floridacreate

Nasturtiums

2022-01-12T22:17:00.000-05:00

These nasturtiums are such a bright spot in the garden right now. I just had to photograph them to compare their details and then was inspired to create a twist of each Photoshop

Crystalized Sunburst

The nasturtiums reseeded from last year where they had bloomed under the papaya tree.

The papaya fell over in a storm and now they have much more sun!

Each one looks hand painted

The flowers and leaves are edible and have a peppery taste!

The leaves are high in vitamin C, iron and other minerals and the flowers are plentiful in vitamins B1, B2, B3 and C as well as manganese, iron, phosphorus and calcium!

I plan to make a vinegar with the blossoms!

The bees were enjoying them!

Just some subtle changes...

I ordered the seeds from Eden Brothers.

They sell quality seeds and offer a huge variety of nasturtiums!

Silver Springs Conservation Area Ocala

2021-12-06T21:42:00.000-05:00

I enjoy taking artwork or photos and altering them with Photoshop.

This photo is taken at the Silver Springs Conservation Area in Ocala FL.

The property was purchased by the State of Florida in 2015 to help protect the nearby Silver Springs, which is a first magnitude spring. Preserving this sensitive water recharge site, helps keep the spring flowing and clean of "the effects of pollution from commercial, residential and agricultural runoff, as well as clear cutting, mining and unsupervised recreation". Marion County Parks and Recreation Dept manages the property.

The 330 acre property has nature trails and large beautiful oak trees, and has three different natural habitats or communities within the same property.

Reflections on Art as Therapy

2021-09-13T10:02:00.000-04:00

I participated in the #100dayproject again. This year it began Jan 31, 2021. I decided to just work as if in a sketchbook and focus on drawing what I saw and felt. This ended up being a good outlet for reflection during this pandemic and very therapeutic.

Plants and flowers are always a theme for me as I truly love observing the plant world and the myriad designs, textures, scents and colors.

Living on the shore of a swamp/lake we also get the opportunity to observe local wildlife

first hand and they often end up in my art. Seeing and reflecting how nature continues each day to evolve and adapt, no matter what happens, provides me with insight, respect, a desire for her protection, and an awareness of how my actions affect the whole.

Some days just playing with colors was therapuetic

after too much media bombardment.

The eyes see and are seen as windows to the soul.

Some days there were bright, cheerful reflections.

Visits with my mother were quite different!

There were some days of visits outside,

and other more protected, quarantined times through the window.

There were the first visits taking my Mom back to health care

and so many layers of protection!

When I can keep in the drawing groove it is very helpful and stress relieving.

Recently, I've had a dry period with 2 months of no drawing.

I do take photographs which gives me later resources.

Mom and Sweetgirl

I've spent more time on self-care and life's decisions.

We've spent more time with Mom, who at 88 got Covid in late July and came through ok.

She did show more cognitive decline. Her body is slowly declining but she is a 'tough cookie'.

Blessings to you all and may you find ways to nourish your spirits!

North Carolina Wildflowers as Collages

2020-09-25T16:04:00.006-04:00

Tulip Poplar

This is the 6th time I have participated in the #100dayproject, and for 2020 I created collages with bits of my old artwork. They are displayed on my Instagram under #flcreate and #100daysofconsciouscollage. Each day I tried to stay conscious of any creative inspiration that my come up, whether from the material itself or my surroundings. Plants became one of my main focuses as well as portraits and abstracts. Right around Day 48 I began to create plants from the mountains in N.C. where we were staying.

Some I glued onto on a black background like a silhouette...

I added colored pencil and ink for details.

Others were more colorful!

Jack in the Pulpit collage and a Photoshop version

Turkscap Lily and a Photoshop version

Sweetshrub/Calycanthus floridus

Collage is one of my favorite techniques!

2020-09-22T12:09:00.002-04:00

I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe! What a year! I have been walking in the woods alot! It is very grounding for me.

I usually post about flowers, but the leaves of plants have such beautiful lines and shapes, I wanted to share some I photographed in North Carolina this year. I also played around with some of them in Photoshop to create colorful variations!

Bloodroot

Bloodroot3

Carolina Lily?

Orchid or lily? Have not seen this plant flower to help identify! Anyone know what it is?

Chinkapin oak? Love the serrated edges!

I thnk this is Rue Aneome?

Meadow Rue2

Trillium

Trillum2

I also featured flowering plants with their leaves in the collages I did for the #100dayproject this year. I'll post them next!

#100daysofconsciouscollage

2020-06-09T17:54:00.001-04:00

#Self-Portrait
I'm participating for the 6th time in the annual #100dayproject. facilitated by @lindsayjeanthomson on Instagram. It runs April 7th-July15th, but you can start whenever. I use the project as a way to make a personal intention to create art each day for 100days and to also make the effort to share it within a global community.

