Harvest Farm and Preserve

This is a small piece I did last month when I was a visiting artist at a nature preserve located not that far from my house (Harvest Farm and Nature Preserve). There were other artists there, working en plein air- outdoors! I set up in a leafy, wooded area called "Whitman's Glade" and commenced to create a little botanical from leaves and things I found around me. Then people walked through and talked with me as I worked. At least that was the plan. I've never worked in public liked this, so scratching and talking at the same time was challenging! In fact, I talked much more than I scratched! So, the piece is quite small, but representative of the essence of that lovely October day.

More on the nature preserve here:
http://www.harvestpreserve.org

One of my favorite children's book authors is English-born Katherine Hale. She wrote and illustrated a number of books in the 1950's/60's about Orlando, the marmalade cat. Quirky stories and gorgeous illustrations, Orlando had all sorts of adventures with his family. He always wore a wristwatch on his tail. I was fascinated with the photo of Hale on the jacket cover, pictured with her "real" Orlando perched on her lap as she drew. Now have my own studio, and one of the great perks is having our cats around for company. One of them, Fauve, has been a shoulder-sitter since she was a kitten. Lots of times, this is how I work, with a cat draped around my head!

Final scratch of eastside birdie- next color

A Visit to Wilson's Apple Orchard

Wilson's Orchard is located on a gently rolling acreage just a little north of Iowa City. It is one of the first places in Iowa that felt like "home" to me. Many great memories come from afternoon trips out to pick our favorite varieties. Beside picking apples, we've seen people married there, watched turtles bathe in the creek, enjoyed numerous wagon rides and picnics. We even consoled ourselves the afternoon of 9/11 with its peace and beauty.

It is also a source of creative inspiration. It's a business that works so closely with nature, it was bound to captivate me, as it does others. I'm happy to report that my books, cards and prints are available there this year. And, if you come out next Saturday October 17th, at 1:30pm, I'll be there to color and draw with kids. What will we illustrate? Apples for sure!

Please visit Wilson's Orchard website for directions:
wilsonsapples.com

( PS- the apple sketch is in colored pencil)

Step 2...

Most of the outlying scratching is done...

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Argggh!!! Already time to gear up for the Eastside Artist Show, this year December 11, 12 and 13. I will post more details soon. I always do a holiday cardinal card to advertise the show. Here's the first step of the postcard illustration- the outline of the design.

To Autumn

Season of mist and mellow fruitfulness...These lovely old lines from John Keats come to mind this morning. The trees are starting to flame up, the air is heavy and earthy.

And to mark the turn of season, I have a clean studio! Thanks to hosting an art studio tour and workshop for a group of 15 women yesterday. It was crazy hearing 15 scratchboard tools all working at once! It is usually so quiet with just me scratching away. It was fun to share my space.