Not much time for art these days, but I did collect some eucalyptus leaves and seed pods on a recent walk with the dogs in the nearby hills. I thought they fit the Sketchbook Challenge theme for this month: gifts. These bits of nature really are gifts to me. I find it interesting how each season the Earth offers up different gifts for me to find on my nature walks.
I've also been thinking about the Virgin Mary, at least in part because of the Twelve Days of Mary hosted by Recuerda mi Corazon blog. So, I did a few sketches thinking about what makes an image of Mary iconic:
My mind lighted on four different things: a golden halo; a blue head scarf; a sacred heart and the Baby Jesus (who, one could argue, is the ultimate gift of the season!). These are only sketches, and I might try my hand at a larger painting that incorporates the halo, head scarf and heart.
I'm linking these to the Sketchbook Challenge and to Paint Party Friday, since these were all painted with my watercolors (to see other painterly goodness, click on this link). And I'm wondering, what do you think are the gifts of this season? How would you express them in art?
![LEAP [into lightroom]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_ujBPeGOLXIpzBtpDFz5lSJEkVw-xTDDoidx40IakylB5i-PlZcn9_IMmdUSPhbZaEZq7EWva_CY40dSlT6NF-YEH2LP2QP973h1Vh77nEra5Ula10G8K0hEAX0-xI6Pr3SqKbgQ4VyUeD89pDCBai0DtBRZm4TeA=s0-d)
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33 comments:
simply lovely... I love the smell of eucalyptus leaves... it is the smell of my childhood...xx
I really admire how you are finding time for your art in the midst of all that is happening in your family, Rinda ... I love that nature page especially.
Love your nature page - so sensitive and interesting composition - and of course Mary page, too, lovely concept!
Love your pages and the idea for a painting from the Mary page is great.
Simple but exquisite. Love it ! xxx
Wonderful journal pages- I've always wanted to do an art journal like that with color, but never find the time. You are creating a great treasure for yourself!
Happy PPF,
Stephanie
Lovely as always, Rinda :) And a very interesting thought process for the 'Mary' page!
The gifts for me are family and Jesus (I was thinking about this yesterday in relation to one of Shimelle's prompts!) I'd probably want to illustrate the first photographically, or perhaps with heart motifs; for Jesus, I think I'd have to incorporate a cross. In fact, we have a big cross in our dining room made with twigs tied with a strip of hessian, and one year I added a little wreath of tinsel which happened to be gold with little red stars here and there. It looks just like the crown of thorns with droplets of blood so we leave it there all year round now.
You can really gt inspiration from everywhere. :) Great illustrations. :)
Your eucalyptus page is wonderful! My eye just keeps traveling the lines along your shapes! Happy PPF!
I bought a new Nativity this year and was thinking about the fact that Mary is usually depicted as wearing blue. It seems very unlikely that anyone wore pastel blue garments at that time, especially anyone who was not wealthy. I'm not sure they had a way to make pastel blue back then. My new Mary has gold patterning on her blue head scarf, and that certainly isn't likely! I guess we like to think of her in blue because blue is a peaceful color.
Wonderful sketches! I love how you used your sketchbook to think through the icons of Mary. I would also think the look of serenity on her face. I've seen many, many "Madonna col bambino" paintings and she always looks so serene. Not like your average mother of a newborn! Happy PPF.
Just popped in to wish you Happy Holidays and thank you for stopping by my PPF! Love your Mary and we have 2 huge eucalyptus trees way out back toward the end of our lot. Love the smell. Okay, see you in 2013 and glad you joined up this year with PPF! Take care.
Love these peeks into your sketchbook.
I do think the greatest gift of this season is love. :)
♥♥♥
Happy PPF!!
Mary
Mixed-Media Map Art
Very cute, now you have a wonderfully Merry Xmas. Happy PPF.
oh your sketchbook pages look amazing!!!! lovely work...wishing you a wonderful weekend!!!!
Great sketches! Love the last painting!! Happy PPF!
Delightful art work ~ both the leaves and Mary ~
(A Creative Harbor) aka artmusedog and Carol ^_^
Your eucalyptus sketches are beautiful. We don't have that in the east but I know how wonderful the fragrance is. To me, Mary always is dressed in a flowing blue gown with a white veil. I know this because that was the picture in my religion book in grade school!
really lovely colored sketches-love the scent of eucalyptous!Happy PPF!
Wonderful work in your sketchbook. Love the colours. For me the gifts of the season are family, love and companionship.
Great sketchbook pages. I relly like the studies you have done of the eucalyptous and the inspiring images of Mary. Happy PPF
love your drawings. Eucalyptus always makes me think of Christmas for some reason. Happy PPF
I really like your sketching subjects this week. I like all the blues. I too like the scent of eucalyptus. Thank you for your comment on my pastel.
is there anything more wonderful tha eucalyptus? I remember it from my childhood well. Lovely drawings!
I love the different gifts that nature leaves for me on my walks. I am totally inspired by what I find! Fantastic Sketches x
Loving the nature paintings. Nature's gifts are always special.:)
Your Mary page is so lovely!
I have a few Eucalyptus pods that I brought back after a walk in the park in SF. The trees were SO tall and the slender leaves made a special rustling sound in the breeze...I was quite taken with them as we have nothing like that here in N VA ... your sketches inspire me Rinda :)
oxo
I never really thought about what makes a Virgin Mary painting iconic -- good to think about! Also, I never knew what a sacred heart was and now I do! Thank you!! Happy Belated PPF!
As soon as you said Eucalyptus, that wonderful smell came to me..so there's an instant, happy reaction to your art today! And thinking of the Virgin Mary - when TSO was about 6 she played Mary in the school play. The bit which moved me the most, for some reason, was the fact that they tucked all her hair under the blue hood. Something about that simple, pure image..
I can smell those leaves a favorite of mine...and the other is simply lovely!
I, too, can smell the Eucalyptus leaves. Wonderful drawing. The Mary drawing is so special. Keep thinking as you draw, it is very interesting what comes out. Blessings, Janet PPF
I thought of the perfume of the Eucalyptus too, and I love the tiny, almost circular new leaves. Both your pages are lovely Rinda. I always thought Mary looked so young, perhaps because she was covered up in the pale blue.
The gift of Christmas is my family, together.
Lovely sketches, the eucalyptus leaves remind me of my time in Israel! Valerie
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