This time I am creating collages which I love to do. I decided to repurpose some of my old artwork by cutting them up and creating collages with them. The 'conscious' part I'll figure out more as I go along, but my intention is to be conscious and go with the flow each day. I've found there are days when I just can't look at the scraps and bits and make a thing, and others when an idea gets brewing and I sit and find the pieces to create my vision. As I say, go with the flow.

I've done some portraits...

#Oak Day 42

My grandson!

#Alma Day 27 Inspired by Joseph Stella

Plants...

#Jack in the Pulpit Day 48

#Cowlilys Day 14 These grow all over Orange Lake where I live

I have favorite artists whose work I admire and some of the collages are inspired by them.

#MiamiBeach Day 39 Inspired by Martha Walter's painting of 1920

#Claire, Day 23 Inspired by artist Alexei Jawlensky

#Mandala Day 9

#Stilllife Day 4

#jazzfestinginplace Day 19 Missing the New Orleans Jazz Fest this year because of COVID so had to celebrate with art!

i think by participating and really putting out the effort into something you love, you tend to improve, get new inspiration, and feel more confident. having the space to post work and share is very helpful and I've 'met' many other artists and seen wonderful work and ideas!

Check out more work on my Instagram @flcreate and others work at #the100dayproject

#28februaryflowers

2020-03-24T16:13:00.002-04:00

Nectarine flower-colored pencil

I'd like to share some floral drawings I did in February for an online art challenge. It was hosted by #amanda_evanston and it entailed creating a flower each day of February and posting it using #28februaryflowers on Instagram. Amanda creates beautiful flower paintings all the time and you can find her work at her website AmandaEvanston.com.

I love flowers and this challenge was just the inspiration I needed! Most of the flowers I drew were growing around my yard or local area. The first flower above is from our nectarine tree. They are always beautiful and we used to be concerned with frost after the blooms, but global warming has changed any hard freezes here in the last several years.

Cow Lily or Spadder Dock-colored pencil

This is one of the several kinds of lilies that grow out on Orange lake where we live. They bloom from spring to summer. This drawing shows the heart shaped leaves, flower stages and rhizome of the Cow Lily. They also have submerged thin leaves attached at the bottom of the rhizome. The flowers are yellow and half-opened at or above the water surface. Flowers are attached to thick stems often 6' long! I used an IFAS, Center for Aquatic Plants handout as reference to create the plant parts.

Sweetheart Rose-colored pencil

This rose is from a bush that grew from a cutting my Mom gave me. It began growing at our first house in Miami when I was a child and she has kept it going from cuttings for over 60 years, even with moving to 2 other homes and then to mine!

Nasturtium -colored pencil

These are growing in my garden right now. The peppery flavored leaves are great chopped in salad and the beautiful orange and yellow flowers are edible as well. They have high levels of Vitamin C, manganese, iron, flavinoids and beta carotene. Studies have shown they have antibiotic properties!

Collage

This flower was created with colors and textures from the pages of a magazine.

Blue Daisies-acrylic paint

I loved painting with gold and blue on the black paper.

Valentine's Day cheer-colored pencil

Carpenter Bee on Meyers Lemon Flower-Colored pencil

I just love when our citrus trees bloom! The smell is heavenly and the insects find lots of pollen!

Lotus-collage

For this lotus flower, I cut old watercolor paintings to create the collage.

Yellow or Carolina Jessimine colored pencil

A fragrant harbinger of spring, this flower scent reminds me of baby powder! Recently we found it is toxic to honey bees!

Wild Blueberry Blooms-colored pencil

A huge bush grows right on the lake's edge!

Shrimp Plant-Justica brandegeeana

Hummingbirds love this plant!

I hope you have enjoyed the flowers! That's about half of my entries to the challenge-I'll post more later!

2020 Art Classes

2020-01-05T11:26:00.002-05:00

Enriching Your World with Art

Hello! and Welcome to the New Year!

New classes!
Enriching Your World with Art
January and February of 2020!

Instructor: Jane Gravois
Please contact me to register or for questions: flcreate@yahoo.com

Schedule:
Mondays: January and February 2020
9:30am-10:40am or 10:50am-12pm
Location: ART ALLEY 717 NW 1st Street
Gainesville, FL 32601
FEES: Include materials, sketchbook and lesson
Per Class Rate: $20/child (Add $5 class for each sibling ex: 2 kids = $25)
Monthly Rate: $15/class ($5 class more for each sibling) paid at the first of each month
NOTE: NO credit for missed class in monthly rate

CLASS DESCRIPTIONS:
Jan 6th-Cloudscape in Black and White Tempera-Create Value Chart and Painting

Jan 13th -Sunrise or Sunset Painting-Mixing Tints and Landscape Composition -Tempera

Jan. 20th- Poseable Spider Sculpture in the style of Louise Bourgeois -wire + tissue paper

Jan 27th-Shading Forms-Value Chart and Drawing-Pencil

Feb. 3rd- Still Life Drawing- Colored Pencil

Feb. 10th and Feb. 17th -*2-Part Class*
Distorted Self-Portraits on a Bouncy Ball!
Acrylic Paint

Feb. 24th-Enlarging a cartoon with the Grid Method

Jellyfish Watercolor Paintings

2019-10-13T21:10:00.001-04:00

Jane

My homeschool art class used jellyfish as a theme for drawing and painting recently. Jellyfish are beautiful, transparent and colorful creatures!

