Perennial, Illustration Friday

A good scientist is a person in whom the childhood quality of perennial curiosity lingers on. Once he gets an answer, he has other questions.” ~ Frederick Seitz

It figures that Illustration Friday and Mike would come up with a really challenging word this week, "Perennial," while I'm experiencing a case of the summer doldrums. Actually, it's been a period of "what should I do next?" but those activities have been unrelated to painting.
While walking the pups one quiet morning, it occurred to me that these native old oaks that live along the creek fit the bill. I often marvel at how these sturdy trees plant themselves near a source of water, maintain their stances for decades among competing plant life and only give in when disease, intermittent drought, flooding or landscaping crews come along to clear the way for "improvements."
After this quick sketch for IF, I'm heading over to see how Mike interpreted his own suggestion. I might even have a question for him, like "How did you come up with this one?"
Wishing everybody a curiously creative week!

Gesture, Illustration Friday

Just a simple gesture of aloha in the form of a quick watercolor for this week's IF challenge.
The scent of sweet plumeria blossoms sent my thoughts traveling back in time, to early mornings sitting around Auntie's table, where she would teach us kids how to string leis with the freshly picked flowers.
Just daydreaming...

Stay, Illustration Friday

This is one that stayed under wraps until this week, when I decided it might be a good time to complete it for IF.
Stay cool this week, as summer temps soar!

Remedy, Illustration Friday

"To do nothing is sometimes a good remedy" ~ Hippocrates

A quick watercolor for IF this week, the fragrant lavender has been used as a remedy for a variety of ailments. Its soothing, calming effects suggest that Hippocrates might have been sniffing fields of it when he offered this advice.

If you'd like to try your hand at creating a unique gift from your garden, please visit My Creative Day. It's a brand new blog whose writer's first post offers step by step instructions to create a lavender wand. It's possible that the aromatic properties of one of these wands might magically take you to other faraway places, but I have a feeling that many more interesting and creative adventures could materialize if you decide to visit!

Midsummer Night, Illustration Friday

Been lured outdoors many a midsummer night by the sweet, intoxicating fragrance of this night blooming cactus. The spell lasts only for one evening and by mid morning, the flower has all but collapsed.
Was it able to entice that special pollinator? Only by the appearance of its fruit will these secrets be revealed!

Launch, Illustration Friday

Did I miss a post? I was swept away on a short trip up north and back late last week. But upon my return, I took a short detour into a cough syrup induced haze, launched into a colorful fog of daytime television and naps. While staring off into space, this gallery of refrigerator spin art came into view and brought me back to earth for a quick re-entry to reality and IF.
Hope you're all having healthier weeks! Looking forward to visiting with you art bloggers as soon as all the channels are working again!

Shadows, Illustration Friday

"I look out the window sometimes to seek the color of the shadows and the different greens in the trees, but when I get ready to paint I just close my eyes and imagine a scene." ~ Grandma Moses

I couldn't have said it any better than Grandma Moses, a true independent and artistic spirit. So today, my submission for Illustration Friday is one that I recently painted just for the sake of painting, something equally inspired by my surroundings here at the ol' homestead, and my imagination.

But before I sign off, I'll leave you with a link to another example of shadows from last summer. We weren't seeing many of them, so when the sun finally broke through, it put a whole new perspective on life! If you're so inclined, you may view it here.

Looking forward to seeing many more shadows this week!