#stillwintercraft

Worth the Wait in blue

My garden is filled with deadly beauty. Turns out the innocent-appearing Sweet Wild Pea is poisonous! Thank goodness I gave it a googs first. . Garden-themed artwork was calling, and I hope you enjoy this Gzhel-style illustration wtih a twist. ^^; . https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/79538224. . On the other side of the spectrum, I'm cultivating a Broad Leaf Plantain. Russian grandmas would teach that the 'Podorozhnik' leaves have antiseptic properties and we'd apply them to bruises and scrapes..This too is supported by fact, I'm pleased to find.

Sorrow Inky blue Russian folk art skull

Ornate skull, reminiscent of Gzhel floral motifs. Don't mourn the past nor the future; ground yourself in the present.

#stealthgothaf

Dare to Bloom

Take courage and dare to bloom! Weather the stings and push forward, always. 

Cornflowers forcing their way out, into the light through stinging nettles.

For the curious; here's an inside look at how I built the 'Stay Weird' artwork. . - Rough thumbnail sketch of what had popped into my mind's eye; the shattered crystal rainbow, weaving magic... and slime mold. - Refined digital sketch; adjusting the placement of various elements, sizing and pose. I'd re-sketched the front paw to a more dynamic angle. - Using a blue lead pencil (borrowed technique from comic art) and a lightbox, I refined the printout onto watercolour paper and inked with a fine pen. - The ugly painting phase, depression, acceptance of one's flaws and conceding to 'fix it later'. - Fixing it later; digital clean up, shameless use of the clone brush. My opportunity to plan and improve traditional technique for the future. .