Come walk with me on my Spring morning hike at Long Lane Farm!
Song Sparrow
Below is the first page in my small field sketchbook from today, I’ll type what it says below in case my handwriting is hard to read! (Click the photos for larger view, drawings are already enlarged.)
"A Glorious Morning!" 4-23-2010 pg 1
“A glorious morning! Frost on the ground and now at 9am it’s just wet in the sun, sparkles on the grass everywhere. The House Sparrows are chattering at the barn and a Song Sparrow has staked his claim to the back corner of the yard. Ginger waits in Fox Lane for me. Tree Swallows diving at each other near the nest box, constant twittering, bubbling, chatter. “
Tree Swallow
I saw some great birds today, the Tree Swallows are a joy to watch! They swoop and turn and I’ve watched them play a game by snatching up chicken feathers from the ground while in flight, then carrying it up high they drop it and another bird will catch it out of the air! I can’t get over the glossy green blue of their feathers.
me sketching
Here’s a picture of me sketching in the lane, wearing my tall mud boots (Wellies), winter coat, bag for sketch supplies and my camera with the long lens. I like to cross the strap diagonally from my shoulder as it takes pressure off my neck and back better.
"Budding Tree" 4-23-2010 pg 2
“Song Sparrow over and over, cardinal in the treeline and a crow, gurgling of the Red Winged Blackbird and Tree Sparrows. Such a sound! Now a Yellow Shafted Flicker…off up the field somewhere. I hear a Field Sparrow now at the maze.”
The trees are just starting to bud, looking up at them in the sunlight they looked like little gems glittering on the tips of branches.
Bluebirds
I was so happy to see a pair of Bluebirds have chosen one of the houses in the field, the Tree Sparrows have claimed the other one.
"Secret Circle Lane" 4-23-2010 pg 3
I had fun discovering tadpoles, snails and a tiny red mite on “Secret Circle Lane”, all in the freezing cold water flooding the lane.
Water Mite
As I wrote in my sketchbook, I was finally able to scoop up a ‘red dot’ floating in the water. Later I was able to study the tiny red dot from the photos I took and found out it’s a Water Mite. Before it got any ideas of how tasty my finger would be I released it back into the water! I’d like to know what they do live on or how they live.
Here’s a short video clip I shot while standing over the flooded lane (now promise you won’t laugh at me!) :
"The Wet Woods" 4-23-2010
I walked into the wet woods and standing in 4″ of water I did this tiny watercolor sketch of the dead tree. What fascinated me the most was how the shadows and sunlight dappled on the ground and tree branches
"Snail Study" 4-23-2010
Once home I looked at my photos on the computer screen and did this little watercolor study of a snail and two tadpoles. I haven’t identified the snail yet, but it was amazing to see when it was floating in the water it wriggled until it looked like it was out of it’s shell. It was a queer blue color, I never saw one like it.
The shell of the snail was not flashy or patterned boldly but I think it was beautiful in it’s own subtle way. It looked almost of a gunmetal grey with a cream background.
There’s nothing prettier than a field in springtime. Today I took a walk with Ginger out back…up very wet lanes and through my field with water in all the low spots and ditches. There are dandelions coming up and tiny little specks of pale violet flowers that look like bits of paper in the grass they’re so small. Something people often forget is to stop and take a look back from where they came, for a different view or perspective.
"Looking Back" 4-18-2010
(Go here to see Note Cards of this painting: “Looking Back”)
I tried hard to find a spot I might sit and do some sketching, but the ground was too wet even for my plastic bag. As I turned to look back I thought I’d do I quick sketch of the house and field with my watercolor pan and waterbrush. I used just one brush for this, a large, juicy flat that lets water flow quite easily. A little messy but I was cold and my bag was heavy, I didn’t feel like standing too long, and neither did Ginger.
As we entered the field I noticed a flutter of blue out a ways, it was a male Blue Bird! He and his mate were perching on tops of bushes and flitting down to the ground to hunt or gather grasses. I think he was hunting bugs to impress her, as I never saw her fly down! I think he’s impressive! I shot a lot of pictures of him, though it was difficult with the wind whipping up and I was hand holding a very long lens. So some are a little fuzzy but still great for painting references.
"Two Bluebirds with an Angel"
(Link for note card with this Bluebird photo-Two Bluebirds with Angel I also have mugs in the link above, with this picture on it)
In the photo above, I had a little fun playing with a setting on my photo program under “Effects”, it’s called “mirror”. The cool thing is when I flipped the image, an angel appeared in the centre! I think it could make a good inspiration for a painting!, I’ll have to think about this.
