Starfish

Yet another of my favourite things, a beautiful starfish.
I have a collection of different sizes and shapes, white ones, a blue one and some little tiny ones. They all sit on the shelf in the bathroom displayed with pebbles, shells and sea urchins, so I see them every day. I bought them over the years from shell shops or flower shops, they are not found on our beaches.
When I was teaching they were always a favourite drawing lesson, the children loved the shapes. For an observational drawing I encouraged the children to really look at the patterns on the starfish. I often pick them up and just look, they really are so interesting.
My pencil drawing still remains at this "work in progress" stage. I like it here, sort of half done, yet you know what it is. Maybe that is how it is going to stay.

Dragonfly gift

I had a gift today. It was a dragonfly, a beautiful blue dragonfly that someone found on their car bonnet. It was dead. They put it in a box and send it for me to draw.
It is now a browny colour and still has some blue showing, but it has been dead for a few days. The wings are slightly damaged.
I adore dragonflies and have drawn them many times. I have both an artcard and a print of my drawings of a dragonfly. As I live near some marshes where they live I am so lucky to see them each year, usually August onwards. Perhaps this hot weather has brought them out.
My drawing is one I did last year in inktense crayons, to try out the colours and crayons. It is not as detailed as my other dragonfly drawings and was a little too near the bottom of my paper, as I was experimenting and didn't worry too much about the composition. I will do some sketches of my new specimen. I often receive presents of feathers, but a dragonfly ..even better.
Hope you like it. Will post some of my Dragonfly gift soon.