in a book for a few hours before inking. I will try that next time. And there will be a next time. It is totally worth the effort and messy hands. Soap & water cleanup.
I used Speedball block printing ink, a soft brayer, and ceramic cutting board.
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