And last I leave you with a gorgeous photo of Long Lane in springtime. How pretty this is, a simple lane of grass with bushes…blue sky and budding leaves. But there’s something more perhaps, a promise of new beginnings? A full summer of growth? It makes me forget about “Looking Back” at the past..time to look ahead to what’s coming anew!
Hope you enjoyed this walk with me, please leave me comments below.
Don’t forget to visit my Zazzle shop to see lovely note-cards, prints, t-shirts and other gifts with my photographs and art on it.
I thought I’d put a different kind of post today to put a spotlight on a great little shop that sells my prints; “Inspiration Point” in Buffalo, NY.
Sandy St. Louis, owner of Inspiration Point
Sandy owns the shop which has all kinds of spiritual and inspirational gifts, books, incense, music, note cards, candles and well of course, My Prints! If you look on the wall behind her you’ll see a large framed Limited Edition print of my painting “Morrigan” for sale. Sandy is just great to chat with about things; life, hope, dreams, she’s a most encouraging and enlightened soul!
Shopping at Inspiration Point
I usually come out of there with something, last time it was a string of brass bells that I hung in my studio. Every time I walk in and out I have them hanging so they just get bumped enough to chime, bells can clear energy so well. She has singing bowls there too, ask her how to use them and she’ll let you try them out. Wonderful to hold in your hand while it hums out it’s tone..the vibration is terrific! And don’t forget to ask her about upcoming classes and workshops.
back of shop at Inspiration Point
Well I hope you visit Sandy and tell her you came to see my prints too! They’re against the back wall with the books, keeping cozy and she has a basket of them to look through.
483 Elmwood
483 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo NY 14222. (716) 883-8670. Located between West Utica and Hodge, her hours are Tues. – Sat. 11am – 7pm.
Many birds were calling today but it was hard to see much on this cold day; I’m sure if I stopped to dig around in the leaves I would have found more life, but we mostly walked today or ‘slogged’. Read my notes to see what we did, saw and heard while out walking; we of course being me and “Ginger” my Australian Shepherd. Here’s a picture of her to show you how wet some areas were!
Ginger on the wet lane
3-20-10 Notes in My Field Sketchbook
I drew this little branch tip in the field while standing and then later colored it, but closed my book a little too soon and it smeared.
Bud of a red branched bush
I took a picture of one of the branches to show how beautiful the colors are on it; also to show this unusual bud that each bush had, like a swollen rose hip. I’ll have to look up the native bushes to learn more about what I’m seeing. These bushes had little soft catkins on them also.
Below is a more careful study done the next day of two kinds of branch tips I collected and put into water. I’ll hopefully get time to color them too with my watercolors. Now, as they stand in a glass of water on my kitchen table, they are starting to burst forth into a more greenish fuzzy catkin.
Fuzzy Buds 3-21-10
Another thing we heard today, everywhere we went, were the Spring Peepers. They called so loudly and as you creep up to where the noise came from, you could be standing almost on top of them and still not see one! Click on this link to see (or hear) a short video clip of the Spring Peepers singing like mad in the watery ditch along “Long Lane”.
Good morning everyone and Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you! I’ve always loved St. Patrick’s day, it was a day I could wear green to school and even be bold enough to wear that pin that said, “Kiss Me I’m Irish!”…of course I was too shy to really want anyone to kiss me! But somehow I felt more special on this day because I was able to identify with my family roots that my dad always talked about.
My love of Celtic design developed over the years, I love making up my own letters in the style of the “Book of Kells” and was thrilled as an adult to finally view the real deal in Dublin at Trinity College. They only display one page a day and you are limited to a set time you can view it for, not good for those who may want to sketch from it.
Here’s a few products in my Celtic Collection shop that feature my original designs, you won’t find them anywhere else! Just click on the picture to view that page in my shop, click on my name to see my entire shop.
Here’s one that was inspired by the ancient letters like the Book of Kells. It’s great for anyone with a last name starting with “Mc” like me! If you look closely at the bottom left area of the M, I put a tiny paintbrush with rays coming from it’s tip and circles along it representing colors on a palette. It’s fun to put little things like this in that no one notices!
This design is the “Celtic Mandala”, I was inspired when my brother Chris got engaged, so with thoughts of love and eternal bonds I created this with swans entwined to create the symbol for infinity, doves for love and the “Never Ending Knot” that I think represents love very well. These mugs (there are several mug options) have been a popular item with my customers!
