Tree by Alison Day
A month of drawing. Theme - Open Spaces - Prompt 3: Tree - for the spoonchallenge
And . . . A quick digi one done late last night.
Tree by Alison Day
A month of drawing. Theme - Open Spaces - Prompt 3: Tree - for the spoonchallenge
And . . . A quick digi one done late last night.
Take a look at Vicki Sawyer's wonderful website filled with animals. Portrayed with technical realism and with and with a personal sense of humour.
As a child, family members taught her the different species of plants and animals, which ultimately led to art college.
Work as a graphic artist has meant she has created hundreds of murals containing the beloved birds, insects, grasses, and wildflowers seen in her childhood.
Her animals with hats series popped up one day as a thought, when she was on a walk: "If birds could build nests, then they could make hats."
For more about Alison Day Designs:
Waking up to our last day, of a two week holiday on the sunny island of Crete and perturbingly the idea of going home actually appeals—shock horror!—never thought I'd hear myself say that.
I've eaten in every restaurant I wanted to re-visit and drunk every drink that appealed (with the odd early morning thick head afterwards. I've done the everything and the nothing I intended, as well as reached a total state of relaxation and calm, which is exactly what I was aiming for.
There are more signals that the time to go has arrived. Sitting by the pool has replaced any activity and conversation has become an effort... er... what was my name again? Also, I see worrying traits akin to the lost tourist beginning to emerge—god forbid and... the pigeons are closing in.
What on earth are you talking about!
Well... the lost tourist was first spotted in the old town, as he shot up a side street, alongside a souvlaki bar where my son and I were munching on gyros pita. He caught our attention because he didn't fit in with the usual relaxed flow, adopted by tourists in hot countries.
Before I could pop another chip into my mouth, he had reappeared from the side street looking shocked—wild white hair, protruding eyes—awash with the local firewater and long legs swinging forward in spasms. The increasing momentum propelling him off in an unstable manner in the opposite direction down the street.
The final time we saw him, it was cocktail time on the hotel terras. With the whole terras to choose from he plopped down in a cushioned, wicker arm chair right next to me.
Oh gawd—no!—but it's a free country—right? —So we ignored him.
Unfortunately, there are people you can ignore and those you won't let you... Gazing out to sea and in-between gulps from litre-sized, Mythos beers, he would laugh intermittently at nothing. Then, when the waiter shooed away the pigeons—advancing on the cheesy, starsign-shaped snacks accompanying our drinks—he positively roared with laughter. Why? Who knows—although it is said that laughter is good for the soul.
With no desire for contact, but feeling his eyes boring into my left shoulder—as I sketched—I decided on a furtive glance at our chuckling hyena. Through darkened sunglasses, I could see there was absolutely nothing to worry about. From his face, I could see that the lost tourist's flight to the planet, Zob had happily departed a long time ago.
Sitting in a lovely little restaurant, in the old town of Rethymnon, under the hanging strands of flowering bougainvillea, its blooms in variegated and intense pinks.
Our waiter arrives. With our meal I order a glass of white wine—the local krasĂ—the waiter bobs a pony-tailed head and disappears into the restaurant. When the Cressi arrives, instead of a glass of white, it's an enormous glass of red.
'I didn't order red,' I say politely, 'I want white.'
From behind a bohemian moustache, he regards me with mild suspicion, as though I must be mistaken and then says bruesquely:
'I will change it.'
He returns a couple of minutes later with the desired glass of white Cressi - an equally enormous glass - generously filled. Depositing it demonstratively and without slowing his stride - to take the order from the next table—he places it on the table in front of me and says quite seriously:
'There—I painted it!'
The wind set in around the island of Crete—whipping white foam edges on the crests of waves, pulling strands of hair from hairbands and blowing serviettes and paper notes into the air.
I spear olives from the Greek salad and I amuse myself with an old childhood rhyme—a seemingly female orientated superstition—to guess the status of a potential future marital partner:
Tinker — Taylor — Soldier — Sailor —
Rich Man — Poor Man — Beggar Man — Thief
Spoken with a lilt, as I count the olive stones neatly arranged in a row on the side of my plate—this time I have eaten five. Although not in need of a 'Rich man,' the outcome is desirable—I smile. A charming superstition, but of course not wanting to tempt fate, I generally do make sure that I eat more than one and if necessary, I will continue to eat more than six olives—silly eh? ... And luckily—I love olives.
