Ice skater in swirling snowflakes - Illustration Friday

For Illustration Friday's topic "Swirl"

Watercolor pencil ice skater, in swirling snowflakes

Internet for Illustration Friday

Do you ever feel that the internet isn't confined to your screen?

Winter Weather

Sharing this fantastic photo of the sun shining through as the storm clouds pass by.  This contrast is one of my favorite ways to see the mountain.

"Sound" for Illustration Friday, Birds in Tree watercolor

"Sound" Watercolor by Sandra Jessop

Desert Hike

Years ago I discovered Illustration Friday, and created a blog to be part of that.  Then I found Creative Every Day, and again, needed a landing page for my updates (until I realized how much easier it was to post my Creative Every Day progress on Facebook). 

The focus of AzureViewArt blogspot remains art related, including those aspects of my life that influence what I choose to paint or draw.  Hiking and geocaching have always been fun for me, and have inspired some artwork that I'm very proud of, so I intend to get out there more this year. Maybe I'll repeat the trails that were particularly stunning and find some new ones.

Along the way I'll be snapping reference photos to use later for paintings and illustrations.  There was a time when I kept a giant folder of my own photos grouped by category, for when I wanted to look at something (such as a fence in a snowy field but it was still summer).  A few times I even projected slides onto a wall to duplicate being there.  Now it's all digital.  

Plein air painting always produces wonderful results, but it's not always practical. I prefer to do my sitting at home and my walking outdoors.  So I leave you this rainy desert day, with a pic from my second hike of the year.  

Hike #2

#52hikechallenge

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.