#SpoonChallenge: Urban Landscape

In my part of the world, all roads lead  to Oklahoma City whose urban landscape is constantly changing. 

#SpoonChallenge: Fish

#SpoonChallenge: Cat

#SpoonChallenge: Beetles

#SpoonChallenge: Hedgehog

#SpoonChallenge: Platypus

#SpoonChallenge: Toast

#SpoonChallenge: Tea

#SpoonChallenge: Arrow

#SpoonChallenge #7: Book

I know, I know.  So where is the book?  Well, books are made up of words and I am in love with words so I thought I'd do a doodle of how the name "Summersgaze" came to be.  I get this calendar every year called "Forgotten Words" and about 10 years ago, one of the words, I think, was "summersgaze."  I say I think because I can't locate any references to it now.  But I do remember how it had something to do with how the word "gossamer" came to be.  In late summer, geese molt and feathers float all about.  (We had geese so I can attest to the floating feathers.)  Somehow the floating feathers and the gossamer that floats about in the sky in early autumn -- those two things became associated.  I know that this makes absolutely no sense but that is how I came up with "Summersgaze."  And I really wish I could find that calendar entry -- I tore it out and put it someplace safe because I thought it was such a beautiful word, "summersgaze."

And this is apropos of nothing but the other day the comic strip "Shoe" had a pretty phrase: "sustained darkness with scattered stars." 

#SpoonChallenge 5: Lemon using text in the design

SpoonChallenge #4: River

This morning on my walk I looked toward the west.  Over the Wichita Mountains were dark clouds and a small vertical rainbow of color not unlike the above drawing.  A river of color in the clouds.

Day 4 of the #SpoonChallenge: Landscapes

Oklahoma . . . where the wind comes sweeping down the plains!

Day 3 of the Spoonflower Challenge

Day Three of the Spoonflower Challenge -- the prompt is TREE.  I did two -- my idea of a blue spruce and a willow tree.  The willow -- now that I look at it, it looks more like some sort of tropical tree but I was trying to imitate the layering of willow leaves.  Also, it seems as if our strongest winds are out of the south and all our trees have a tilt toward the north.  I did both trees with fine point sharpies.

Day 2 of #SpoonChallenge: Mountains

Day 2 of  the SpoonChallenge is mountains.  I just have to walk a few steps down my road to see the Wichita Mountains to the west.  In the winter, when the leaves are off the trees, I can see the range from our front yard.  The Wichita Mountains are ancient.  Worn down by time, winds, and the movement of the earth’s surface, the mountains are now lying almost on their sides. I think they are tired!  The Rockies are babies compared to the Wichitas. The Wichitas have a weathered beauty.    Depending on the season of the year, the light of the day, the humidity in the air, the silhouette of the Wichitas changes.  The range is loveliest, I think, when it’s a clear winter’s morning.  Then it appears a deep beautiful blue.

If you are interested in reading more about the Wichitas, this link will take you there:  Wichita Mountains on Wikipedia

Can I do this?

My last post was in December 2012.   There is that saying, "Life is what happens when you're making other plans."  During this time, I continued to make designs and grow my Spoonflower shop while dealing with the events that life dealt me.   Writing went by the wayside.

So, as my kick-off entry to get me back to posting on this blog, I've chosen Spoonflower's challenge for this month.  It's 30 days of drawing and sketching.  Each day Spoonflower will send a prompt and participants will answer that prompt by doing a quick sketch and posting it to their favorite social media spot.  I'm posting mine to Flickr and I confess that this morning, much time was spent researching "#" and why does it exist?  I'm old.  That's what I do.  So, this whole deal is a challenge for me. Can I do a doodle everyday?  Can I remember to "#" it?

The prompt yesterday was "cactus."  Below are my 2 quick drawings of cacti.  I emphasize quick because while I was sketching, a new hot water heater was being hauled through the house and the old one removed.  For about 90 minutes, the house was filled with the clanging and banging of installation, enhanced by the constant yelping of our dog, Buster, locked up in the bedroom (so he wouldn't bother the plumbers.)

Not saying this is going to be pretty!  Just saying it's an exercise to get me back in the swing of things!