Swell, illustration Friday

When summer really starts to heat up, the kernels swell and pop right off the cob...

A Ray of Sunshine

A good sunshiney day to you! A while back, Linda Hensley stopped by with a cheerful greeting and a sunshine award for me...I have been slowly getting around to making this announcement, but here it is.
Linda's an illustrator and designer who's a whiz at creating art that's not only visually and technically stunning, but her accompanying posts are always a kick to read as well. She creates straight from the heart, spicing things up with personal experiences which are always informative and thought provoking. I'm glad to have met her through blogging and appreciate the award she shared with me. Stop by her blog and say "Hello!"

The rules for receiving the award:
- Thank the person who gave you the award.
- Write a post about it.
- Answer the questions below.
- Pass it on to 10 bloggers who you think really deserve it and send them a message to let them know.

My unofficial answers to
The questions:
01. My favorite color: Green
02. My favorite animal: Dogs!
03. My favorite number: #8, round yet balanced
04. My favorite non-alcoholic drink: Water
05. Facebook or Twitter? Neither, yet
06. My passion: Peace, baby!
07. Getting or giving presents? Giving
08. My favorite pattern: Florals, even though vertical stripes are friendlier ;o)
09. My favorite day of the week: Sunday, a fresh start
10. My favorite flower: Wildflowers and Tropicals

Do you know these Sunshine Award winners? They're all creative, talented and inspiring in their individual crafts. I hope you enjoy visiting them!

10 Favorite Bloggers:
Rose Hill Designs
Leen Christens Illustrations
My Creative Day
From Jen's Pen
Vicki Smith Art
Ms. Moffatt
ValGal Art
Janets dibby dabby.com illustrator journey
Forest & Sea
Superpo Adventures

Obsession, Illustration Friday

On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off On Off...

Sometimes you are, sometimes you aren't. And sometimes it's OK not to be either.

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!