Saturday, April 30, 1983

Bookplate - Landscape with Stars and Trees

My mom was learning calligraphy, and she wanted to make a bookplate. She asked me to draw something for it. This is what we used for the drawing. She wrote the "Ex Libris." I have 2 bookplates left.

This was our only joint art work, but we often worked on the same sewing or knitting project. She liked hemming, I liked sewing buttons on. Our knitting gauge was the same. We were a good team. I miss her.

To try this, click here.

Monday, April 25, 1983

Wednesday, April 20, 1983

Grape Ivy on Tan Card


My first grape ivy drawing - this is grape ivy plant #2, a cutting from the original 1970 plant. In 2008, I drew my second grape ivy drawing, which was plant #3.

Drawn with brown Pilot Razor Point pen. I really like the colors and lines in this drawing.

Paper: tan Crane's card approx. 4x6"

Friday, April 15, 1983

The Beauty at the Center


My friend Norma, now passed away, told me that she had a dream in which she saw "the beauty at the center of the universe." I don't know what it looked like to her; she really couldn't describe it, except for the feeling of beauty, joy and love. I believe she is there now.

Soon after hearing about her dream, I drew my interpretation for her and gave her the original drawing. I wrote on the back of it "The Beauty at the Center is Love." This is a rough copy that I made for myself.

Monday, February 28, 1983

Blue and Gold Pin

Drawn with blue Pilot Razor Point pen.

In real life, the pin (see below) is about 3 inches long, an old piece of junk jewelry from my Mom's jewelry box. Its gold looks like cheap gold paint, not even shiny, and its stones look like something grown from a home science kit. But an interesting shape to draw. The light blue section in the drawing is actually gold colored in the pin.

What I don't like in this drawing is the pink stripe. It needs to be a different shape, different color, or both. Sometime I will draw another version. The pin can also be seen in my glass jewelry box drawing.

Paper: white Crane's card approx. 4x6"

Saturday, December 5, 1981

Shell 2


A simplified drawing with bright patches of color. Same subject as Shell 1.

Monday, August 31, 1981

Yellow Abstract with Dark Greens and Red

This drawing really appeals to me. The lines and dots seem like just enough.

Sunday, August 30, 1981

Lady Slipper Orchid


Several kinds of Lady Slipper Orchids grow wild in the eastern and midwestern U.S. My drawing is exaggerated, but not by much. August is past their blooming season, so this was not drawn from life.

Monday, June 1, 1981

Iris Flower Card


I drew this iris from my garden on 3.5 x 5 Crane ecru note paper, with blue Pilot Razor Point pen. I created several like this to give to friends.

Sunday, March 22, 1981

River Landscape 1

A pencil landscape. I like the meandering lines of the drawing.

28 years later, I drew a version with color.

Thursday, January 15, 1981

Landscape with Flying-Leaping Horse-Dog-Creature; also Sybil's First Marker Drawing


This is one of my favorite drawings. Simple lines, simple colors, but a great feeling of joy and energy. To draw the animal, I drew a shape on another piece of paper, cut it out, and traced around it. To try this, click here.

This was when I introduced my friend Sybil to drawing with markers. Below is her first marker drawing, from that same day. (Used with her permission.)

Monday, January 12, 1981

Shell 1

My Mom gave me this shell, which sat on her dresser top for many years. I like the line drawing with just a little subdued color. But I don't draw this way very often. An animal grew this shell, so I will label it as such.

See Shell 2 for a brighter version.

Sunday, January 11, 1981

Landscape with Creatures in Warm Grays

This was done with warm gray markers on paper torn from a small spiral bound sketch pad.

I don't know what it is, but I remember it felt very meditative to draw it. It looks very peaceful to me. Creatures afloat in calm waters, maybe.

Thursday, July 31, 1980

Cave with Landscape

From inside the cave, looking out. I would include this with my "geode" drawings because it has a bright, cheerful center scene surrounded by rock. Except we're inside the rock, and the scene is outside.

This drawing took me weeks to complete. It's one of my favorites, but I find it a little disorienting, even unsettling, to look at.

Thursday, February 28, 1980

Turtle Shapes

Two overlapping shapes, traced from a ceramic turtle that I made in grade school (shown below.) To try this, click here.

Sunday, February 24, 1980

Frog Panel


This is a very large drawing, 11 x 50", on three pages of drawing paper. See below for the individual pages.

I made two paper frog cutouts to trace around. I enjoyed all the details - flowers, trees, rocks, water, lizards, turtle, frog variations. Below are the three pages.

Left:

Center:

Right:

Thursday, May 31, 1979

Tuesday, May 1, 1979

Doodle Toy 1


This image is about 6 inches in diameter. It looks 3-D to me, like a stuffed toy. Too bad about the Bad Markers bleeding outside the lines. See Bad Marker Disclaimer.