Ava

We watched their pulsating, graceful movements in the sea in this video:

jellyfish-dreams

Elliott

Students carefully studied the anatomy of jellyfish noting the shapes of the bell, the number and length of the tentacles and arms, and the varied colors.

Sabrina

They composed an underwater scene with one or more jellyfish, first drawing the body outline and some details with crayon and then using watercolor to paint in color.

Tyler

Mia

Allie

Jude

I think the paintings are beautiful and capture the varied shapes and movements of the jellyfish!

These are some sites we looked at:

Box-jellyfish

Comb-jellies

moon-jellyfishes

Map Collage

2019-09-06T12:46:00.000-04:00

I love maps and can't help including them into art projects. My homeschool art class will be decorating the cover of their sketchbook with a collage of map pieces next wee, so I tried out a variety of ideas beforehand.

Looking through old maps, its fun to choose favorite colors and then cut them up and glue in a patchwork fashion of similar colors...

or focus on shapes and repeat a shape using variation of lighter and darker tones for emphasis....

or busy and not so busy text!

or vary the size of the shape and even overlap if need be...

Viewing the text is fun and oceans and waterways provide lots of blue to set off all this pinkish color!

Of course there are just those interesting pieces to cut and then try to assemble together like a puzzle....

and finally I was inspired to create this 'still life' of my desk after seeing the work of Zsofia Schweger

I'll post my classes' collages next week!

Homeschool Art Class

2019-08-18T13:53:00.003-04:00

Enriching Your World with Art

Discover and create with the visual language of art! Explore different art media while developing your own expressions in visual form. Learn how artists get their ideas and make them meaningful. Gain an appreciation and understanding of art forms, art history and the connection of art to daily life. In this multi-age class, all students learn together, work at their own pace and share ideas. Individual ideas and expressions are welcomed and encouraged.

For registration and more information:

Enriching Your World with Art Sept. -Dec. 2019

CLASS DATES/DESCRIPTIONS

Sept 9^th- Repurposed Maps- Cartographic Imagery in Collage Art- Collage the cover of your sketchbook! Use your imagination and interests to adapt, create, and manipulate repurposed maps into unusual artistic expressions. Explore shape, color, line and composition. Mixed Media

Sept 16^th - The Wonder of Insects Part 1- View the insect art of Lucy Arnold and use the techniques of Eric Carle to create a Painted Paper Collage. Create your own painted paper for collage next week. Color, line, texture and pattern* Paint

Sept 23^rd - The Wonder of Insects Part 2-Create a collage of an insect using selected pieces of your painted paper on a painted background. Shape and composition. Mixed media.

Sept 30^th- -Jellyfish Watercolor Resist Painting-Explore different types of jellyfish, sketch and paint!

Oct 7^th- Drawing Facial Features and Expressions -Sketching! Look carefully, notice details and proportions. Practice eyes, noses, mouths, and expressions! Pencil and pen

Oct 14^th- Expressionist Portraits-Tempera-Explore Expressionists Edward Munch and Emil Nolde and their use of color. Paint a portrait with an emotion in mind using bright, bold colors.

Complimentary Colors, contrast and Emphasis

Oct 21^st- Camouflage Critters- Albert Thayer ‘Father of Camouflage’ Explore pattern and color as used in nature. Draw and camouflage an animal in its environment. Construction paper crayons or colored pencil

Oct 28^th Open for completion of above lesson or continued animal drawing study

Nov 4^th–Radial Design Printmaking- Collagraphs Part 1: Cardboard shapes are cut, arranged, and glued on a surface to create a printing plate Inspiration: rose windows and snowflakes

Nov 11^th-Radial Design Printmaking Collagraphs Part 2: Collagraph Plates are printed 4 times to create a radial design

Nov 18^th-Seasonal Still Life with Chalk Pastel Part 1: Making marks/Line into shape into form. Arrange items and draw an interesting Composition

Nov 25^th-Seasonal Still Life Part 2: Continue with Shadows, Highlights and Blending

Dec 2^nd- Trees in the Winter Landscape-Crayon and Watercolor: view closely the structure of trees. Create thumbnail sketches focusing on shape and scale, structure and character

Dec 9^th-Trees in the Winter Landscape Part 2: Create a Landscape with the focus on trees. Perspective, emphasis, monochromatic color, composition. Crayon/watercolor

Dec 16^th- Geometric Stained-Glass Painting-Experiment with color and shape combinations. Acrylic paint/black marker

#100daysofnolajazzfest Part 2

2019-07-06T21:01:00.001-04:00

Tal Mahal- Colored Pencil, Day 79/100, June 2019

I've just finished Day 94/100 of the #100dayproject! 6 more days to go! Drawing people is not my most comfortable subject to draw, but the daily practice has helped me notice more details of the face, the hands and body proportions.