Holidaying in Greece at the moment, I'm sure this ritual would be greeted by puzzled looks from the Greeks, who are more fatalistic by nature. Life is what it is and you take the rough with the smooth—no point complaining—get on with it, or turn it around so that it fits the way you want.
When it comes to being 'rich' there are so many other facets to it than monetary richness alone. I have only to look around me at the beautiful island on which I find myself—Crete—I feel rich and privileged to be able to be here.
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Early morning coffee on the terrace and it's already 26 degrees on Crete in Greece—Happy days!
Absolutely love the way Ecochic has used reclaimed wood and up-cycled it to give it a new life as an easy chair and foot stool.
Source: One Green Planet
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Embroidery has a long history dating back as far as 3000 BC and is considered one of the earliest forms of art. With the appearance of the needle and thread and handmade clothing, embroidery seems to have appeared all over the world concurrently.
Early apprenticeships often lasted 10 years, with as a result, culture and material dependent embroidery styles were passed down through the ages to the present day.
These vibrant pieces, were created by Peruvian embroiderer and artist Ana Teresa Barboza. Her threaded natural landscapes are alive, as they literally flow out of the confines of their frames and down the wall.
By portraying the natural world through a time consuming process like embroidery, Ana is highlighting the common connection between the two - time - needed to make something worthwhile, both in the natural world and art.
Artist's work and photos via Bored Panda
Sources: Embroidery
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Here's one of my latest designs - It's also on t-shirts and other cool stuff: HERE
"From out of thin air - an alien - you feeling ok? And . . . why? . . . Have you seen any lately?" asks a cynical voice.
"Yup, fine thanks and no, I haven't sighted one, awesome or otherwise. The design was inspired by a children's story I've written and illustrated. Incidentally, it is not about aliens at all. The story in turn is based on a mural I painted many moons ago, for my son. I've been in the throes of publishing the story ever since."
"How long ago would that be?"
"For . . . um . . . dare I say it . . . [ whispering ] over 10 years," I reply.
"OMG 10 years! What have you been doing? Growing the trees and making the paper too?" says the taunting voice.
"No I haven't and don't be so facetious!" I snarl. "Life in general has been the cause of the numerous shelvings, as well as a minor hiccup - leading to a total rewrite."
"So, what now?" goads the voice.
"At the moment, the story is being edited by a fresh pair of eyes and then. . ."
"Yes? . . . And then, . . . then what?"
"Then, I am going to steam forward, into the unchartered (for me anyway) land of self-publishing and bring the bugger out, once and for all, as a fabulous children's story book!"
[ Cue synhcronized glazed over looks from family members and friends ]
"Ha! Pigs might fly." laughs the voice.
"You think? Well, you just watch this space . . ."
Here's one of my latest designs - It's also on t-shirts and other cool stuff: HERE
"From out of thin air - an alien - you feeling ok? And . . . why? . . . Have you seen any lately?" asks a cynical voice.
"Yup, fine thanks and no, I haven't sighted one, awesome or otherwise. The design was inspired by a children's story I've written and illustrated. Incidentally, it is not about aliens at all. The story in turn is based on a mural I painted many moons ago, for my son. I've been in the throes of publishing the story ever since."
"How long ago would that be?"
"For . . . um . . . dare I say it . . . [ whispering ] over 10 years," I reply.
"OMG 10 years! What have you been doing? Growing the trees and making the paper too?" says the taunting voice.
"No I haven't and don't be so facetious!" I snarl. "Life in general has been the cause of the numerous shelvings, as well as a minor hiccup - leading to a total rewrite."
"So, what now?" goads the voice.
"At the moment, the story is being edited by a fresh pair of eyes and then. . ."
"Yes? . . . And then, . . . then what?"
"Then, I am going to steam forward, into the unchartered (for me anyway) land of self-publishing and bring the bugger out, once and for all, as a fabulous children's story book!"
[ Cue syncronized glazed over looks from family members and friends ]
"Ha! Pigs might fly." laughs the voice.
"You think? Well, you just watch this space . . ."