And here’s one more, the first of many to come, the “Celtic Angel Dude”! I created this for my 2009 Christmas card and it’s been a big hit with customers. He is cute but not overly, his little bare toes sticking out while standing on that ‘Celtic’ style cloud. And check out the snowflakes, they are all originals made up by me to look Celtic. People use this card all year to send friends, and there is also a sticker, a mug and t-shirts with his image.
Well enjoy today and I hope you visit my shop to look at my original designs. Just so you know, if you buy 10 or more note cards of ANY designs you get a discount; the more you buy the higher the discount. And I have to say, I’ve ordered the cards myself and the quality is superb! Heavy card stock and super glossy finish, you can add any text you want to ANY of the items! Have Fun!!
I wrote some notes upon my return to the house, they are posted below if you’d like to read them about my day outside in nature. Both paintings were done with a dry palette of watercolors and one waterbrush. The sketch below I first drew with a permanent ink pen, brown color, then put washes of color on it while standing there in my snow shoes. This sketchbook is a mere 4.5″x5″!
"Winter Water and Shadows"
my notes
I hope you enjoyed a glimpse of my walk, I encourage everyone to get outside despite what the weather might be like to have a closer look around you.
It was bright and sunny today but winter still hangs on, the snow is over a foot deep and I wish I had my snow-shoes on! The snow is heavy, wet and deep; as I trudge through it I thought of the word ‘slogging’! Under the heavy snow is a deep, wet slaw of melted snow; I’m glad for my rubber boots.
"The Branches Reach Towards the Moon"
Ginger prances on ahead of me, begging me to hurry. Finally along the edge of the pasture I paused to catch my breath and attempt to capture a likeness of the moon with the trees reaching up towards it. At the end of this post you’ll see my small sketchbook and watercolors, and how I hold them on a clip board. Almost all my field sketches are done while standing and holding my book.
"The Field in Late February"
Well as you can read in my honest notes, Ginger surprised me and did something different; I feed her really I do! I guess you can’t stop instinct. I’m happy with how this little watercolor came out, I’m always trying to capture that color of the bushes in winter, they’re gorgeous. I was standing in deep snow and at the same time had to shrug my coat off my shoulders and take my hat off as the sun made me that warm. Maybe spring is coming?
"Paw Prints"
There are so many things to see if you take your time and look around you. The snow was quite hard on top, if you’re a lightweight animal. I noticed little tracks as I walked, then saw these little prints and had to sketch them. I brought no camera on purpose today, I wanted to really have to describe all I saw with my brush and pen. For tracks you can use your pencil or pen to measure the real size onto your sketchbook. I call this Comparative Measurements and it can be extremely accurate when you practice using it. These tracks were a bit hard to see because they were so shallow and the snow had dusted over them a bit. I drew the tracks at real size and then measured the distance between the sets, finding they were one pen length. This tells me it’s a small animal, at first I thought raccoon but when I looked on my pocket animal tracks guide I think it may be a skunk! Hey hibernation must be over! Look at this link to see a picture of my pocket track guide which, by the way, I don’t carry with me in the field.
"Snow Burrow"
Then as my eyes followed some more tracks, made by a fox I think, they led me to a small hole dug into the snow. I guessed that a fox, who used his great sense of hearing to listen for small mammals under the snow, had been by and dug down to ‘no surprise’ a burrow or tunnel of a vole. I like to think about the event that may have taken place, probably while the moon was shining on the snow at night. I wonder if he got his dinner?
"Paul's Chair"
As I said the sun was shining brightly as I returned from my day’s walk, trudging along the deep snowy lane. I looked off the lane into the woods and saw there a black metal folding chair. This chair is not there by mistake, my son Paul placed it there years ago and would disappear at times and he’d go here to sit in the woods. I think everyone should have a chair in the woods somewhere, where we can go escape or think. I felt a bit sad seeing it there by itself, perhaps it’s owner would never sit in it again as he’s off to college now. I just hope (as his mother) that he’ll always “find a chair somewhere” and sit in the woods.
Clip board with closed sketchbook
Here’s a picture of my clear clipboard with my handmade 4 1/2″ x 5″ sketchbook and watercolor palette attached. This is how it looks when I pull it from my bag, I use the rubber bands to hold the book shut and the palette. The palette is held on with blue ‘sticky tack’ or ‘blue tack’. The sketchbook is clipped on with metal clips with the front cover.
