Word Weaves

This week, I’m working on illustrations to submit to SCBWI for their Bulletin publication.  The illustration course I hoped to take didn’t pan out.  I’m very disappointed.  I haven’t found another online course  I can afford that’s worthwhile.  So, I’m determined to learn by doing.  I’m a seasoned fine artist.  I can do this.   I study the images in the Bulletin.  On a good day, my work compares.  On a bad day, my lines are too sketchy, my characters boring.  After almost thirty years of painting, I’ve developed my style, but will it translate to illustrations?  Strong color contrast defined my work.  I certainly haven’t attained that in my watercolors.  Should I stick to the mediums I know and learn how to work them on paper in the smaller size format?  All questions I ponder.

                                            The beauty of oak pollen

It’ s that time of year when we play with time and shoot our clocks ahead one hour, which in Florida means Spring is here.  We’ll have a few more cool fronts, but typically the hard frosts have ended.  The oak trees are shedding their leaves and sprouting fuzzy gold pollen.  It doesn’t seen fair, nature enticing us with all that tender green growth and bright bursts of color.  Vibrant blue skies, air warming to a delicious 78 degrees, and little bitty specks of pollen invading every nostril that dares to breath in that atmosphere.  I can’t resist the outdoors right now.  But oh, how my sinuses complain.