This week, we sketched at Hughes Water Gardens on Stafford Road. With the waterlilies in full bloom, the ponds and container gardens captured our hearts. We plan another visit.
The tropical Victorian waterlilies only bloom at a constant temperature of 75 degrees F. The large round container-looking pods can hold a baby or small child- magical, a rare sight.
It feels like summer with warm days, sunshine, time to slow down and enjoy the water gardens.
Each unit is made with a V or valley folded index card and a W with two valley folds and a mountain fold in the middle. I stamped a background on the V page and added one of my soul collage images. Then, I wrote a journal entry about my soul collage image on the W page and cut a diamond shape out for a window. The W page is then glued to the V page and five V-W units are glued together back to back.
Looking from the top, the V-W units show up better- three in front and two in back.
You can also make this little book with postcards. It's a great memento of a recent trip.
The Portland Art Collective started a new blog to promote their "Open Doors" Art Show and Sale December 5th and 6th, 2008 at the Multnomah Arts Center in Portland, Oregon. Members will be posting photos of their artwork. Subscribe to the blog and feel the enthusiasm for this new venture that we are undertaking. I feel very fortunate to be apart of this creative group of artists.
In August, the theme for our "Nature Gathered" project was entomology . I wanted my 8x8 to reflect the look of fossil images in contrast to crawling bugs. I used plaster of paris and party store plastic bugs to create the fossil insects.
We could spend hours in the community gardens.
My sketches
One of the joys of traveling is meeting people from around the world. Peter Welsford's studio is across the street from La Cascade. He invited us to take one of his Tuesday morning drawing classes.
I enjoyed working with the pastels- a new medium for me. I like their rich color and freeform nature when used in drawing an object.
The sunflower fields started to bloom mid-July and offered a great subject to draw.
I'm in a new 8x8 art exchange called Nature Gathered to explore a different theme each month for a year. Members post their artwork on the blog monthly. In July, our theme was birds.
the front cover made with French fabric and a polymer clay transfer
the inside cover with toile and a sewn signature with a variety of papers in different sizes
fabric samples
An ink and pen drawing of La Cascade by Peter Welsford, a Brit whose studio is across the street from La Cascade.
1930's stamps found in a Vide Greniers or an "empty the attic" flea market
An envelope, accordian book to hold workshop notes and treasures
The back of the idea book with a V-W pop-up and fabric frame