One hour hiking up from my appartement, Vercors Natural Park, a place called Oeile Pass. Watercolors.
latest updates: Theme Challenge
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2009Aug 55
tags: August09 | My favorite rocks | Theme Challenge | Zen Watercolors -
2009Aug 4
tags: August 09 | My favorite rocks | Theme Challenge
This is my favorite swimming hole. I spent a couple of summers just floating around there in an inflatable armchair with a drink and a good book. What a life of luxury! It’s partially surrounded by a cliff, which is another of my favorite rocks. My dog used to bark like mad whenever I went into a lake, but she was OK with this place because she could keep track of me. Haven’t done any floating this summer and I don’t know why.
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2009Aug 4
tags: August 09 | My favorite rocks | Theme Challenge
This is Frazier Falls at the end of August when the flow of water is minimal. In May it’s a raging torrent, but it is sometimes hard to get there because the snow may still be fairly deep at that elevation. This is a very quick sketch done with Pitt markers. Note the people at the top, where the rocks are pretty much flat and one can climb around on them and even take a sunbath. I would say those are some of my “favorite rocks”, but I have others too.
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2009Aug 3
tags: August09 | My favorite rocks | Theme Challenge
My favourite Rocks, Dunbar, East Lothian – Ink and Acrylic in a Watercolour Moleskine
This is my entry for this month’s challenge. I have fished from these rocks, for many years. They are situated to the east side of Dunbar harbour and its castle. The sea is rich in many varieties of fish such as whiting, cod, pollack (coal fish) and wrasse which are hard work to catch as they live near the rocks and dive under them when threatened. I once even caught a scuba diver. If the fish are not cooperating I just stand there watching the gulls and cormorants dive-bombing the seals. I love the sea and just to be there, on my favourite rocks, is so therapeutic.
I lay upon the headland-height, and listened
To the incessant sobbing of the sea
In caverns under me,
And watched the waves, that tossed and fled and glistened
Until the rolling meadows of amethyst
Melted away in mist.Palengenisis – H W Longfellow
My scene shows the Dunbar based lifeboat, the John Neville Taylor, on exercises. She is an “All weather, Trent Class” boat which is one of the RNLI’s biggest types. There is also an smaller, inshore boat based at the harbour. UK lifeboats – The RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) are run by volunteers and funded by charitable donations. Over 137,000 lives have been saved by many different boats since 1824. Extremely brave people! Most Scots donate generously to this worthwhile cause.
Dunbar is probably best known as the birthplace of John Muir, the naturalist, who emigrated to America and came up with the concept of the National Park, arguably one of the finest ideas ever to emerge from The United States. There is a museum dedicated to the man in the town, a statue of him as a young man, in the main street and a small nature reserve to the west of the town. http://www.flickr.com/photos/28475994@N00/3774584576/
Dunbar castle, itself, is now completely ruined and functions as a massive refuge for thousands of nesting seagulls. It was to this castle that Bothwell abducted Mary Queen of Scots in 1567 and they were married soon afterwards. An army was raised against the “ruling” nobles at Carberry (Near Mussleburgh) but battle did not take place, Mary insisting that Bothwell be given safe conduct instead of fighting. She was soon to be imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle and forced to abdicate in favour of her infant son, James. Its a pity that Dunbar Castle is beyond repair as its historical links are without question. A large part of it was demolished when the present harbour was widened in the nineteenth century.
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2009Jul 31
tags: August09 | My favorite rocks | Theme Challenge
Wedding Ring
I found myself with a little free time this evening and decide to give the August theme challenge a go. The ‘favorite rocks’ in this case are the stones in my engagement/wedding ring.
My husband and I just celebrated our first anniversary on Tuesday and are in the process of planning our reception this Saturday (we eloped on the spur of the moment the day after he proposed in San Diego, so the party is for all the family and friends to celebrate with us). The stones (rocks!) are a central ruby flanked by two diamonds. He did such an amazing job picking a one-of-a-kind, gorgeous ring and every time I catch a glimpse of it, it reminds me how much he means to me and how much I am loved.
Anyway, enough mushy stuff, there are a few of my truly favorite rocks.
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2009Jul 28
tags: dessert | desserts | July 09 | Micron pens | Theme Challenge
mmm… what, no dessert? and they didn’t leave any for me.
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2009Jul 27
tags: desserts | July09 | photoshop | Theme Challenge | watercolour pencil
A 1930s type advert for Jelly.My entry for the July theme challenge of desserts. First attempt at combining photoshop and a drawing!!
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2009Jul 23
tags: desserts | July 09 | Theme Challenge
Viennese chocolate cake with whipped cream and raspberry drizzle. Eaten at a sidewalk cafe in Salt Lake City.
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2009Jul 15
tags: desserts | July 09 | Theme Challenge
Don’t know if this is better than the last one, but I struggled less with it. The perspective is off because it came out of imagination instead of having a model still life in front of me, but I like it better anyhow. It’s ink, markers and ordinary pencil for the light pattern on the tablecloth.
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2009Jul 14
tags: desserts | July 09 | Theme Challenge
I really struggled with this one. It began as a watercolor, but I couldn’t get the colors intense enough or smooth enough, especially for the smooth chocolate, so I let it dry and then went to markers. Am still not happy with it, but it will have to do for now.