Mdou Moctar, Jane (Me), Keith Franks and Son and Ellis Marsalis- Days 74, 75 ,76 and 72/100

Colored Pencil, 6/16/2019

Dora and the Zydeco Bad Boyz- Day 86/100, Watercolor, June 2019

I worked with colored pencils, pen and watercolor pencils.

The Subdudes-Day 93/100, Pen, July 2019

Quamon Fowler, Colored Pencil, Day 87/100, June 2019

This drawing was inspired by a photo I took at Jazz Fest, but I didn't know this musician's name, only that he played with the band led by Roland Guerin. When I posted on Instagram, I guessed he was Khris Royal, another saxophonist's name who had also played with Roland, but with a question of does anyone know who this is? Khris replied it was Quamon, setting the record straight!

C.J.Chenier, Yvette Landry, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas, Kirk Joseph of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band- Colored pencil, Days 48, 51, 54, 55/100, May 2019

Allen Toussaint- Colored Pencil, Day 83/100, June 2019

Lucky Peterson- Colored Pencil, Day 78, June 2019

Mike and Matt Mullins- Pen, Day 88/100, June 2019

Marcia Ball- Pen, Day 12/100, April 2019

Ben Perrine- Pen, Day 89/100, June 2019

I like the results of the drawings with color the best as they stand out better, but I had fun with line and texture in the simpler black and white pen drawings.

Basket Weaver John Paul Darden- Pencil, Day 52/100, May 2019
Louisiana Folklife

Studio Inferno-Colored Pencil, Day 73/100, June 2019

File (Sassafras) Grinder, Lionel Key Jr.- Colored Pencil, Day 84/100, June 2019

This has been an interesting project. I used old photos we took over the years at New Orleans Jazz Fest for inspiration and it was fun reminiscing about the performances and the musicians. I also learned more about the musicians and artists by researching their web sites, images and videos.

It felt great to create these past months and to share my art online.

Even more, it has reminded me of how much we enjoy the Jazz Festival each year!

Check out the rest of my New Orleans Jazz Fest drawings @ #100daysofnolajazzfest

Check out my other art @ #flcreate

Check out other 100 Day projects @ #100Dayproject #The100dayproject

Check out more of New Orleans Jazz Fest @ #Jazzfest50

Thanks for visiting! I hope you enjoyed the art!

#100daysofNOLAJazzFest

2019-05-08T12:47:00.000-04:00

Accordion Players

It's been so long since I've posted!

Currently I am participating in the #100dayproject. This is my 5th time and its a great way to be motivated to be creative, do your art and share it! This year I am drawing/painting folks and memories from the 22 years we have attended The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival! Check it out on Instagram!

#100daysofnolajazzfest

Each year we enjoy new and familiar musicians, wonderful food, fine arts, crafts and culture from around the world!

Three dancers with a band that appeared on the Jazz and Heritage stage

This year Jazz Fest celebrated the 50th year!

Jazz fest has 12 stages in the fairgrounds, most large open air- but 5 inside large tents, and one in a pavillion. These include, Jazz, Blues, Jazz and Heritage, Congo Square, Gospel, Kids tent, Economy Hall ('Old time' Jazz), Fais Do Do (Zydeco and Cajun), Cultural Exchange (many countries) and Laginappe (something a little special -upcoming and local groups). There is more going on inside the grandstands of the fairgrounds -heritage photo and art exhibits, cooking, musician interviews, cultural exhbits... The fest runs form 11-7 each day and many local vendors serve up thousands of New Orleans style food and drink each day.

I'm on day 36/100 today and these are a few of what I've shared so far.

Dr John, aka Malcolm John Rebennack

3 horn players from Trumpet Mafia

The late Walter Payton Jr. 1942-2010

He palyed in the Preservation hall Band and we saw him in the blues tent. He was a music educator as well as bassist.

One of our favorites-Trombone Shorty-Troy Andrews

I'll share more at a later date- chick out my Instagram at #flcreate

Thanks!

Nectarine Flowers-Digital Paintings

2019-02-07T07:27:00.000-05:00

I love to play with my garden photos, changing colors and textures...

These are nectarine flowers.

Matchstick Plant Gamos Bromeliad

2019-01-22T22:38:00.001-05:00

Matchstick Plant- Gamos Bromeliad

Aechmea gamosepala

and some digital versions...

