Paintdrips
Every artist should have a nature journal. Sure we are taught to keep a sketch book at all times, but this is different. I have sketch books devoted only to nature. Anything that catches my eye when I’m out and about goes into my nature journal. It could be an interesting weed, or a cool iridescent bug, or a dead dragonfly (I have the wings of one in one of nature journals), or just leaves from a tree. Usually I draw the subject, colored with watercolor or colored pencil and then I pick the subject and glue it onto the facing page. On this page, my husband and I were staying at a cool place at Pacific Grove right on the ocean and the wild unkempt undergrowth mesmerized me. It was September and the leaves were turning a bright red and orange. I found this interesting weed with red leaves that was so pretty. I drew it, painted it, took note of the details intending to look up the weeds name and genius later when I got home. Then I picked it and glued it to the page. Later I found out I had picked poison ivy and glued it to my book! Imagine my surprise. Especially since I wasn’t itching and scratching at all. I must have stumbled on the one time a year its poison oils were more dormant.
What do you think?
