More Outdoor Sketches & Spirit Drawings

Last week, Martha and I spent a quiet, early morning at Meldrum Bar on the Willamette River rendering the river, rocky beach, wildflowers and birds.

Tuesday, we started a "Nature Journaling" class with Jude Siegel at the Multnomah Arts Center. The spirit drawings help connect the eye, heart and hand to draw the essence of a subject.

Use of dominant vs. nondominant hands makes a difference in the drawing. My left-handed drawings are much more free and loose.

Adding color makes the drawing come alive. I drew the tiger lily with my left, nondominant hand- larger and faster and like the results. Learning how to use watercolor paints is exciting. Oh, what summer fun!

Where in the world is Paula now?

Yesterday, our Portland Art Collective exchanged art made from recycled materials. Cynthia Mooney made me this wonderful shadow box. It says, "Where in the world is Paula now?". She knows how much I love to travel.

She even included photos from my trip to Tokyo. It's a very special gift that will look great on my yellow studio wall. Thank you, Cynthia!

Portland's Chinese Garden offers peace, quiet and time to reflect on its beauty with ink, watercolor and camera. Bamboo and stone form the yin and yang of this corner. The scholars' garden honors the virtues of integrity, love, health, wealth and longevity.

The sleeping water lily and the waking lotus bloom side by side.

Summer is a wonderful time to visit the garden. I highly recommend taking a tour and contemplating the view.

I printed this mermaid during a Gocco Print class taught by Shu-Ju Wang at the Focus on Book Arts Conference in Forest Grove the end of June. The Japanese orginally created the Gocco as a children's toy. Artists now use it to create books and fine prints. I'll play with it this summer and have more prints to share. Check out Shu-Ju's art at http://www.fingerstothebone.com/. I love her layered prints and paintings.