Clip board with open sketchbook
This is how it looks when open, I use the white rubberband (actually it’s a hairband thing) to hold the piece of paper towel or to help hold the book open, or you can use a metal bankers clip. You can see I’m using my waterbrush today with the watercolors, I find it easier when hiking and especially in cold weather. Though it won’t work when it’s ‘really’ cold, it turns to ice on my paper!
I hope you enjoyed coming on my walk, please leave me a comment! I’ll have classes this summer in England where you can come along and sketch while we explore the gorgeous countryside. Please sign up your email address in the “subscribe to posts” box in the right column.
I was creating note cards from my butterfly photos and noticed this one, though beautiful, has a torn wing. I thought about how so many of us have some kind of physical difficulty, or imperfection, but just go on with our lives. It inspired me to write a small poem that appears on the inside of this inspirational card.
Please click on the title above to see the glossy note card in my shop. If you click on my name it’ll take you to my Zazzle Shop where I have many note cards for sale featuring my photographs and paintings of nature and landscapes. The poem is below.
We Are None of Us Perfect
We are none of us perfect,
From the outside perhaps,
Torn and tattered.
Broken
Parts not working.
But on the inside
Who knows us better
Than ourselves?
Or those who love us?
We are all bright shining
Lights of love and beauty!
(c) Mary McAndrew 2-15-2010
(The butterfly is a Red Admiral, I took it while in a garden in England.)
I actually walked pretty far on my land today, I bundled up with lots of layers and told Ginger the magic words, “Go for a WALK?” She can’t contain herself, to the point I get a little annoyed at her insistence at leaving this very moment, regardless of how cold it is and how many layers I believe I need.
"Tree on a Winter Day"
Today I tried to walk without stopping to look at every little thing, just for the start of my walk. I wanted to get some exercise today and do some studies once I get out on the land a bit. When we reached a lane I call “White Tail Trail” I was searching for something interesting. The sky was so blue and clear and when I looked up at this tree, I think an Ash, I liked the branches, shadows and colors. Armed today with my sawed off watercolor pencils and a waterbrush I started the tree, first with a light sketch of the trunk and branches with a light grey watercolor pencil. Now remember I told you I was bundled up? Well imagine freezing cold temperatures a bulky big coat, freezing toes and BIG mittens! haha…it’s always an adventure! I like to wear mittens where the tops flips back and your fingers are then exposed; these are great for quick sketching in winter. I tried to color the drawing with my little pencils and wet them with the waterbrush, but got frustrated when the water froze in a thin layer on the paper. So subsequent color layers became impossible; when I returned home I played around with adding some more color.
1-21-10 "Tree Scars and Bullrushes"
On my way back I stopped to look at the patterns on the trees in Aspen Hall, a favorite area on Long Lane. Where old branches had been but broken off now, there are scars that made interesting marks on the bark.
Here’s the notes I wrote on the page: “Old Branch Scars on an Aspen. Cold today but pretty, Blue skies, snow crunching, Ginger whimpers, we walk on, Chickadee calls, car drones in the distance. I wish I were farther away. We walk on. I pause to study a grapevine tendril- curled still though long dead. And the beauty of the Bull Rushes, the elegant lines…”
1-21-10 "A Bit of Grapevine"
I just love the way grapevine tendrils reach out for anything and grab on…twirling and twining. With this one I was trying to sketch their forms as they twisted out into the air too, I like the way the sunlight cast a good shadow. My feet and hands were very cold at this point and it was hard to concentrate, holding my sketchbook in front of me as I stood to draw this vine clinging to my fence. But as usual I’m glad I took my sketchbook with me to stop and see things.
This watercolor was commissioned by a lady for her husband’s 80th birthday! He loves groundhogs (just like me) and she really liked the groundhogs I had sketched on my blog this past summer, so she asked me to do a painting. Here’s the finished painting and below it I’ll share the stages of painting as I worked on it, along with how I changed or corrected areas as I went.
my set up 1
Above is my set up, an artists’ table easel box type thing that you can put oils paints in underneath, I have it filled with color pencils at the moment. I like it because you can change the angle to work on, I altered it though by drilling holes right up the front panel so I can change the height of the little shelf that you put your painting on while you work. (Yes, I love using my power drill!)