Looking Back, Moving Forward, Being in the Present

2018-12-31T22:26:00.001-05:00

At the end of every year I like to look back over the year and see what I have accomplished, what surprises there were, how I spent my time, where I went, who I was with, how I have grown spiritually, the things I need to continue to work on, etc. these are some of my musings...

Being in nature was important and necessary, it recharges my being. To be able to walk outside, whether through the woods or a city sidewalk, I need to feel the sun, the wind, the shade, notice the birds, butterflies and precious bees...

I love to study plants, the way they grow, flower and seed and how they pop up in the most unlikely places!

I made a point to try and see the sunrise, sunset or moonrise as much as possible

Simone
Art plays a large role in my life...
I continue to teach art to homeschool students...

Jonathan

Bun

Martin Johnson Heade- Hummingbirds and Passionflowers, 1875

I visited museums and galleries to view the art of others for the experience of wonder, appreciation and inspiration...(Art Basel in Miami was a new venue for us this year!)

...and I created my own work.

This drawing of Alma Thomas was inspired by the portraits of William H. Johnson

My intentions are to put much more time into my own art this coming year...collage, drawing, watercolor, acrylic painting...

Cumberland Harbour

In 2018, I completed 50 days of #100daysofancestryandart and want to finish the next 50 days in 2019. I'll continue my research into my family's ancestry and use art to portray the people and places I discover.

My paternal Grandmother "Memi"

I spent a good deal of summer clearing paperwork in my office and art supplies in my shed that do not hold excitement anymore. This will be continued in 2019! It's hard but feels good once done!

I was blessed to travel to the islands with my sister, to New York City to visit our daughter,

to beautiful North Carolina,

to the New Orleans Jazz Fest, and several times to the beach and the local springs...

I also traveled back and forth to Miami many times at the end of the year to suppport my brother who is sick and to check on my elderly mother. He's made it to the end of the year and I wish him stability in the new year.

I did not meditate as much as I needed to, I know it would help to center me and enable me to handle stress better. I'll make my intentions to take some quiet time each day.

I am thankful for the opportunity to visit my chiropractor and accupuncturist who help me with my migraines. May I be aware of my actions and have the discipline to take care of my self!

I walked alot this year, gardened, swam, biked, kayaked...may I continue to be active!

I was blessed to spend time with my children and grandchildren!

Happy New Year to all and many blessings to you!

View with Cypress on Orange Lake- 2018

2018-12-29T15:59:00.000-05:00

April 16th-spring green and lush!

We are blessed to live on a beautiful, wild Orange Lake, with an amazing view that changes each moment with the light of the day. This post chronicles our view this past year (2018) through an opening in the woods out towards the lake. I've shared quite a few of these photos this year on Facebook and Instagram, but thought it would be interesting to see them together.

About 14 years ago, my husband planted 5 "super" cypress trees in a row directly out from this opening and we have enjoyed watching them grow.

January 11th-Bare branches on the cypress trees. We received 5" rain this month.

Each of these photos reflects a different season, time of day and water level of the lake.

February 3rd-Soft colored sunset skies

There has only been a few times in the last 38 years when the lake's water level has come up, flooding fully past the treeline on the shore. Most years it remains below the treeline. We have also seen extreme years where the water level has receded out a 1/4 of a mile to create a dry prairie/marsh you can walk on. Red maple grows up when it is dry and then dies off when it becomes flooded again.

February 18th-no leaves yet, but the grasses and Lachnanthes caroliniana or Red Root are coming back. Wild boar love this plant and tear up large areas to get to the root.

February 18th -This is looking a bit more to the right-February brought in 2.5" rain

March 1st -Sunset

March 25th-you can see the green leaves coming out on the cypress

We received 3" rain this month.

April 5th-fresh new leaves!

April 9th

April 14th-Lots of green growth in April and our area received almost 7" rain for the month

April 16th-April had almost 7" of rain

May 9th-Coming back in the run towards shore. We share a 'run' or cleared pathway to the open water of the lake with our neighbors. The cypress I've mentioned earlier are on the upper far right of photo.

In May we received 8" of rain and were able to get the boat out the run. Not only do we need adequate water levels for the motorboat to get out, the vegetation can't be clogging the path. Airboats and boats with Go-Devil engines move easily through the vegetation.

May 31st-My grandaughter with a waterlily.

June 7th -We lost a huge oak tree after Hurricane Matthew in Sept of 2017 and this is the view from our yard looking towards the lake. Beyond the tall magnolia tree and the fallen oak is the lake view featured in this post. In September of 2016 I wrote a post about this grand oak tree and its role as a landmark on the lake. Little did I know we would lose it a year later. 3" of rain in June

July 8th -View out on the boat run looking directly across at the row of cypress trees. They are so full and lush at this time of year!

