Holm Oak - Quercus ilex

Leccio - Quercus ilex - watecolor on sketchbook Cartiere Magnani

I have painted this watercolour in the garden of my house near the sea, and these are the acorns of new year.

The holm oak is native of Mediterranean countries, it is a semi rustic tree.

This oak tree tolerates shade and air pollution, and so we can find it into parks and gardens.

its persistente leaves of 9 cm, though and small-sized stretched out . they are pinked, in the prickly cuts, the very bright average green because varnish for the top of leaves, downy on the underside.

Quercus ilex produces acorns green clear, than brown of 3 cm.

The Art of Reverence - Maree

“Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence. Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance. Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence. Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance.”
- Yoko Ono

Ink, wash and collage in a hand-made sketch-book with satin-finish Linen paper.

During this past winter, I collected quite a few Oak and Maple leaves from a friend's garden and they really are lovely to sketch. I like storing some of them in between the pages of some of my Encyclopaedias. Those that were not too dry and that would lie flat nicely I would trace the outline and the rest actually liked to pose, lying on the table in front of me in quite an orderly fashion. Smile!

This is the fifth in the series Country Diary, which consists of paintings, sketches and collages depicting nature, rural and farm life.

Thursday's walk . . .

Thursday's walk
Originally uploaded by vickylw

. . . and the acorns I found. Still very green and not ready to leave the branch.

A Study in Stillness

An oak tree was on my mind when I returned home from a trip this past Monday, partly because it was struck by lightning several years ago. It still has the char marks and some loose bark as reminders. Several days earlier I had driven through pounding rain, lightning bolts that rivaled tree branches and high winds and hail that eventually spawned a tornado several miles to the south. Though it was still windy and overcast as I sat down to sketch, the dark clouds were breaking. Occasionally they let the afternoon sun cast a yellow glow over the tree. Home felt good, the oak solid, still, rooted. I was looking for something soothing to sketch, something still that wouldn’t hop or fly away. This tree seemed perfectly suited.

Its tangled branches challenged me. I easily lost beginnings and endings retracing my lines several times. The tree is so wonderfully massive that to get too close is to miss its glory; to get too far away is to lose sight of its exquisite detail.

I thrilled when a brown thrasher landed on one limb and grabbed my camera to view it better. I hopped up to take a closer look at the newly birthed oak leaves, softly frosted in pastel shades of pink and green and sketched them while standing. On the way back to my seat, I snapped photos of dogwood blossoms glistening as the clouds cleared the sun and added one to the sketch.
Smiling, I sat down again. An oak tree still? Maybe not. Sketching this oak felt more like dancing.

To see another fun visitor I had while sketching visit Vickie Henderson Art.

Live Oak

Lately I’ve had a few too many irons in the fire, and haven’t given myself permission to draw or paint much. After receiving an invitation to join Kate’s new nature blog, a part of me decided that posting some older work was quite acceptable. Another part of me took myself outside and just started to paint! So today I hope you enjoy sharing this oak with me.

Here in southwest Florida our spring is subtle but still quite tangible. As I was painting this upper branch, a red-headed woodpecker flitted in the canopy as a nearby gray squirrel scolded me and skittered in the dry leaf litter below. Blue jays performed their little hopping dance; warblers and mockingbirds sang their hearts out. The sun danced through the oak leaves, weaving a carpet of dappled shade. It’s warm, but breezy and dry.

I found a few remnants of acorns to draw; it was a minor crop this year compared to the year before. New leaves are vibrantly green, turning to olive as they mature; they are leathery and tough, designed to survive our spring droughts and the intense summer sun. The waxy upper surface and the curled-under leaf margins help this massive tree conserve water. The delightfully corrugated bark is a lovely combination of cool browns and grays, supporting ferns, lichens, mosses, and air plants.

What a wonderful reconnection for me! Thanks, Kate, for the invitation and the inspiration!

~ Elizabeth

My Oak

I remind you friends that I love trees. Matter of fact my last name means person of wood and our coat of arms has wood pieces on it.
This little beauty was found in Liberty Missouri while driving around looking for a reason to paint. I listen for things to scream out at me and it did, shouting at the top of its lungs, "Look at me, LOOK AT ME"! So the rest is history. It was chilly yet this handsome specimen of Oak was stealing the spotlight of sunshine. While dogs barked and the neighbors on their deck, stared me down, I drew quickly. I generally do a value sketch of 2 X 3 to capture light and then a photo and then proceed to a line drawing. The subject matter always tells me in what medium to do it in. The style is watercolor and ink line. I'm always trying to remember our principles of design, one being something must dominate. Here I let the color use the line as a supporting actor. I get so caught up in the process of having fun that sometimes I go way past when I should have stopped. Less is always more in my book of thinking.
Having a little travel kit of sketchbook, pencil, ink pens, camera and the desire you will always find subject matter. For me it's not so much the subject matter but the interpretation of it. That's where I take great liberties with our artistic license that all of us artist should use when you warrant it. Moving this and enhancing color here, more texture their. This is what puts our signature or style on a picture. How much more fun can you have than to be in total control, right?
I eliminated the dogs, old 55 gallon barrels around the tree. The trailer house and old cars were eliminated along with the stern looking neighbors. Maybe they thought I was the tax man or something.
The tree wanted to be the sole character of my painting and I had to agree when viewing its magnificence. Under my introduction I mentioned being on chemo and walking through some handicaps right now. Well every time I paint or draw their are enzymes and hormones released that help heal the body. Gods built in medicine to help us. Art is medically proven to help heal so I urge each of you, for your own health and well being to do as much of it you can. Then share your gift with others so they to can benefit. Funny thing that for years I heard and believed it is the process of picture making, creating, not the end results. Boy, have I learned this to be so true. Thanks for listening and happy painting. I would enjoy comments or questions. Ricky Holtman