Skillshare Inspirations A couple of Skillshare classes that I recently enjoyed, sparked a growing interest in the uplifting Japanese philosophy of Wabi Sabi. The first class, Introducing Chinese calligraphy, explore the beauty of simplicity, was wonderful for introducing the practice of slow, mindful brush strokes with a natural hair paint brush and sumi ink. The … Continue reading Wabi Sabi Simplicity and Imperfection: Inspirations from Japanese Calligraphy and Etagami Art
Allow magic to come in. This is just one of the inspirational quotes I enjoyed finding for my first batch of 10 cards, created from the first 10 sketches of the 100 Day Project! I have to admit, I'm missing creating a new daily nature sketch of what I notice blooming in my nearby neighborhood, … Continue reading Allow Magic to Come In: Day 51-60 of the 100 Day Project
SPRING EPHEMERALS: Spring ephemerals are emerging in our Pacific Northwest forests and meadows! You can just feel the quiet energy of these short-lived wildflowers that spring to life in March, April and May given energy by the slivers of sunshine that stretch through the leafless trees. e·phem·er·al: lasting for a very short time. FIRST SPRING … Continue reading Spring Ephemerals: Day 41-50 of the 100 Day Project
SKETCH MEETUP: I enjoyed the most amazing field trip to Seattle's Burke Museum of Natural History to observe and sketch bird specimens with the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators NW Chapter! First, we got a generous tour through the extensive bird collection cabinet drawers containing hundreds of birds from all over the world! There were … Continue reading Wings and Wonders: A Sketching Adventure with Bird Specimens
BRIGHT & SPARKLY: My latest batch of 10 square tile sketches for the 100 Day Project was inspired by the bright Spring colors that are blooming in the forests and gardens! I am noticing that there was less whimsy in my sketches in this batch, but there's usually something sparkly happening! I'm enjoying adding dazzle … Continue reading Bright Blooms: Day 31-40 of The 100 Day Project
QUICK CAPTURE: It appears that I'm almost 1/3rd of the way through the 100 day project! The short daily act of creating a sketch is really starting to take hold. I'm reminded that it really can be a quick, enjoyable process of capturing memories. KEEPING MOMENTUM: Noticing and choosing one nature element each day to … Continue reading Spring Beauty: Day 21-30 of The 100 Day Project
RESCUE PLANT BLESSINGS A spindly, spazzy leafed plant found has found its forever home on our kitchen windowsill. Our son rescued it from the trash room (of all places!) when he moved out of his apartment building after graduating from university last summer. Our indoor plants add calm to the day as well as something … Continue reading Blessings of a Rescue Plant & Inspire(d) Article
☀️ Day 11-20 of my 100 Day Project coincided with a vacation in sunny Florida! 🌸🌿🐚Each sketch was inspired by patterns of flowers, plants and seashells. 🌴 It was so enjoyable to observe tropical patterns in nature and different bird songs! Keeping to my mantra of Small & Simple made it easy to sketch in … Continue reading Tropical Inspiration: Day 11-20 of the 100 Day Project
100 DAY PROJECT I'm participating in the 100 Day Project this year, which is something I had not heard of before, but was intrigued! The idea is to create each day for 100 days, no matter how small or simple the project. With the amazing inspiration from Super Doodle Girl, I made a nature-inspired plan … Continue reading 100 Day Project = Permission to Play!
All tea (except for herbal) comes from this one plant: Camellia sinensis! Have you ever wondered where those tea bags or loose-leaf tea started when you sip a cup of morning brew? I have enjoyed tea for a long time, but never once considered where the plant a tea leaf comes from or how it … Continue reading Steeped in Tradition: Exploring British Tea History and the Journey of Camellia sinensis
i am chasing butterflies 