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Carmen Beecher
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| Golden Ginko Leaves |
I've been experimenting with gold leaf and I love the shape of Ginko leaves, so it was a good time to make golden leaves for our challenge. This is metallic gold leaf on black canvas, 12x12 inches.
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Kathy Garvey
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This has been a crazy month. I have been away for most of it and now I am lucky enough to have my grandson James with me. I have not gotten my paints out yet or my easel set up but wanted to get started on this months challenge. James helped me using watercolor pencils and watercolors. He picked most of the colors and was a great help in the critique department. So here is an attempt by a happily tired lady with some help from an energetic young man to rise to this months challenge. This is what leaves would look like in our world. p.s. we did a lot before the lure of the video games became too much.
Kathy Garvey
Leaves are one of my favorite subjects. For this month's challenge, I went through my sketchbook and decided to paint some Blood-root leaves found on one of my walks in the mountains of Kentucky. Started playing with the idea and composition around ten in the morning and worked on it while my new kitchen was being installed.
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| Sketch, composition, watercolor start. |
Lots of banging and clunking going on in the kitchen. I couldn't do anything else, so I stuck with it until 5 pm. The finished 9x12 watercolor is below. (The banging and clunking is still going on!)
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| Blood-root Leaves 9x12 Watercolor on 140 lb Cold Press Arches Paper |
And then, my kitchen still not done two weeks later, I looked for something to paint on this circular heavily textured watercolor paper traded with another artist in Kentucky. I found a leaf from my friend's yard that looked like it would work. (And while it looks like Marijuana, it's a Coral Tree leaf.) The paper is unusual to watercolor on. The water seems to sit on top as you work, but then sinks in and almost disappears into the paper. Below is the progress.
And here is the final - after four to seven layers of paint in most areas. (Click on an image to enlarge.)
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| Coral Leaf Watercolor on 12" Round Textured Paper |
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Cindy Michaud
Cindy Michaud
Eco-printing is a way to use leaves to make a direct print on fabric or paper. Naturally this phenomenon (just google it) grabbed my attention and I was all in! To make the magic happen one must first “mordant” the paper or fabric which means dipping or soaking it in a solution which prepares the material to receive (permanently) the color being transferred. I have experimented with both fabric and paper. In short, one layers the leaves in stacks, applies pressure to hold a stack tightly and steams the bundle for several hours. Let cool and unwrap to reveal the print.
Here are some of my papers right out of the pot! It’s always fascinating to see what works and sadly, what doesn’t. (Notice my leaf mug? Another way to use them best left to potters!)
Here are some “rejects” on fabric getting a new life as a wall hanging to be.
Here is a sample of a perfect print! I make these into a variety of cards with hand sewn paper inserts to write on. Coupled with an envelope they are sold almost as fast as I can produce them.
I’m collecting leaves now of some of my tried and true varieties. As fall comes and the leaves disappear I will be happily steaming up prints and crafting new ways to use them.
Cindy Michaud
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This has been a crazy month. I have been away for most of it and now I am lucky enough to have my grandson James with me. I have not gotten my paints out yet or my easel set up but wanted to get started on this months challenge. James helped me using watercolor pencils and watercolors. He picked most of the colors and was a great help in the critique department. So here is an attempt by a happily tired lady with some help from an energetic young man to rise to this months challenge. This is what leaves would look like in our world. p.s. we did a lot before the lure of the video games became too much.
making progress
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| James has a good color sense |
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| Leaves Donna Vines *********** That I am a pack rat is a well established fact. Therefore, this tear-out from a 1997 copy of Country Living should be no surprise to anyone who knows me. Yes, I have been waiting that long to do something with the info in it. We are awaiting Hurricane Dorian, so it is a pleasure to escape into the memories of crisp and colorful falls.  Dogwood is my favorite tree. The dogwood is one of the first to change colors and is such a deep velvet red that I remember it still as vividly as one recalls those most special moments in life. Maples have the most brilliant of foliage, at least in Virginia. And they are also early to turn many different shades of gold and orange and cadmium red. The good ole oak is just plain dependable and strong.   Below I have tried to do water colors of the maple and the oak. I promised myself I would do it at one of our weekly gatherings and not go back to it. Well, the outcome is not what I envisioned. I probably should have started over and tried to get more variety and contrast. Next time.   Fay Picardi |
