Pen and Ink Trees...

When someone says to me..."Draw something...", the first thing that comes to mind is...trees.  (second place being tornadoes) So when the "pen and ink trees" theme came up as my monthly art group assignment, I already had in mind what I wanted to do and was able to execute it as planned!  How often does that happen?

I love trees...they're are a lot like people in many ways.  And I can, as I'm sure you can, find similarities between people in general, and specific loved ones.  In general, they're a living breathing entity that eventually dies.  The different types have their pro's and con's which I won't go into in great detail, but the sweet gum tree makes me think that even though it has all those spiky, annoying seed pods...it makes up for it with interesting leaves which are beautifully colored in the fall.

Sometimes everything lines up just right for a tree...location, nourishment, genetics (or epigenetics) and they live to be a ripe old age and people marvel at them!  Sometimes they get taken out as wee sprigs...whether through disease or catastrophe...or even as a casualty of our modern way of life.  There are a million similarities.  If I could compare myself to a tree or at least borrow some qualities, what kind of tree would I be?  Would I be strong and weather storms?  Could I shade and comfort those beneath me?   Do I bear sweet or bitter fruit?  Will someone..someday...decide to make a million toothpicks out of me?  I joke...it was getting too deep in here!

Anyway, these pages were a joy for me to do.  They started as simple watercolors which I allowed to dry and then flicked with water.  Ever set a glass of water on an inkjet print?  It makes an interesting painting, right?!  Same thing with watercolors.  To keep with my stitching theme, I sewed one edge closed with white thread, but I thought it would distract from the art to sew all the way around...this art was not about sewing, but pure, unadulterated...TREE!

I love painting trees in silhouette, but I wanted to do another with detailed tree bark and a clear shot of the silvery moon.  And why not give the moon a hug?  Trees get hugged all the time, but the moon...not so much!  The moon deserves a hug.

This tree was one that didn't make the cut.  It was my first "tree hugging the moon" sketch and it wasn't quite what I had in mind.  Plus, the watercolor paper was too "toothy" and didn't allow for good pen and ink action.  Alas, it will make a nice birthday card for someone. 

This month's theme is collage and envelopes...two more things I love!  My art group picked lovely themes this year and I'm pleased as punch that I've had the good fortune to be able to tackle (and enjoy) doing the projects with everything that I've got going on right now.  Some days I can barely keep pants on my toddler....ya know?!

Today while my sugar blossoms are snoozing, I'm hoping to take the quiet time to step outside and play with...fabric....vinegar....steel wool.  Pictures coming soon!