Saturday 5 June 2021

What's Flowering in the Garden and ICAD Roundup

Hello Friends

Spring and meteorological Summer are still teasing us, with good weather, then back to bad, so we plod on.  There's not much we can do about it, except complain or get on with it, or both.

Here's a few blooms that survived that nasty, salt laden, burning wind a week or so ago.

Oriental Poppy Royal Wedding


Forget me Nots


Cranesbill Geranium



Oriental Poppy Coral Sea


Alchemilla Mollis with Evening Primrose leaf photo bomb


Not sure! If anyone knows, please say!  I also have a blue flowering one, not yet open.
Edit: An extensive Google search reveals it is a Dwarf Yellow Iris Sisyrinchium.  I also have a pale blue one.


Rosa Rugosa



Arum Lilies {looking better from a distance, as something is nibbling away the edges}


The last bit of No Mow May around the rabbit family

It's so heartening to see so much colour as things survived those battering winds and rain.   Nature truly is miraculous.  Thankfully, many buds were still tightly closed so the delicate poppies and roses remained protected.

ICAD 2021

If you aren't interested in ICAD, then look away now, but I do hope you'll stay and see my work.

As some of you may remember, most summers now I take part in the annual Daisy Yellow Art event ICAD.  You can find out more here. 

I'm not following the 61 daily prompts, I'm just going to do my own thing.  With a break from previous years, I am going to keep my cards more simple than in the past, in an effort to try and focus on my drawing.  I have set myself some ground rules, which are:

1.  No using stamps or stencils, I must draw everything myself
2.  No use of gesso
3.  No collage or gluing things
4.  Set a 30 minute time limit per card so as not to spend all day on it {easily done}

The first two are drawn freehand using Spectrum Noir colouring pencils.  

1/61 Lavender spikes


2/61  Osteospermum


3/61  Stylised Allium 
For this one I drew a loose pencil circle for guidance {later erased}, then did mark making using Marvy Le Plume ink pens.


4/61  Stylised Sunflower
I inked the background to a flat colour with a broad tip alcohol pen, and then coloured in everything with more alcohol pens.  


5/61  Forget me Nots {in remembrance of my mother who had Alzheimer's} 
Freehand using a variety of marking pens, and graphite pencil detailing


I do so enjoy puttering, and even though I'm not good at it, it brings me so much joy and pleasure in our stormy world.

Until next time
Stay Safe, Stay Well

14 comments:

  1. Lovely to see your garden blooming so well, my faves are the wonderful poppies. Your ICADs are all fantastic, they are real little treasures with the delicate drawings and colouring. Hard for me to pick a fave today, but I would say the stylised sunflower. Have a great weekend, take care, hugs, Valerie

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    1. Thank you, Valerie. I'm using ICAD this year to try and hone my observation and drawing, rather than what I usually do. It's going to be interesting, as I'm drawing from observation and photos of my garden. Hope your weekend is good, Deb

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  2. Wonderful flower drawings, I love them.

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    1. Thank you, I hope the practice over 61 days improves my skill set.

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  3. Well, it looks like a lot survived, Deb. It's gorgeous. And I like your icads and especially the self-imposed rules you made. That sunflower is particularly stunning.

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    1. Thank you, yes, I was chatting to someone this morning and we're amazed at how certain things just got picked on by the wind, yet adjacent planting is fine. Rules is rules! I hope they will help improve my drawing skill set.

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  4. So pleased so many of your flowers survived. Those poppies are just gorgeous and such beautiful colours. I rather like your rabbit family!!!

    I think you drawings are just lovely - love the different styles you have used and the forget me not is particularly lovely. You are very talented and it looks a lovely creative way to spend 30 minutes each day.

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    1. Thank you. Yes, it's mind boggling how one plant withers, but equally as vulnerable plants escape. The rabbits were a Ruby Anniversary gift from someone.
      Thank you for your kind words about my art. I hope I can improve and become worthy of them this year!

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  5. Who says you are not very good at drawing? I think they are beautiful and I'd never manage to do as well even if I practiced for 100 years!

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    1. Thank you, Sue. I'm afraid I'm my own worse critic, but practice makes perfect and I'm improving.

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  6. Lovely flowers and lovely drawings, Deb! Glad that the bad weather didn't destroy everything. Happy Saturday!

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    1. Thank you, Kim, our weather, well we have to do what we can. Thankfully, not too much damage done.

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  7. We are enjoying the sight and smell of our first roses of the season.

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  8. The flowers were quite lovely, Deb, both the blooms in your garden and the ones drawn by yourself. Of course, the advantage with the latter is that you will not have to worry about watering them.

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