Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Fresh Greens

There's plenty of green all around. The yard is full of trees leafing out, particularly the grapefruits with bright shiny leaves, the apricot that just finished blooming, the mulberries and mesquite are starting to cast shade (and catkins! Ah-choo!).
From every window I peer, I see green! I am blessed to have such a residence, as most homes in the desert are surrounded by various shades of beige or perhaps, block walls.
And of course, EVERY one is Irish this week! My own heritage is heavily influenced by the English isles, but my children can claim their paternal great-grandfather emigrated from the Emerald Isle and other ancestors that resided in Ireland for a time.
In that vein, the various challenges have themes of green. Break out the crayons and markers!

Last week, the IAST had a shamrock string. I have a pot of shamrocks, indoors, natch, and the leaves are quite angular and oh, so petite. It just helps to explain this one:

Colored Pencils
This other one was drawn first with watercolor crayons. The waxy surface was tough to make marks with my Sharpie. The more water I added, the less trouble I had.


It's a learning curve of sorts, isn't it?

Then I wanted to see if I could get Sharpie marks to run and blur. They're alcohol-based, so alcohol must do the trick, right? I finally got real action with 97% isopropyl:



Then I played with some water-based markers. I should have known the colour combination would yield mostly browns, but I was trying to use colors of my shamrocks (they're magenta on the underside of the leaves). This is for this week's Diva and I call it, "Losing my Marbles," as I've been having "fun" with my health insurance:


Note: I still have some marbles left!

These itty-bitties are for the EIM. I'd love to visit Tahiti and live in a tiki hut over the aqua water, been to Nevis, which was delightful and still undeveloped when I was there, we'd like to have our own Florida Key and Gil has been known to fly an ultra-light plane and that would have to be our mode of transport.
Cue Wagner's, "Ride of the Valkeries."
While drawing the deserted island, I was reminded of Yosemite Sam, "I HATE coconuts!"
Alas, there's a Four Seasons hotel there now.


And last, but not least, my offering for next week's Two by Two, "Zodiac." The twinchie challenge marks it's first birthday this week! YAY! I'm grateful to have the opportunity to create and publish that blog and for meeting participants from all over the globe.
My birthday is in September, I'm a Libra. I was always kind of annoyed that I wasn't associated with one of the cool animals or creatures, but rather the only inanimate object of the Constellations. I've come to terms with that and for it being an "Air"sign. I thought hard about this and I love the billowing thunderheads in summer. They form out of nothing, create drama in the skies and nourishing rain when the mood suits. My "air" drawn with watercolor pencils:


Thanks for stopping by and looking! The hand is healing nicely, BTW.
Perhaps stop by the 2 x 2 and create something different there?! It's a birthday party!

32 comments:

  1. Looks like you had so much fun playing this week! You reminded me of shamrock kind of plants that I had in one of my gardens that grew from "toes". I love those shamrock tangles and your little islands are calling me :)

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    1. Yes, thank you, Jean, I did have some fun coloring and using many different materials--pencils, crayons and markers, all water-soluble--testing them all out. Never heard of "toes." Glad you like my little islands, some day! c

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  2. Beautiful island (and all of your other work too!). I would love to visit your island paradise!

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    1. Thank you, Cathy! I'll let you know when we finally get our own Key come on over! c

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  3. Lot's of great stuff, I love your stylized little Shamrocks, so cute. Fun color play.

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    1. Thank you so much, Daniele. I appreciate that you stopped by and like what I've been up to! c

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  4. I love the sharpie blur with rubbing alcohol. Cool tip. Fellow Libran, until today I did not realize that we are the only immortals in the zodiac.

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    1. Much appreciated, Lorna, it was an idea that I had to pursue and it worked! Makes the paper warp, but I think an iron will straighten that out. Viva la librans! c

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  5. Some lovely work. You may not have lost all your marbles, but as they say, there's definitely a hole in the bag.

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    1. Thanks, Wendy! Trying to pick them up and carefully put back into the bag. Might help if I patched it first, hmm? c

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  6. I love he inchies! How colorful and exciting looking. I love the twinchie blog and I am glad that you started it. Happy first birthday to it!

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    1. Thanks so much, Free and for being a 2x2 cheerleader! c

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  7. envy the amout of green you are seeing - it's a bit too early here farther north but some tulips and daffys are trying to push through, Lovely island inchies - I like the little hut

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    1. Thank you very much, Kia! I used to have a garden in Massachusetts that I planted with about 200 daffodils, eventually covering a 50-foot bed. It was a labor of love and made me so happy each spring. Alas, the new owners never took care of it and it's reverted to the plot of grass it once was.
      So sad.
      I'll let you know if I ever get to go to Tahiti, that would be swell, wouldn't it? c

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  8. Your shamrock tangles are so cool just brilliant and lovely inchies -glad you've been having fun especially the colour runs

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    1. Thanks, Jenny! I am having fun exploring what all these art supplies can do. I have them, I ought to use them! c

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  9. Love that Shamrock tile!!!! Shanks for sharing your play!

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    1. Thank you, Annemarie! Glad you like the results and I'm glad you appreciate my comments on the making...I love learning new techniques from all over; if I can contribute ever so slightly, all the better! c

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  10. I can't imagine how lovely it must be to have such a long flowering season. Our spring flowers have started but they won't last long. I like your shamrocks, especially the angular one.

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    1. Oh, it is quite wonderful! Right now all the fruit are flowering, especially the tangeloes, and the sight and the scent is intoxicating! c

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  11. Love your Shamrock, and I too have a pot of them growing inside at home, so I knew right away when I saw this what inspired it. Your other work is so fun too!

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    1. Thank you, Lady Kate! I know Zentangle is supposed to be non-representational, but this one just shouted out to be exactly what it is: right now one, lonely shamrock. It'll be back, some water may help! c

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  12. I enjoyed all of your pieces, but I especially love the first shamrock - the way it really pops off the tipple background. Then the marbles piece was just plain fun. Finally, I love the last piece with the clouds. It's really beautiful.

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    1. Thank you, Melissa. I'm glad you liked what I've done here. Just TRYING to sit still is trying my patience; it's good for me to have some little projects to work on--like the Tipple background, that took a bit. Gladly. c

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  13. So many lovely pieces! Especially I like your shamrock tiles ... they are wonderful!

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    1. Very much appreciated, Annette. Glad you like the shamrocks; I'm glad I have a pot of them, always. c

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  14. So much fun here this week, you have been busy! I envy you the warmth right now, it's been grey/cold for the past 4 days & im craving warmth & sunshine!

    Sally

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    1. Thank you, Sally, sending bright sunshine and a lot of warmth your way! c

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  15. Wonderful work all of them :-) I love your first zentangle tile, because I'm a big fan of tipple!
    Your "air" drawn is also so great. Have a nice week :-)

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    1. Much appreciated, Sandra! I like Tipple, too, and this made me sit still for a while, longer than anticipated. Glad you like my little watercolor drawing, I was trying to channel that light-hearted characteristic I'm supposed to have. c

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