Watercolors in Art Show at Anthem Civic Building

I love the location of my house.  It is built on a gentle slope above a natural desert wash.  Much of my inspiration comes from what I can see in this natural area.  It is full of wildlife - javelina and coyotes, jackrabbits and bunnies, quail and owls, hawks and verdins.  Ironwood trees, palo verdes, cresote bushes and cacti including some amazing saguaros, the quintessential symbol of the desert.  

From my perch above the wash I have a pretty good view of the top of these giants, where the flowers open, and then the bright red fruit that the birds love.  This painting of the saguaro blossoms was my interpretation of the bird's eye view.  Imagine flying up there for a closer look.

"Cactus Blossoms" is one of three watercolors by Sandra Jessop on display at the Anthem Civic Building.  The show entitled "Art in Public Places" is a partnership between the Anthem Community Council and the Sonoran Arts League.  Over 40 artists from the North Valley have over 80 pieces of artwork in the exhibit, on display until January 27.  All works are for sale.

October Crow - before and after in watercolor

I've been working on some ideas for a crow, with color glazing in watercolor.   My ultimate goal was to have the color shining through the black, so I decided to start with the highlights, and work backwards.  

I first made a few pencil sketches to get familiar with the bird, and then added some watercolor in the sketchbook to see which colors I liked.  I then picked my favorite to darken with Payne's Gray and Ultramarine.

This is the first in a series of crows I played with, at the suggestion of an admirer on Etsy.   Thank you, dear friend, I really did enjoy the process.  :-) 

Fall news

Three of Sandra's paintings were accepted into the "Art in Public Places" show at the Anthem Civic Building.  The display is a partnership between Anthem Community Council and the Sonoran Arts League.  It is a juried exhibit to be displayed beginning October 3rd, with a launch party to be held November 2 at 6 p.m.

Lynx Lake, watercolor by Sandra Jessop

Sandra will also be running the art room at the annual Free to Be Unschooling Conference.

Some of her workshops will include Glue Batik and Color Wheel Collage.

Creative Every Day - singing and painting

Recently I had the amazing opportunity to sing and record with a group of Christians in Lubbock, Texas.  As a cappella singers, we auditioned for the Praise & Harmony recording in a quartet (soprano, alto, tenor, bass).  Once accepted, we had to learn 25 songs on our own, before meeting with the whole group in June.  What an amazing sound it was!  Singing is one of those things I do every day, but working on this project was a phenomenal experience.

The building we recorded in also inspired the paintings that I'm working on now.

For a sneak peek at the Praise & Harmony project, go here.

Summer stitchery

Every once in awhile I get the urge to work on a crewel embroidery.  I completed one years ago and felt so good about it, I entered the piece and won a blue ribbon in a county fair!  Needless to say I was very proud of my handiwork, especially since it took over a year to finish. It was a wedding dress stitched with embroidery floss, silk ribbons, and pearl beads. It truly was spectacular.

This summer I determined to begin another one.  A cross stitch would be a lot simpler and quicker, but I really enjoy the process of crewelwork.  I love the way it looks and the application of it.  When I work on one I often fantasize about actually being able to create my own design.  Maybe someday.  For now I work with the kits that include everything I need.

Crewel is decorative embroidery featuring stylized shapes inspired by nature such as plants, trees, and animals.  The designs are fanciful, using multiple shades of each color to give depth and interest. The thread is typically wool, but can also be silk or acrylic.  The one I am working on now has a lot of acrylic yarn that is driving me crazy!  It has a tendency to fray and pull apart and at inconvenient times no matter how carefully I handle it.  It does have a very fuzzy look to it, which I kind of like.

Crewel embroidery has been around for a long time, commonly used to make bed coverings and curtains, household goods, and to decorate clothing.  I would very much like to turn this piece into a pillow, to make something beautiful and artistic also useful, but I fear it will be ruined if left out.  I will probably stretch and frame it, to hang it safely on the wall.

If you're ready to trade a paintbrush for a needle and thread, give it a try!  It will help you develop patience.

I purchased this hibiscus and hummingbird kit from Amazon.

There's an interesting article over at the Nordic Needle about crewel embroidery.

Sunflower wall mural

The finished wall, for now.  Eventually I can see adding other flowers or creatures (my family is full of ideas), but for now these sunflowers are done.  It's a very sunny, hot spot of the yard, so it's nice to see something green.  The cassia bush will grow on one side and the trees will fill in the other.  I think it's an improvement over the blank wall that was there before.  Around the other side of the house there is a shady spot that's already full of greenery.  I painted that spot years ago, mostly to see something interesting out the window.  I like to think the air conditioner repairman is amused by it.

Sunflowers - in progress

Beginning a "sunflowers on the wall" project.  I got tired of seeing that huge stretch of wall and thought it might be fun to paint some sunflowers on it, since I wasn't successful at growing any this year.  I started with a chalk outline to test the placement, because chalk is easy to change.  In the past this wall has featured a horse and even a map of the United States.  

On a trip to Michigan last year, the fields of sunflowers left a fantastic impression on me, and I thought this would be a great way to bring some home.

 Once the chalk flowers were approved by everyone in the family it was time to start adding paint.  We were in Home Depot twice in the last few days, but both times did not stop by the paint department for colors.  Fortunately, after digging through the hall closet I found some old sample jars of acrylic and one of them had never been opened!  So I ripped that plastic seal off and started dabbing something called Maize onto the wall.  Perfect.  It's a start!

"Smoke" for Illustration Friday

"Smoke" for Illustration Friday is watercolor on Bristol paper.  I really like the way the smoke turned out on such a smooth surface.  The water and paint floated around and creating its own pattern.   I used to like hot press watercolor paper, but more recently I prefer the rougher texture of cold press.  So this felt somewhat experimental, and I'm pretty happy with it!

Walk in the Light watercolor

I've added a few new watercolors to my Etsy shop, including this one entitled "Walk in the Light".

I created it after a short hike with my family at Hassayampa River Preserve in Wickenburg, AZ.  It's such an amazing place and one of my favorite getaways.  A place to reconnect with nature, do a little birdwatching, and take a deep breath in a peaceful place.  They have wonderful trails through trees, sandy riverbeds, across tiny bridges, benches beside a lake, and tall, tall palm trees.  Glorious.

Walk in the Light by Sandra Jessop

"For most of its 100-mile course through the desert, the Hassayampa River flows only underground. But within thepreserve its crystal clear waters emerge, flowing above ground throughout the year. This lush streamside habitat is home to some of the desert’s most spectacular wildlife. Yet many of them have become dangerously imperiled as riparian areas have disappeared from the Arizona landscape...

In the Sonoran Desert, riparian areas nourish cottonwood-willow forests, one of the rarest and most threatened forest types in North America. An estimated 90% of these critical wet landscapes have been lost, damaged or degraded in the last century. This loss threatens at least 80% of Arizona wildlife, which depend upon riparian habitats for survival. "

Hassayampa River Preserve

"Tool" for Illustration Friday

My daughter is constantly drawing horses.  I admire her attention to detail and she appreciates my use of color.  We inspire each other, so when the theme of "tool" was announced on Illustration Friday, I decided to draw a girl using a comb on her favorite horse.  

Food, water, a good brushing, clean the feet, and don't forget to comb the mane!