July 21st View of the cypress (left in photo) while standing on shore at the boat run.

July had 6.5" of rain

August 12th-The grass has grown in really thick and we received 6.25" of rain

Sept 7th We received only 4" of rain for all of September

October 7th- I am standing on fallen oak tree to get this view

October 7th you can see all the aquatic plants have grown thick.

October 17th-my husband cleared out some of the plants

October 27th-View standing on fallen oak tree -
We received less than an inch of rain the whole of October!

October 27th-closer view of cypress trees

November 1st

November 25th-you can see the red in the cypress needle-like leaves

Novemebr had 2.6" of rain

December 1st

December 1st-To see the perspective, my husband taking a photo in this one

December 10th-cypress are beginning to lose their leaves

December 16th

December 23rd

December 24th-most of leaves have dropped.

December 29th-We've received 12.5 inches of rain this month!

I hope you have enjoyed the view!

Figure Drawings Inspired by William H. Johnson

2018-11-30T21:58:00.001-05:00

Marian Anderson, 1945 -William H. Johnson

Renowned opera singer who was barred from appearing at Constiution Hall in 1939 because of her race, and who performed on the steps to the Lincoln Memorial in front of 70,000 people! ...She sang for a Nation

I wanted my students to get some practice figure drawing, so we spent a class drawing and posing for each other, posing mannikins, drawing stickfigures, looking at the human proportions, and tracing over photos of figures.

The next week the students and I viewed and discussed the paintings of artist William H. Johnson and his paintings of the 1940's, when he painted very colorful and simplified figures.

Toussaint l'Ouverture, Haiti 1945 William H. Johnson

William H. Johnson was an African American artist born in South Carolina in 1901. He studied at the National Academy of Design in New York before being heading to Paris in 1926 to further his studies. He developed his painting styles while traveling through Europe and North Africa. He and his wife lived in Denmark for awhile before returning to New York City in 1938, right before WWII. It was hard to make a living at this time and he taught art at a local community center and began to paint in a "Primitive" style, using vibrant colors and flat simple shapes in his figures and objects. He wanted to paint his "own people", expressing the rhythmic and spiritual feelings and the traditions passed on from his family. He often exaggerated the features of his figures, their heads, hands and feet-taking from African sculpture. He repeated lines and curves and shapes creating rhythm and movement.

Dr. George Washington Carver, 1945 -William H. Johnson

Many of his paintings are of family and friends and some are historical portraits of well-known African American scientists, musicians, explorers and others who fought for freedom. He included objects in the background along with the figures to help tell the story of their lives.

Commodore Peary and Henson at the North Pole, 1945, William H. Johnson

Rami

In this project, my students were to choose a person to draw in full figure, who was important to them or who had influenced them in some way.

Sandor

Soren

They were to consider how to pose them, what they would wear and decide what objects to include in the composition that would help describe their story or character.

Simone

I thought everyone did a great job choosing a person they related to and focusing on the drawing method that worked best to create their figure.

Mia

This is a multi-age class and each student's interests and life experience is varied, so I enjoyed seeing the choices the students made, how they portrayed their figures and the symbols or objects they drew to help describe the person.

Ava

Amber

Everyone stayed focused and open to advice and tips as they worked.

Alex

Trinity

Avery

Bun

Allie

I believe that each student was satisfied with their efforts and results!

Tyler

Alma Thomas-2018, Jane Gravois

I chose Alma Thomas, African American Abstract painter and educator. She was the first person to graduate from Howard University's Fine Arts program (1924).

Expressionist Landscape Paintings inspired by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

2018-10-25T21:47:00.001-04:00

Forest Interior, 1937 Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

My young homeschool art class studied the art of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner who was a German artist born in the late 18th century (1880-1938). I chose to share this artist because of the colorful expressionist landscapes he painted while living in Switzerland.
He studied architecture and pictorial art, and became a fine engraver of woodcuts as well as an expressionist painter. He was influenced by the likes of of Van Gogh, Klimt and Munch and the Fauves, all who worked brilliantly with color in bold, expressive ways. He experienced and was influenced by Japanese prints, African, and Oceanic art, which helped reinforce his use of simple forms and bright colors. He showed his work in Germany, New York and Detroit. He trained as a soldier in World War I but was discharged because of a nervous and physical breakdown. He recovered in a rural area of Switzerland, painting the majestic scenery of the Alps and countryside.

Sertigweg, Kirchner 1924-1926

We actually compared his work to that of Canadian artist Tatjana Mirkov-Popovicki, an artist who paints the beautiful landscapes of British Columbia where she lives. She portrays some of the same bright, brilliant colors and simplistic shapes that Kirchner used.

Trail to Oesa, Tatjana Mirkov-Popovicki, 2015

Check out her website to see her beautiful work that expresses her love and appreciation of nature!

