watercolor sketches

4/14/2010 08:01:00 PM Edit This 20 Comments »
Today was a very busy day - I left in the early morning and didn't get back until mid-afternoon, then after doing a few things in the house, I worked outside in the garden.  Sadly we neglected our gardens last fall (we have 13  or 14 that we try to maintain, and 4 others that we've given up on) and they're full of grass, flowers that are thugs and spread everywhere with terrible, underground runners, weeds, ..... well, you name the thing that you Don't Want in your garden, and we have it in ours.  I've been laboring in them for days now, and so far I've got 3 of them fairly well under control, and a 4th that I've made a pretty good start on.  With that one, I might have 3 more days of working on it to wrest control back from it.

OK, enough whining.  Since I didn't have much time, after I finished working, being hot and trying not to be out of sorts what with the cut on my wrist and the spider bite and all, I changed my clothes and sat on the front porch with the new sketchbook, a tiny watercolor box, and my trusty Micron pens. ... oh yeah, and a glass of white wine.   This time I used the largest one (.08), and even that one balked on the rough paper in the sketchbook.  I didn't care, though.  I only did 3 small sketches before fixing dinner.  Tulips that haven't bloomed yet, a small, wrought iron fence portion, and a shrub that is really pretty with pink blooms (when it blooms, which is hardly ever because we keep cutting it back so we can see out when we're sitting on the porch).  So, here they are - modest, small, but fun to do.

20 comments:

Vicki Holdwick said...

Nancy,

You really had me going there....

"and a glass of white wine. This time I used the largest one"

for just a minute I thought you meant the largest glass you had!!!

Love your sketches as usual.

xoxo

Sandra said...

I just worked in our garden so I know the tired feeling. But I haven't done any drawings. Oops! Thanks for sharing yours.

Alex said...

Wow.. what a day! :) I hope your garden will be as healthy as before in no time. And still you managed to squeeze in some paintings which is amazing ^^
I really like the tulips, it's my favorite flower, and I like how soft it looks, much like chinese paintings actually. Thank you Nancy for your comments on my little kitten. He's getting a lot more active these couple of days I could barely keep up with him =)

Timaree said...

Sometimes those small bits of time taken out of a busy day can make all the difference in feeling good come evening although the progress you are making on the gardens should already do that. Still that little bit of paint or pen put to paper....

Autumn Leaves said...

I think the sketches just look simple, graceful, and elegant. A well deserved interlude after all that gardening!

Sarah said...

Well no wonder you were tired! But you still made a good job of these charming sketches!

Anonymous said...

Very nice group, the tulip, the fence, it has an old garden charm.
Drawing on the porch with a glass of wine, very good idea.

Ellen Burkett said...

Okay Nancy, nobody's asked, but I have to...THIRTEEN gardens????? I am stunned! I've only had one in my whole life. How on Earth do you maintain thirteen gardens??? Wow!
.
Love your drawings! Especially the pink blossoms.

kazumiwannabe said...

Yes, watercolors! You shouldn't have been worried, you're great at it! These are beautiful and delicate. Love the whole look of the page, too. And the sea shells, they look perfect!
Wanted to say thank you for your last comment - it really helped : ) !

Johanna said...

Tulips are my favourite flower! These sketches are so cute.

And wow, 13 gardens?!? I can't seem to find enough time for one...

Unknown said...

I've been keeping busy with my gardens for over a month now...phew! hard work! Great job on the sketches and love that you're dedicated enough to still do something after all that work!

Ramona Davidson said...

Lovely sketches. Definitely worth posting and keeping.

Roadchick said...

I'm loving your little watercolors!

I desperately need to do something in the garden but can't quite bring myself to get busy. Maybe at the weekend. . .

Anne said...

Cleaning up the gardens is an overwhelming task in the spring.I know I let ours go in the fall.I rationalize it by thinking I'm leaving food for the birds and assorted wildlife.Good for you having the energy to sketch and watercolor after all that.

Vee said...

Wow that sounds like a lot of work! The fact that you still pulled off time and energy for your sketches (which look great btw) is amazing.

soraya nulliah said...

Dear Nancy-thanks for visiting my blog. So many gardens!! What is your secret-do tell!! I love gardening but am still trying to develop my green thumb! I read that putting cut up banana peels do wonders for the soil-the potassium.
I really like your Einstein sketch-so much energy here. Am going to peruse through your blog:)

Dan Kent said...

Modest, maybe, but simple, understated and beautiful.

Krista Meister said...

Sounds lovely. Just don't confuse the wine with watercolor water.

Yevgenia Watts said...

That paper looks like my LamaLi sketchbook...Is it? If it is, how do you like it? I still don't know how I feel about, it is definitely different from the watercolor Moleskine I had before ths one.

Liberty said...

Nancy these are really nice!
The tulips in particular are beautiful and to me they look perfect - so realistic and yet still warm (not rigidly done).