Something About Nothing

Sometimes things look like other things and it cannot be helped. I have a tendency of seeing things in things all the time. Car headlights and tail lights always look like eyes to me. I imagine the attitude of the car based on their "eyes", and other lines from the hood, grill and bumpers which complete the faces. Thus when I create drawings I often find unintentional things in them. Days 30 has little ghost faces in the branches. Days 31 to 34 were pretty straight forward leaves, all carved from Eco Karve and then stamped in a pattern. Although that Ginko leaf (Day 31) seems to be a mummy face on one side. Anytime I create a tree with multiple folds and holes I inevitably find creatures and faces. What do you see? Day 30 to 38 I was having a jolly good time drawing and perhaps even improving in my drawings, when my daughter pointed out that Day 36 looked a bit phallic in nature. Well, once I saw it, I couldn't unsee it. Both are natural, right? Oh boy. I did...

It wasn't until much later in the challenge that I realized I drew two trees for Day 27 oops. I guess I will have 101 trees.  Day 22 was inspired by a photo a friend posted on Instagram in New York City. Day 23 was my firtst attempt at a weeping willow tree. They are one of my favorite trees.  Another thing I love in trees is the bends and crooks they create, as you can see in Day 24, and 25.  Day 25 was inspired by my neighbor's tree which has this beautiful root that comes up out of the ground. It makes me think she is a lady lazily lounging in the grass.  Day 22 - 29 Day 26 was inspired by a photo I found on the internet. I love the way vines look wound around trees. Some are symbiotic, and some are deadly. I'd like to think these two are helping each other out.  My first Day 27 was inspired by a photo of tree growing in some sand. There were wonderful shadows coming through the foliage. I'm not sure I captured it all. The second Day 27 is ...

At our May meeting, the president of the Utah Surface Design Group taught us how to make these awesome Pine Needle Baskets. They are so adorable, and surprisingly easy too.

As I draw each tree some become my favorites while others - not so much, and always for different reasons. I love the gentle arch of day 13, and the lumpy bumpy of day 14. Day 14 looks like a Shar Pei pup, or a wrinkled old person who is dancing. Day 15 is a person sitting, just waiting to get up and stretch.  Day 16 was a tiny, quickly carved stamp of many trees with not much definition, and not my favorite, but good inspiration for a future stamp. Days 17 brought out a need to do a close up, while 18 through 21 took me out for a further look. Flowering pairs are blooming and inspired the white in Day 21. Days 13 - 21

I started my first 100 day project on April 2nd. The idea was to create 100 drawings of trees using ink. I wanted to improve my drawing skills with ink and I felt that trees, always a favorite of mine, would be a subject I could accomplish.  Two of the kraft paper notebooks I purchased from Paperchase  stationary store while in London. I picked up a couple of kraft paper notebooks from a beautiful stationary store in London called Paperchase. I wanted to use the smaller one for this project because it had 100 sheets of paper. However, I quickly learned a number of important things. Rectangular pages don't post well on Instagram, especially if all you want to post is the drawing.  Also, I started out posting the drawings without a logo or name on them. This opened up the images to being easily used without my permission, and didn't give people the ability to find me if the images were posted elsewhere.  I needed easy solutions....

*I am attempting to catch up on my blog this month by posting everyday.  I will be back dating the posts, but they will be done at least once a day through the month of December.  Heber, Utah The Utah Surface Design Group brought Ana Lisa Hedstrom in to teach Shibori dyeing.  I was so excited for this class as I found out about the class just shortly after I purchased all of Ana Lisa's DVDs ! Ana Lisa wrapping a pole  I learned a lot from the DVDs but there is nothing like taking a class in person.  So many more tips and hints in person! Pole Painting Debbi Sigg , always having fun!  We learned Arashi (aka - pole wrapping), as well as Itajime (fabric folding with wrapping and sewing). After the first couple of days I started to feel off; Extra tired, and weak. I stuck it out for another day or two, I can't recall now, but then decided it was the extra altitude that was getting to me. Sadly, I ended up missin...