Sandor

In the first class, the students practiced mixing tempera paint to create swatches of colors using the primary colors plus the neutrals of white, black and grey resulting in tints, shades and tones. They also mixed together each primary's opposite or complimentary color.

Hannah

This was a good way to play and experience the variety of colors that could be mixed. Later, we discussed how the varied colors could be used in a painting to create a highlight, a shadow or a simple shape.

Zinnia

My students are aged 5-15 and I think they created some wonderful colors and bold expressionist compositions!

Ava

Jonathan

Nova

Mia

Waterlillies

2018-10-01T07:46:00.000-04:00

Such beautiful waterlillies blooming in the pond by the hospital!

My brother who is sick was recharged each time he saw them!

They present an uplifting reminder to pause and consider the Light within us all.

Flowers and Their Pollinators

2018-08-21T21:57:00.003-04:00

It's so interesting to watch the bees and butterflies getting their nectar...

I had fun adjusting each photo for interesting colors and patterns...

Golden light surrounds this beauty!

Love the bright sunny look of this one!

#THE100DAYPROJECT #100daysofancestryandart

2018-06-30T15:30:00.002-04:00

Day 38 Ancestor Frances Gibbs was a postmaster in Redbud, GA in 1853.

This continues from my first post about creating drawings for #THE100DAYPROJECT. My drawings are about my ancestors and are on my Instagram account under #100daysofancestryandart.

For the last month, I've been on a roll finding information relating to my father's surname. We never knew or were told much about his father's side of the family. I ended up stuck at Joseph Branam b.1762. From him it went to three possible lines, two that went back to England and each had a James W. Branam same birthdate, but two different fathers each in a different line. I could not straighten that out! The other possibility was an ancestor directly from Wales, but I could not find resources to back it up.

Day 32 John Wiley Branam b.1862

My father's surname is Branam and part of the discrepancy is it is spelled many ways throughout the years: Branan, Brannon, Branham, and more! There is a DNA site to help determine the lineage that adds new information as DNA is submitted, but it doesn't really solve my questions. I am using Ancestry.com and gleaned a lot of info from there, but some of the it is shared by other families with a common ancestor to me and it is not always backed up by reliable sources. Needless to say, I am learning alot and have spent many hours searching online and scribbling down names and lineages.

Meanwhile, being so interested in the search, the art part of my project had stopped. Now I'm back to drawing again. I finally decided to stop where I am in this particular search and return to it later.
I had a new idea too, in addition to adding in drawings of the ancestor's occupation, I could draw plants that would be located in the area and possibly used by a pioneer family. I like to study and draw plants anyway and I research what might grow in their area.

Day 40 Ancestors Francis and Nancy Gibbs, ~1734-1818 of Virginia, may have used Witch Hazel. Its twigs are commonly used by dowsers as a divining rod to find water sources and an extract can be made from the bark and used for sore muscles.

Day 37 Ancestors James and Margaret Gibbs mid-1850's Georgia, may have used the lemon scented leaves twigs and fruits of Spicebush, to make an spicey tea.

Day 39 This was another Gibbs ancestor from Georgia, who lived in the late 1700's...I don't really know what kind of doctor he was!

Day 41 Ancestor Zacharias Gibbs was an "overseer of the roads" in Virginia in the mid-1700's, essentially a road surveyor and was assigned from his parish to be responsible to see that the road work was completed. If not, he and everyone involved was fined.

While we were traveling this month, I visited a few cemeteries where two of my ancestors were supposed to be. One was in the Greenbriar region of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park outside of Gatlinberg Tennessee. Many old homes, churches and cemeteries are now part of the park. We walked a short hike in to Plemmons Cemetery which was located off the road that led to the Ramsey Cascades trail. Several creeks converged in this area and it was a beautiful place to visit!

There were many local family names on the graves. The cemetery name came from Pastor Plemmons of the church that used to be there. The written history about my ancestor Phillip Goodbread who died in 1811, had him buried in the Plemmons cemetery in Buncombe County, N.C., but this is the only Plemmons cemetery that comes up. The only other clue is that he had a daughter that married a Plemmons and it was thought he possibly lived with her before he died.

Sadly, a lot of the names on the gravestones were worn away, so I could not determine if that ancestor really was buried there.

Jones Chapel Cemetery, Established in 1850.

The other cemetery was right outside of Macon, Georgia in a very neglected part of town, where most of the buildings in the area are abandoned. My Great-great grandfather Branam who died in 1892 is buried here.

The cemetery was very overgrown, neglected and full of trash. Even though I am used to walking in woods and not afraid to explore- there were no clear paths as the plants were too thick and the trash seemed very unsanitary-not just food trash.

I'm curious to find out who actually owns this as it was taken off the Bibb County tax rolls.

Next focus on the project is to finish drawings for the Gibbs family line and then research a few more surnames on my father's side of the family.

