30 Sketches Projects I-VII

Agnes the Thistle. Day Thirty grid. Well, Project V:  Specimen Drawer is officially done and dusted.  I enjoyed working on this project and equally enjoy the fact that it's over.  Packin' up these 30 days of nature specimens and shining the limelight on work that's been waiting patiently on the back burners.  I look forward to seeing what form Project VI will take. The specimens are back in their jars.

ONE DAY LEFT...I REPEAT, ONE DAY LEFT.  Dang Day 29...thank you baby jesus.  I believe this is a holly leaf of some sort.  Not entirely sure.  I have roughly 7 minutes left of energy until I fall out into a crumpled sleeping heap.  Must conserve enough momentum to make it to bzzzzzzzzzzz............ Day 29 grid.

Snail shell found in a flower bed. Day Twenty Eight grid. ********************************************************************************* Let's have some fun with history!  Hmmmm...so, I'm on Day Twenty Eight of Project V...let's take a look see at the past Day Twenty Eights... Project I:  Day 28 Feb. 17, 2009 Melba Finch Project II:  Day 28 June 28, 2009 Blue Jay Chick Project III:  Day 28 Nov. 21, 2009 Chick Project IV:  Day 28 Dec. 6, 2010 Wee Egg

You know what is more difficult than drawing a dandelion?  Trying to keep a dandelion's puffs intact while walking a dog.  If you're up for an added challenge try picking up dog poop and checking the mailbox with a dandelion in tow.  It took some serious wind-blockage and a lot of luck, but I made it. Day Twenty Seven grid.

I totally went outside the lines. This is an ivy leaf from my ivy plant.  The leaf has lived it's life and the plant has sucked back most of it's green, next it's on to gold then finally brown... Day Twenty Six grid.

This is a roadrunner feather.  It is from the fuzzy down undercoat.  On a walk, Mom and I found where a roadrunner had  been killed - I collected some feathers from this day and this is one of them. Day Twenty Five grid.

This is totally a dried Sweetgum fruit.  You know how I know?  Cuz today I bought Trees:  A simplified field guide to the trees of North America by Peterson First Guides.  It was $2.48.  Sure...it was printed in 1993 but how much can trees change in 20 years?  Sweetgum fruit #1:  "Hey, your prickles are nice." Sweetgum fruit #2:  "I know.  So are yours." Day Twenty Four grid.

Here is yet another shell from New Zealand.  Besides the 45 minutes it sat in my dirty watercolor palette to model for today's study, this indigo blue muscle shell lives in a jar with other treasures collected from my time in NZ.  Below is a photo taken the day I picked up this little shell, it has traveled far from where it was born... Day Twenty Three grid.

This pebble is from my New Zealand jar.  It must have been very special to outshine all of the other pebbles on the beach. Day Twenty Two grid. Okay, so this is totally pebble unrelated but a good lesson was learned from my specimen study collecting.  Lesson:  don't just pick up something off of the ground, bring it into your home, and expect it not to hatch creatures.  Cuz...this object completely hatched creatures.  60% sure they are alien creatures and will eat my brain as I sleep tonight.

This is a wee feather I found in New Zealand.  I don't remember where I found it and I don't know what kind of bird it was once attached to but it is little and beat up and I love it.  It is very similar to how I felt after my NZ experience - my feathers were ruffled and I had just the slightest bit of color left in me. Day Twenty One grid.

Long story short on the skinny of this nut:  A pal and I had just finished eating calzones under a velvet Elvis painting somewhere near Patagonia, AZ, circa 2010 (paging Lani Hudson...do you read me Lani Hudson??) and we stumbled upon this kickass, cracked-open nut shell.  It looks like a heart.  It looks like an owl face.  Take your pick. I think it is from a Heartnut tree (I'm not being obvious - it really exists) which is maybe a type of Japanese walnut? But hell, I don't know -- I'm too exhausted to do anymore research.  For all I know it's a petrified raccoon heart.  I think I've hit the wal...zzzzzzzzzzzzzz........... Day Twenty grid.

I'm sure you've been like, "Layla, when are you going to draw a Yaupon Holly twig already?!"  And I'm like, "dude, keep your shirt on...I just did draw a Yaupon Holly twig (insert melodramatic eye roll)." Here is the much anticipated twig.  I collected it in mid-walk from work to vehicle.  It reminds me of Christmas.  Day Nineteen grid.

Acorn with hat.  Nuff said. Acorn.  With.  Hat. Day Eighteen grid.

I'm 99% certain that this is a leaf from a Magnolia tree.  I'm pretty darn good at identifying birds but I have a lot to learn about the rest of nature.  I've been using the Texas A&M Forest Service website to help me with tree identification and it's been super helpful.  Behind the leaf are the three brushes I've used everyday for the last 17 days.  I love them very much. These have been my tools.  A lot of stuff goes into a little leaf. Day Seventeen grid.