Sunday, August 1, 2010
A Florida Walk
I took a walk this morning, down our neighborhood bicycle path and sidewalk. It’s probably not that much different from your neighborhood – filled with trees, plants, birds, and butterflies of one sort or another. It always amazes me the amount of life that abounds in even small areas.
When I got home from my walk I did a memory sketch – a composite of those things that I most vividly remembered, but believe me there was so much more left out! For example, I didn’t see any birds, but they were singing and calling and fussing all around me: crows in the pines, blue jays in someone’s backyard, mockingbirds in the cabbage palms, and somewhere… the “chip, chip” of a cardinal.
My drawing is a bit off in some areas, but free-sketching like this helps strengthen my observation and drawing skills. My snake is pretty symbolic, and the Virginia Creeper leaf is really not shaped like that. By the time I added that, all I could remember was “five lobes.”
Anyway, I hope you enjoy a vicarious outing in Southwest Florida. At least with a virtual walk there is no heat and humidity!
You can click on the image above to view it larger on my Flickr photostream.
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Such a fun post and I especially like the NO heat or humidity!!
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of a page that could be given to children to draw or color in so that they learn about the area around them.
Thanks, Laure! It was *very* humid too. :)
ReplyDeleteI like your idea for a coloring page! I did some illustrations for a Florida coloring book for Butler Lakes, but they were species/habitat related. I like the idea of looking around one's neighborhood for tidbits of nature. Every neighborhood used to be a habitat; usually we can find clues to how it looked in the wild once.
This is really wonderful, Elizabeth! I'm taking a virtual walk with no heat and humidity, thanks to you. You have a good memory! My mind wanders a good deal when I'm walking, and I would have to really take myself in hand to be able to remember that many things to draw when I returned home!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kathy! I really tried to mentally list some of the things I saw as I walked; of course, some things (like the baby snake) were easy to remember!
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy letting my mind wander as I walk, but I'm trying to improve my visual memory. Now if I could only do better with names and dates! :)
Elizabeth, your blog is charming, interesting & informative...and that's in addition to your beautifully styled art. Really a great job- I've bookmarked your site! Gordon Campbell.
ReplyDeleteHi Gordon, and thank you for stopping by; I appreciate your kind feedback! I love sharing my view of natural Florida through my art and writing, and I'm glad that a photographer of your talents enjoys my artwork. Your photos of SW Florida are quite breathtaking!
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