#100daysofancestryandart

2018-05-16T16:32:00.001-04:00

Hello! It's been awhile!
I wanted to share some art I've been doing for #The100DayProject, a fun challenge of creating something each day for 100days and sharing it on Instagram. You decide what to create and begin! #The100DayProject is facillitated by Ella Luna and Lindsay Jean Thomson and began this year on April 3, 2018. In previous years for #The100dayproject, I created:
#100daysofcoloredpencil, #100daysofcollageandinspiration and #100daysofsymbolsinart

Maggie Belle and John Samuel My paternal grandmother's parents

This year I'm attempting #100daysofancestryandart, researching my ancestry and creating art about what I learn. I thought it would get me to study the info I have been left by relatives as well as inspire me to do more research. I hoped it might help me gain insight into my ancestors and find any qualities or interests that we may share!

My maternal grandmother, "Memi"

I'm sharing #100daysofancestryandart on my Instagram account and #The100dayproject

I have found that I am doing a lot more research then art. I also found it is tricky to draw/paint something about people you don't know anything about besides when they were born or died. I had to be creative. I began to look up the states and counties they were from, the geological features nearby-such as rivers or farmland, what war was going on or where the battles were being fought.

Cumberland Harbour-April 2018-acrylic

I found out that members of my family lived on Cumberland Island, Georgia in 1786 after the Revolutionary War and 8 of their children were born there.

John K.Fitchett

My father's cousin gave him information that told how my great-great grandfather was among the first settlers of Alachua Co. FL and one of the first county surveyors in Levy Co. Florida in 1845.

"Cutler 1917" This is from a photo of my paternal grandfather in 1917 Miami.

I've tried to follow ancestry lines out as far as I can with the help of Ancestry.com and the Internet. I've spent alot of time trying to put together correct information. Those who research ancestry with tiny micro files at institutions and family Bibles and talked with relatives were really dedicated!

This is for a relative that was a farmer in Georgia

This is the Goodbread family line that comes from Germany-the family legend goes that one of the Gutbrodts was a baker for the King of Bavaria!

This design represented the father, mother and 9 children.

I got behind after coming to a roadblock on one family line (when I kept trying to reserach more) and need to catch up. I'll post as I add more!

Be sure and check out my other Instagram posts on flcreate

Koru

2018-01-22T20:58:00.000-05:00

Koru, the Maori word for “loop” also refers to the spiral shape seen on the new shoots of the silver fern. The koru spiral design resembles the circular movement of an inner coil symbolizing a return to the beginning’. "The unfurling frond itself is symbolic for new life, new beginnings, hope, perfection, rebirth, a new start, awakening, personal growth, purity, nurturing, a new phase (in life), the spirit of rejuvenation, and peace."

We had the opportunity to visit Australia and New Zealand last September and I photographed some ferns in varying stages of unfolding.

I had fun altering them with Photoshop!

Original

Map Collage

2017-12-14T13:27:00.000-05:00

Subterranean maps from Boston Public Library’s Leventhal Map Center

Do you love maps as much as I do? What a great way to find out information about a place, how to get to there, and even what to do once you're there! Maps have taken explorers across the world, into space, and under the sea. Rivers, landforms, oceans and cities are visualized on a map. Maps can be historical, decorative, scientific, physical or political. They are full of information presented in a concise, composed, visual form that is designed to aid in understanding as well for the pleasure of viewing. Graphics and illustrations, often with detailed names, grids, scale, symbols, etc. add to their meaning and make them visually interesting to ponder over.

Forests of Southern Florida -one of a series of unique maps of forests of the US created by EarthArtAustralia

Maps are like an artwork in that they are composed of color, shapes, lines, texture and space and are arranged to tell a story. It is these map elements or parts that I asked my elementary age art students to focus on in our recent project. They were to choose any map features as inspiration and material to create an artwork that included collage and drawing. Favorite or interesting bits and pieces of maps could be cut or torn, arranged and glued onto stiff paper in a manner that expressed meaning to them. Other bits of magazines, colored paper, markers or colored pencil were used for details and to complete their idea or design.

Map of the solar eclipse of 1748

I have a collection of old and new maps from around our state of Florida, from around the USA, atlases of the world, maps from National Geographic magazine, state park maps, etc. The students used these to cut and add as part of their designs.

It was interesting to see what they came up with!

Ava

Bekah

Hailey

Trinity

Cole

Evangeline

Other posts about maps from my blog:
Cartography-Map elements study-colored pencil and marker on vellum paper

Repurposing Maps maps used in Mixed-media art and also craft projects

For more map fun, check out these great map sites!

All Over the Map-A map blog written by two scientific journalists about all kinds of interesting maps

International CartographicAssociation –Map themes, history, resources-

Ex: Submarine Cable Map

What are your favorite maps to view?