my watercolor pan palette
When I work on little watercolors, I like to keep my palette of colors close to the work. The paint dries out quickly in the tiny brushes so it helps to have it all close by. I set my pan of colors on a little wooden box and I can keep other supplies in here instead of all over my table. This pan is also what I use in the field, I have so many colors in it, I really don’t need to set up my big huge palette that I use in my studio for big paintings. When I worked on the painting, I had several pictures of groundhogs to the left of it for my reference, I used sticky tack (blue tack) to hold things in place on the Plexiglas surface.
my set up 2
I really created this set up because I wanted to work where the wood stove was, right in the middle of my living room. You can see the cold snow outside my window! So it’s like my little studio island, a plastic table 4′ x 2′, complete with laptop, small lamp, bundles of color pencils and some other piles of ‘stuff’. (ahmm…there’s a dark chocolate bar hidden in the box too, well you know, gotta keep the ‘ol strength up!)
groundhog 1
This is the first stage of the painting, a light pencil sketch that I lighten first by tapping over it with a kneaded rubber eraser. Before I started I decided to make this a 5 x 7″ painting to fit a standard mat, so I lightly trace the inside of an 8 x 10 mat (5 x 7″ opening). Then I wash in a simple background of trees and start to place the long grasses and dandelions I want around this plump little groundhog.
groundhog 2 blocking shape
I like to try to keep some spontaneity in my paintings especially in the backgrounds. Here’s a little trick you can try to keep it loose while protecting areas; I grab a piece of paper or plastic to block or protect an area. This piece was just the right curve for his back, when it’s covered I can very freely stroke my brush right over the area with out it looking contrived and stiff.
groundhog 3 blocking shape
You can see above the protected area of his back.
groundhog 4
In “groundhog 4” I have laid in some light body washes and beginning some fur areas, starting on the darker areas first. Notice I have left a light ‘cut out’ looking edge to him, this is so I can go back later and stroke color into it to make it look like fur, but also he’ll stand out a bit from the background. I also started to push the darks around the grass blades in the front left.
groundhog 5
In “groundhog 5” you can see I darkened around the dandelions, added some grasses in front and also added some more tone and fur strokes on his body. Keep looking for the dark and light areas of his body; sometimes you show this by adding strokes or by adding whole washes to an area. If you look at his tail here I want to point out that I didn’t just paint in a tail shape, I put dark bits around where the grass went over it and it looks much more natural.
groundhog 6
In “groundhog 6” you can see I have put a light wash of green in the background, then washes of brown in the foreground. I then added more grasses and darks around the dandelions, foreground and his body. I developed the arm and shoulder area more now, also added more to the head.
groundhog 7
I developed the grasses around him in “groundhog 7”, pushing the darks in places.
Now I’ll show you some close up pictures of parts of the painting as I did corrections. I find it interesting to look back on how I changed things and I know my readers really like to see this, you can learn a lot by looking at how another painter reworks things to correct them.
correcting the back 1
When I painted more of the grasses in I was able to see his back silhouette better; I then realized that it looked too straight. So I gently re-wet the area along the edge (above) and rubbed a bit with my brush to lift the color then I blotted it with a clean paper towel. I repeat this as many times as nessesary to lift what I need to, you can’t always lift everything though!! Take care also not to lift other areas.
correcting the back 2
To reshape the back I carefully put down the dark green grass colors further out from the original back line. (above) Then you have to soften where needed so it all looks ‘right’ together.
Below I show a close up of an area that when I thought I had finished the painting, I looked back and decided to fix. That blade of grass pointing at his head looked ok in the beginning when it was lighter, but now was too strong.
blades of grass 1
Below is the area that I changed.
blades of grass final
Here’s some close ups of the head as I changed it. The mouth I found difficult to do, it was a give and take between showing details and sort of softening them, but then that’s the essence of painting! Notice the careful biulding of darks on the head to shape it’s 3 Dimensional feel, the changing of the black area of the mouth and the developing of the dark area under the jaw.
Head close up #1
Head close up #2
Head close up #3
#4 Final head close up
I ended up going over the entire head at the end and added darks here and there…sculpting until it looked just right.
Once again here is the painting finished and ready for it’s new owner!
"Groundhog" finished
The original is sold but SHOP for gifts, note cards, prints, t-shirts etc with this image on it in my Zazzle shop! Go to www.zazzle.com/marymcandrew*This will take you to my shop where my artwork and designs are listed, go to the Small Mammals folder to find the groundhog designs or just type Groundhog into the search box. You can add your own text to customize gifts! If you want it on something you don’t see, just email me to ask!
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