We both needed a day to goof off - and amazingly both of us were free on Monday to do so. Yes, there is ALWAYS work to be done, but we needed a refresher course on Play.
As we joined everybody who owns a stroller in the metro area we recalled our years with our own young tykes. However, we were glad this day to be on our own! Time to enter the House! Right away there were were more butterflies and moths and flowers and sensory overload then we could slmost manage. Dee and I started photographing the winged creatures immediately. So many to choose from - look here! Look there! And here's another! Click click.
As Dee is a professional photographer and seriously interested in "her" butterflies I knew that I could go my way and we would both be in our Happy Place. I photographed with both old iPhone and older Olympus digital camera. So many patterns. So many color combinations -
Here and there would rest a large moth. I have a thing about moths. It is not a good thing.... It is one of those senseless panicky things. But biology is always interesting. And my skin wasn't crawling. I was ahead of Dee in the house. A moth was resting on a small tree within sitting distance of a raised bed. I had art supplies...
So... it was time to stop snapping and start sketching -
Here is our subject:
Because I did know know how much time I would have with this beauty I decided to concentrate on right half. Out came the little plastic bag holding a small amount of many art supplies. I started with a simplr pen drawing - noting body segments as best I could. At no time did unreasonable fear arise in brain. Just a moth and an artist having a moment. After body was blocked in out came that little metal tea bag container now filled with goauche and watercolor pencil sections. Yay for the watercolor brush's hollow barrel having been recently filled with water. On to adding correct color to paper moth - or as closely as I could.
A few people watched as I sketched. Some gave compliments. Of course I said, "You can do this, too." One kind young woman took this shot - (as you can see - sketch is not quite life-sized - this was a LARGE - to me - moth). And it kept putting up with all of us. Thank you, Mr. Moth.
Why do I know this moth is a "mister"? A staff member came over and said this is a male Atlas moth. His abdomen is smaller than the female's, but his antenae are longer. These notes were scribbled into sketchbook. I did not have time to see about finding a female. Once upon a time I was going to be a Biologist.
Gouache was great for laying in color. I tried to correct wing shape - never getting it completely to my liking. But it sure was great practice working with this very patient model!
After a time my phone signaled a text message. It was Dee. She was waiting outside! I typed that I was almost done. A few more areas of color put down, and a "Goodbye," to both moth and nearby resting butterfly.
It was time to go hunt polar bears! And have even more odd adventures. And keep on with our play day. Yay!
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Fare-thee-well,
Sue Rowe
www.suerowe.com
Facebook Page: Sue-Rowe-Studios
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