Index card whimsy

This index card has taken me many days to finish.  At first it was the stitching (stitching takes time), then it was figuring out how to finish.  I used some flannel for the background and some unused fabric to make my lady’s head and shoulders.  Was a bit concerned how I would give her hair; then I buckled under and used a chocolate bar wrapper for a crown.  The floating speech bubble took another two days to create: taking what was in my brain and then working it into a reality. I like that I used the embroidery floss to attach it to my card (so it won’t get lost).  I’ve used a paper clip to keep them together now. 

Peacocks are back once again

I wanted to document that the peacocks have visited us again.  On Saturday morning Mrs Peacock was on the kitchen roof bellowing out a very loud morning call.  He was on the deck but wondered off.  Then later in the afternoon he showed up again and paid me another visit.  The female was behind but then both took off when they realised I was sitting quietly on the deck! 

Isn’t he a beauty???!! He has some green coloured tail feathers peaking out underneath but I think he is still too immature to make a full display!

So interesting that they have returned here once again. 

Peacock’s

This is what happened at 0800 hrs this morning.  I was getting ready to paint along with a Utube live demo and heard this gawd awful screech that sounded like a horn blasting.  Way better than any rooster I’ve ever heard. Yes, Mrs. Peacock was waking the dead up on the roof!!!  Funny how my husband slept through it all though!!  I caught Mr Peacock peaking in the kitchen sliding glass door.  This couple is a bit more skittish than the two we had last year so he was making a hasty exit.  I wish I could have caught her flying off the roof but I missed it.  Oh well, another time perhaps.

Looking out the sliding glass door

I have painted looking out the window before but never included the sliding glass door and the deck.  I like how they make a frame for the painting. There are more touch ups  (that’s code for corrections) I could do but I’m not going to do it.  

Moving on!  Time to turn the page! Drawing done using water soluble graphite and painted with gouache in my Royal Talens sketchbook. 

I really enjoyed the time I spent on this! 

Island Princess

Ugh! I had to go to town today and had some time left over so I went down to the Port of Orillia for the first time since the pandemic.

This is a background story about the Island Princess.  It use to do yours around Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe.  The previous owner sold it to a fella from a town not too far from here on Georgian Bay (Lake Huron).  The new owner thought he could have dinner cruises on Georgian Bay.  Seemingly he neglected to do his homework; you can’t use a flat bottomed boat on the Great Lakes system!  The waves can become way too big for this type of boat to manoeuvre in. 

Now it sells ice cream and on Friday and Saturday night they serve finger foods and alcoholic drinks under the blue tarp at the back.  And yes, I had some ice cream.  But is no longer leaves port.  Very sad. 

So bummed that I didn’t have my regular art supplies with me (I had cleaned out my car to get my A/C fixed.  So I decided to stop whining and just use the pencil crayons I had.  Yup, I’m glad I didn’t let the art supply issue stop me.  I did what I could with the time I had. 

Sweater coat yarn

This is what I had time for this morning.  I found a partial ball of yarn and recalled that it was from a sweater coat that my mother had knit for me.  It was beautiful and I felt like a million bucks wearing it.  I tried to integrate it into some wool roving and then couched it down with some embroidery thread.  Added some stitches, metallic kiss crosses and French knots.  Backstitched a frame and voilà.  Oh yes, I used some pan pastels to colour in the frame and give it some weight.  Stitching on paper is always enjoyable and brings back memories of doing this same activity as a kid.  Happy with the process and results.

Iris #3

Iris #3 for Day 8 index card art.  ITs wonderful that the buds have now bloomed but they are making me sneeze.  They look lovely outdoors too! 

You can’t see the sparkle in the cobalt green paint but it’s there! Gouache and watercolour.

Cosmic Brownies

I wanted to ask him if he was 7 yrs old but thought I’d best not.  He said he bought it because it was so cheap!!  He wanted to know if I wanted one! No thanks, not my idea of a treat.  This is the first time and this will be the last!

Games from the tiny green caravan Part Two

It’s June so I’m back to making art on index cards.  I took a class by Tansy Hargan and liked it very much.  My last project I used cool colours in my sketchbook and then tried it again here with warm.  I used markers for this.  I have a huge cheap kiddo set and used the 20 warm colours that were in it.  The original project was completed using watercolour and gouache and using a brush.  I found I enjoyed colour mixing better than using markers.  Good to know!  I do like the results but happy to be finished.